705.722.4421    1.877.366.7222
705.722.4421 1.877.366.7222

Frequently asked questions

About Us

  • What Area do you Service?

    Our typical service area is Central Ontario, including the GTA and cottage country.

    Are you from further away? We’ve been as far West as Vancouver,  South as the British Virgin Islands and North as Sudbury.

     

  • How did Norcab Grow to It’s Current Size?

    We grew to our current size the old fashion way, by doing our job and doing it well.

    Word of mouth is an extremely powerful tool that we’ve leveraged since day one. Our formula is simple. If you do what you say, in the time frame you promise and for the price agreed, you’ll have a happy customer. Happy customers create more happy customers and a better reputation for the company.

    Our current size allows us to control nearly all aspects of construction in house. It provides us with some of the best equipment, processes and staff available, which in turn produce a quality product for our customers.

  • Do you Renovate?

    We don’t renovate and for good reason.

    Like most dedicated trades, we’re not a general contractor. We’re a highly specialized sub-trade that fulfills a specific construction role. Our scope of work is limited to custom cabinetry and millwork fabrication as well as counter top sales.

    We always caution potential clients about hiring a “jack of all trade” cabinet company. Our recommendation is to find a reputable general contractor or if you choose to manage your own job, hire trades who specialize in their respective fields.

  • Do you Build Commercial Millwork?

    Yes! We build commercial casework, architectural millwork and store fixtures. We service the commercial, architectural and institutional fields. Unfortunately, we’re typically bound by complex non-disclosure agreements preventing us from publicly sharing the bulk of our work.

    Please call and speak with us for more info!

Design / Estimation / Billing

  • Why Don’t You Release Drawings Prior to an Agreement?

    Being a fully custom manufacturer, performing a full kitchen design isn’t a quick and easy process. Unlike stock cabinetry designers, we don’t have a pre-populated catalog of all of our product offerings to build the design from.

    On average, we invest 3-4 hours of time into every preliminary kitchen design and detailed renderings we complete. As we don’t charge for this complimentary service, this policy aims to strike a fair balance of presenting our clients with a well planned design for consideration and protecting our time investment.

    If clients are unable to attend our showroom or simply wish to work remotely, we can collect a non-refundable design retainer which allows us to release all of our design work to the client ahead of a manufacturing agreement. If a manufacturing agreement is reached, the design retainer is credited back to the final invoice.

  • Do You Offer Interior Design Service?

    We don’t offer full interior design services. We are specialized cabinetry and millwork designers. Our main focus is designing the most functional and well planned custom cabinetry for your space. However, we would be happy to provide our professional input on certain design choices that interact with our cabinetry such as wall, counter top and flooring color for the projects that we’ve been retained for.

    Interior designers generally offer much broader design services including room layout, various fixtures, furniture, flooring, trim etc.. We regularly work along side interior designers to design, plan and execute the custom cabinetry portion of the project.

    If you’re in need of an interior designer to help with the rest of your renovation project, we can gladly provide some contact information of local designers.

  • What is your Linear Foot Price?

    Because every project is so unique, it’s nearly impossible for us to provide accurate linear foot pricing for our products. This type of pricing is common in the mass production stock market because of the limited amount of styles and sizes available.

    We carefully price each job based on estimated time and material. Upon a fully developed set of drawings, we provide you with a firm cost on the project.

  • How Long will a Design Take?

    Our goal is to present a well planned, custom design to our clients within 5 business days. However, this can vary due to our current workload, staff holidays and other factors.

  • What are your Payment Terms?

    Our typical payment terms are common within the industry. These terms are designed to protect each party during the various stages of the project.

    For cabinetry purchases less-than $10,000:

    50% deposit.
    40% upon delivery (day 1 of installation).
    10% upon final completion (hold back).

    For cabinetry purchase greater-than $10,000:

    25% deposit.
    25% upon production start.
    40% upon delivery (day 1 of installation).
    10% upon final completion (hold back).

    Please note they are subject to change at our sole discretion.

  • What Forms of Payment do you Accept?

    We accept cash, personal / certified cheque, bank draft, Interac E-Transfer, Visa and Mastercard.

    We place a $2,500 CAD per contract cap on all credit card card purchases. You’re welcome to use your credit card for any amount, however any purchase over this cap is subject to a processing fee charged directly by our payment processor.

    We do reserve the right to request a certified cheque or bank draft at any time at our absolute discretion.

  • How Much do you Charge for a Design?

    We don’t charge for a preliminary design. We will show you exactly what we can do for your space free of charge.

    We do however require all complimentary drawings to remain in our showroom. You’re more than welcome to visit us more than once to review the design if needed.

    All design packages are released in full following a design retainer or deposit from the client.

  • Are you Expensive?

    It depends on what you’re expecting.

    Custom cabinetry is typically more expensive than semi-custom, stock sized cabinetry providers. If you’re looking to fill a space as inexpensively as possible, we may not be the right company. We don’t use the same material, hardware, construction method or adhere to the same quality standard as most stock manufacturers.

    We do however provide our clients outstanding value. We custom build for the exact space the product was intended. We use materials and methods commonly found in the architectural millwork specification to ensure a top quality product that will last for years to come. We have yet to see a semi-custom company even come close to this standard.

     

General Questions

  • What is your Refund Policy?

    Due to the extremely custom nature of our work, all of our sales are final and not refundable.

  • Have you Been Inspected (for Compliance?)

    This is a great question that you should ask every manufacturer that you visit! A regulatory issue or stop work order in the middle of your project could be very problematic.

    We’ve previously been inspected by the following federal, provincial and local agencies:

    -Ministry of Labor
    -Barrie Fire & Emergency Services
    -Ministry of the Environment
    -City of Barrie By-Law
    -TSSA

  • Are you Insured?

    Yes! We carry general liability insurance and are our employees are fully covered by WSIB.

    But please don’t take our word for it!  Always ask for proof of liability insurance and WSIB account status.

    Our WSIB account status can be verified online and our proof of liability insurance is always available upon request.

  • Do You Sell Counter Tops?

    Yes, we sell counter tops as part of our cabinetry projects. We manufacture SPS (solid polymer surface), wood and laminate counter tops in house.

    At this time, all natural stone / quartz counter tops are manufactured by a trusted fabrication partner.

  • Do You Re-Face Kitchens?

    Unfortunately, we do not re-face existing cabinetry at this time. We specialize on manufacturing new custom cabinetry products.

How To

Manufacturing / Installation

  • Can I Self Install Your Products?

    We strongly advise against self installation unless you have a professional background in custom cabinetry. Our cabinetry is not designed with user friendly installation in mind. Although we do sell components that can be self installed, please consider and understand the disadvantages of this choice:

    • Self installed cabinetry projects are no longer ‘turn key’. Our responsibility ends with building each component as specified by our drawing.
    • We do not take responsibility for the overall layout or design of the project.
    • We do not provide site measurement services to verify the components will fit the space.
    • We do not package or deliver the project. You are responsible for loading and packaging / protecting the products during transit.
    • We do not have any user guides or installation manuals for our projects since they are fully custom.
    • We are unable to offer technical installation support for self installed projects.
    • All moulidngs that are typically factory mitred and finished will be shipped in straight lengths.
    • In general, all components that meet a wall, floor or ceiling will be over sized. Client is expected to know how to scribe and fit these components.
    • We do not take responsibility for any injury or damage that is caused by improper installation.

    Details on this policy are subject to change.

  • What Hinge and Slide Hardware do you use?

    We exclusively use Blum hinge and drawer slide hardware for all standard residential and commercial projects, unless otherwise specified. Soft motion doors and soft motion full extension drawers are always standard with us.

    For more information please visit Blum Canada.

     

  • What Material do you Build your Cabinets out of?

    Almost anything you want! We’ve even fabricated kitchen cabinet doors from actual aircraft grade carbon fiber. You’re in complete control of your project. We can assist by providing recommendations and expert opinion but the options are almost limitless.

    Every option has its advantages and disadvantages. Our designers will help you understand each option and help you select the best material for your project.

    For the interior casework, we can build from:

    -Pre-finished maple veneer on plywood core.
    -Industrial grade thermally fused laminate on particle or MDF core.
    -Domestic or exotic wood veneer on plywood, MDF or particle core
    -Resin composite panels (exterior grade).
    -Plastic laminate on either plywood or particle core.

    For the doors and drawer faces, we can produce:

    -Flat panel wood.
    -Raised panel solid wood.
    -One piece MDF.
    -Slab veneer wood (domestic or exotic).
    -Slab plastic laminate.
    -Slab industrial grade TFL (0.5mm, 1mm and 3mm edge available).
    -Slab or routed composite panels (exterior grade).

  • What Type of Finishes do you Offer?

    We run a premium in-house finishing department and small colour lab able to perform most commercially available wood finishes. We tint, mix and color match all in-house. We have a large fully enclosed and climate controlled spray booth. All of our standard finishes are made from premium post catalyzed products.

    We offer over 1,000 solid colour choices!

    We’re able to achieve:

    – Opaque conversion varnish (painted look).
    – Stained finish.
    – Distressed / antiqued finish.
    – Glazed finish.
    – Shaded stain finish.
    – High gloss finish.
    – Painted glass / acrylic.

  • Do you Hire Sub-Contract Cabinet Installers?

    No. We believe the people best suited to install our cabinetry products are full time members of our own team. We don’t use sub-contract cabinetry installers for two main reasons:

    1. Sub-contractors are typically paid in a piece work fashion. The faster they install a project, the more money they typically stand to make. Our installers are paid hourly and have no financial incentive to rush through a project.
    2. Our installers are in regular contact with our cabinet makers and review every projects prior to the installation date. This allows potential installation problems or challenges to be identified and in advance of install day. Our installers understand exactly how we design and construct our cabinetry. They also have direct input into our manufacturing process to ensure they have the resources they need for a proper installation.
  • Do You Build Your Own Cabinets?

    Absolutely! We custom manufacture in our large facility located in Barrie, Ontario. We aim to manufacture as much as possible in house to ensure quality and control. Please see our company promo video in the “about us” section of the website.