Cabinet Maker in Nashville

June 15, 2026

A cabinet maker builds and installs custom and semi-custom cabinetry for kitchens, baths, built-ins, and commercial millwork, and a Nashville shop offers something a catalog order cannot: the ability to walk a buyer through wood species, door styles, and finishes in person, take field measurements in the actual room, and engineer cabinetry around the quirks of an older Davidson County home or a new build in the surrounding suburbs. Nashville is Tennessee’s largest city, with a population of roughly 715,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and its sustained growth has produced one of the South’s most active renovation and construction markets. That activity keeps demand steady for custom kitchen and bath cabinetry, library and entertainment built-ins, and the commercial casework that fills offices, restaurants, and retail spaces across Middle Tennessee.

Custom cabinetry occupies the top tier 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. Local shops typically work across this spectrum, pairing custom builds with semi-custom lines so a project can be tuned to a budget. 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 Davidson, Knox, 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 Davidson County to 9.75%. Buyers can confirm a license at verify.tn.gov before signing a contract.

Consumers in Nashville 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 Nashville

1. Hartert-Russell

Address: 2221 Bransford Avenue, Nashville, TN 37204
Phone: (615) 386-0020
Website: https://hartert-russell.com
Services: custom cabinetry and millwork, semi-custom cabinet lines, kitchen and residential cabinetry, outdoor cabinetry, home renovation and remodeling, custom builds, general contracting
Description: Hartert-Russell is a Nashville custom cabinetmaker, builder, and general contractor that has operated since 1997, working from a 12,000-square-foot wood shop in the heart of the city. The company builds full custom cabinetry in a range of wood species and finishes and also carries semi-custom lines, including EUROSC and RD Henry, which lets a project scale between bespoke and catalog work. For outdoor kitchens it supplies weather-rated cabinetry from Danver, Stoll Industries, Challenger Designs, and American Outdoor Cabinets. Because the firm combines cabinetmaking with general contracting, it can handle cabinetry as a standalone commission or as part of a larger renovation, coordinating millwork with the broader build.

2. Tiger Cabinetry

Address: 601 Bakertown Road, Antioch, TN 37013
Phone: (615) 730-0033
Website: https://tigercabinetry.com
Services: custom kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinetry, wet bars, garage cabinets, outdoor kitchens, organization and storage solutions, design and 3D renderings, on-site measurement, professional installation, hardware installation
Description: Tiger Cabinetry is a custom cabinet maker with a showroom in Antioch, a short drive from downtown Nashville, serving homeowners across the metro area. The shop builds both framed cabinets in real hardwood and European-style frameless (Euro) cabinets, giving buyers a choice between traditional and contemporary construction. Its work spans kitchens, bathrooms, wet bars, garage storage, and outdoor kitchens, supported by a design process that includes 3D renderings, on-site measurements, and layout evaluation before fabrication. Installation, including final hardware such as pulls and knobs, is handled in-house, so a project can run from initial design through finished install with one shop.

3. Black Mountain Cabinetry

Address: 2605 Elm Hill Pike, Suite B, Nashville, TN 37214
Phone: (615) 212-8565
Website: https://www.blackmountaintn.com
Services: custom and semi-custom cabinetry, design with site measurements and production drawings, cabinet manufacturing coordination, professional installation, initial consultation and estimates
Description: Black Mountain Cabinetry is a Nashville cabinet maker offering both custom and semi-custom cabinetry from a by-appointment showroom on Elm Hill Pike. The company structures projects as a full process, beginning with an initial consultation to discuss the buyer’s goals and budget, moving through site measurements and production drawings, and finishing with professional installation by its craftsmen. That design-through-install approach suits homeowners who want a single point of contact from concept to completion. The firm serves the Nashville metro area and surrounding Middle Tennessee communities, and it maintains an active project portfolio across kitchens and other rooms.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cabinet Maker in Nashville

Q: Does a cabinet maker in Nashville 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 Davidson 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 Nashville 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 Nashville?

Tennessee charges a 7% state sales tax, and Davidson County adds a local option tax that brings the combined rate to 9.75%. 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 Nashville?

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 Nashville?

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.