Cabinet Maker in Knoxville

June 15, 2026

A cabinet maker builds and installs custom and semi-custom cabinetry for kitchens, baths, built-ins, and commercial millwork, and a Knoxville shop offers something a catalog order cannot: the chance to compare wood species and finishes in person, take field measurements in the actual room, and engineer cabinetry around the realities of an older home near downtown or a new build in the surrounding East Tennessee suburbs. Knoxville has a population of roughly 195,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau) and anchors a metro that has seen sustained residential growth, which keeps demand steady for custom kitchen and bath cabinetry, library and entertainment built-ins, mantels and closets, and the commercial casework that fills offices and retail spaces across the region.

Custom cabinetry sits at the top of a three-part market. Stock cabinets ship in fixed sizes and finish out quickly at the lowest cost, semi-custom lines allow modifications to standard boxes within a manufacturer’s catalog, and full custom work is built to the exact dimensions of a space with the buyer’s choice of species, joinery, and finish. Knoxville shops often work across this range, and several also fabricate countertops in solid-surface and laminate materials, so a project can be coordinated through one shop. Material choices drive both cost and durability: solid hardwoods such as maple, cherry, hickory, oak, and walnut for face frames and doors, plywood or medium-density fiberboard (MDF) for cabinet boxes, and finishes ranging from clear and stained to painted, glazed, and distressed.

In Tennessee, licensing turns on the size and nature of the work rather than on the act of building cabinets. A contractor’s license from the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors is required when the total project, combining labor and materials, reaches $25,000 or more. A separate Home Improvement license applies to certain residential projects valued between $3,000 and $25,000 in the counties that have adopted that license class, which include Knox, Davidson, Hamilton, and Shelby. A shop that simply sells cabinets as retail goods needs no contractor license, but installing cabinetry as part of a larger remodel can cross the licensing threshold. Cabinet purchases carry Tennessee’s 7% state sales tax plus the local option tax, bringing the combined rate in Knox County to 9.25%. Buyers can confirm a license at verify.tn.gov before signing a contract.

Consumers in Knoxville are protected by the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), administered through the Division of Consumer Affairs, which handles complaints about deceptive trade practices. On construction work, the state’s mechanics’ lien law (TCA 66-11-145) gives those who furnish labor or materials 90 days from completion to file a lien, a timeline worth understanding when scheduling payment milestones. Practical steps protect both sides of a cabinetry project: request written specifications listing wood species, box material, finish, and hardware, confirm whether the price separates materials from installation labor, ask for the design drawings before fabrication begins, and verify any required license through the Board for Licensing Contractors. Comparing a shop’s custom capability against a semi-custom line, and confirming lead times in writing, helps a buyer match the work to both the room and the budget.

Top Cabinet Maker Providers in Knoxville

1. Cabry Design and Cabinetry

Address: 8705 Unicorn Drive, Suite 114, Knoxville, TN 37923
Phone: (865) 556-9419
Website: https://www.cabrydesign.com
Services: custom kitchen cabinets, custom bathroom cabinets, custom closets, kitchen design, kitchen and bathroom remodeling, office, laundry, entertainment and bar cabinetry, outdoor kitchen cabinets
Description: Cabry Design and Cabinetry is a Knoxville custom cabinetry company that operates a showroom on Unicorn Drive and builds hand-crafted cabinets rather than assembly-line product. The shop offers an extensive range of wood species, drawing on local and domestic hardwoods, and builds all-wood construction with soft-close doors, dovetail drawers, factory finishes, and a lifetime warranty. Its scope covers kitchens, baths, closets, and specialty spaces such as offices, laundry rooms, entertainment rooms, and bars, along with outdoor kitchen cabinetry. Cabry is a member of the National Kitchen and Bath Association and partners with cabinet makers including Signature Custom Cabinetry, Touchstone Fine Cabinetry, and Superior Custom Cabinets, as well as regional Amish cabinetry shops, which gives buyers options across price and style tiers.

2. Old City Kitchens

Address: 218 E Depot Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917
Phone: (865) 800-8001
Website: https://www.oldcitykitchens.com
Services: custom cabinets, kitchen design including 3D design, cabinet installation and renovation, flooring
Description: Old City Kitchens is a Knoxville cabinet and kitchen design showroom on East Depot Avenue offering custom cabinetry alongside design and installation services. The shop carries cabinet lines including Shiloh Cabinetry, Koch and Co, and Wynnebrooke Cabinetry, which lets buyers choose among established manufacturers while working with an in-house design team. Its process supports 3D kitchen design, measurement guidance, and online quoting, and the showroom keeps regular weekday and Saturday-morning hours for walk-in and scheduled visits. In addition to cabinetry, the company offers flooring, so a kitchen project can coordinate cabinets and floors through one source.

3. Knoxville Custom Cabinets

Address: 5140 Knoxville Highway, Oliver Springs, TN 37840
Phone: (865) 435-2576
Website: https://knoxvillecustomcabinets.com
Services: custom cabinet building, islands, doors, built-ins, mantels and closets, residential and commercial millwork, countertop fabrication, cabinet installation
Description: Knoxville Custom Cabinets is a family-owned shop that has built custom cabinetry for homeowners and businesses across East Tennessee and the Knoxville metro for more than 20 years, working from a location in nearby Oliver Springs. Beyond kitchen and bath cabinets, the company builds islands, doors, built-ins, mantels, and closets, and it handles both residential and commercial millwork. It fabricates countertops as well, working in decorative laminate, acrylic solid surface, and wood veneer, and it is a certified fabricator of solid-surface products for Livingstone, Wilsonart, Hi-Macs, and Bellavanti. The shop uses CNC woodworking technology, which supports consistent fabrication on larger or repeat-component jobs.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cabinet Maker in Knoxville

Q: Does a cabinet maker in Knoxville need a contractor license?

It depends on the size of the job. A shop that only sells cabinets as retail goods does not need a contractor license. Once a cabinetry project reaches $25,000 or more in combined labor and materials, the work requires a license from the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. In Knox County, which has adopted the Home Improvement license, certain residential projects valued between $3,000 and $25,000 fall under that license class. Installation done as part of a larger remodel can push a project across these thresholds, so buyers should confirm a shop’s license at verify.tn.gov.

Q: What is the difference between custom, semi-custom, and stock cabinets?

Stock cabinets come in fixed sizes and a limited set of finishes and are the fastest and least expensive option. Semi-custom cabinets start from a manufacturer’s standard boxes but allow modifications to size, finish, and detailing within that catalog. Full custom cabinets are built to the exact dimensions of a room with the buyer’s choice of wood species, joinery, and finish, which gives the most design freedom and typically the longest lead time. Many Knoxville shops work across all three, which lets a project balance cost against the degree of customization.

Q: How much is sales tax on cabinets in Knoxville?

Tennessee charges a 7% state sales tax, and Knox County adds a local option tax that brings the combined rate to 9.25%. How labor is taxed can depend on whether the cabinet maker structures the job as a retail sale of goods or as an installation contract, so buyers should ask for an itemized invoice that separates materials, labor, and tax before signing.

Q: What wood species and box materials are common for custom cabinets?

Face frames and doors are commonly built from solid hardwoods such as maple, cherry, hickory, oak, and walnut, each with a distinct grain and price point. Cabinet boxes are typically constructed from plywood or medium-density fiberboard (MDF), with plywood generally favored for moisture resistance and screw-holding strength. Finishes range from clear and stained to painted, glazed, and distressed. A written specification that lists the species, box material, finish, and hardware helps ensure the delivered cabinets match what was quoted.

Q: How do I verify a cabinet maker’s license and protect my project in Knoxville?

Confirm any required contractor or Home Improvement license through the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors at verify.tn.gov. Request written specifications and design drawings before fabrication begins, a price that separates materials from installation labor, and a clear payment schedule. Because Tennessee’s mechanics’ lien law (TCA 66-11-145) allows those who furnish labor or materials to file a lien within 90 days of completion, structuring payments around completion milestones offers protection for both the homeowner and the shop.

Q: How do I file a complaint against a cabinet maker in Knoxville?

Complaints about deceptive trade practices or contract disputes can be filed with the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, which enforces the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104). Disputes involving a licensed contractor can also be directed to the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. Keeping the signed contract, design drawings, payment records, and photographs of any defective work strengthens a complaint.