First, make sure you have a plan. Planning custom kitchen cabinets can now be done easily online, using a variety of planning tools available from large home design and home improvement retailers. The last thing you want to do is show up at the carpenter's without an idea of the style, design and layout you want for your kitchen cabinets, so be sure to do this homework up front.

One of the chief concerns when considering custom kitchen cabinets is price. By far, custom cabinets are the priciest option—with semi-stock and stock cabinets both generally costing much less. There are ways to make sure you don't go over budget on custom cabinets, though, including focusing on essential design elements and cutting out extras like glazing, intricate word working or specialty storage features. And when you're budgeting, be sure to price out the cost of labor, and round up—cabinets can often run over scope and over budget due to unforeseen installation issues or incremental additions to the job.