Custom Cabinetry in Big Lake, MN

Boxes That Stay Square and Doors That Stay Shut

KCMA certification runs a cabinet door through 25,000 open-and-close cycles, loads a wall cabinet to 600 pounds, and leaves the finish under chemical exposure for 24 hours across 14 separate tests that 40 to 50% of makers fail on the first attempt. Curtis C Contracting LLC designs and installs custom cabinetry in Big Lake, MN, Elk River and Princeton: kitchen and bath boxes, refacing, hardware and soft-close upgrades, built-ins, pantry and laundry storage, trim and finish carpentry.


Fit separates a run that reads as built-in from one that reads as delivered, so fillers get scribed to out-of-square walls, boxes are shimmed dead level across the whole run, and every door and drawer front is aligned after the counter lands. We hold Minnesota residential building contractor license BC808587, carry BBB A+ accreditation, and bring 30 years of hands-on cabinet and trim work. Free quotes start with a measured walkthrough booked through our contact page.

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Cabinetry We Install

  • Kitchen Cabinet Design and Installation

    Base boxes stand 34.5 inches tall and 24 inches deep, uppers hang 18 inches above the counter in 30, 36 or 42-inch heights. Layouts begin from appliance dimensions and sightlines, then get fastened into blocking and leveled end to end.

  • Bath Vanities and Linen Cabinets

    Heights vary more here than in a kitchen, with 32 inches suiting children and 36 inches easier on adult backs. Drawer banks are notched around the trap, and recessed medicine cabinets or linen towers add storage where floor area is already spoken for.

  • Cabinet Refacing and Door Replacement

    Refacing keeps sound boxes in place, swaps doors and drawer fronts for new ones, and skins face frames and exposed ends in matching veneer or laminate. It suits a layout you already like, provided the boxes are square and dry.

  • Hardware and Soft-Close Upgrades

    Soft-close hinges and undermount full-extension glides retrofit into most existing boxes, ending slammed doors and drawers that stop two inches short. Pulls and knobs get bored from a jig so every hole lines up, and organizers drop into drawers already there.

  • Built-Ins, Pantry and Laundry Storage

    Bookcases flanking a fireplace, a window seat with lift-up storage, a mudroom bench with lockers, a pantry on pull-out shelves or a laundry run with a folding counter all get built to the wall rather than bought to fit.

  • Trim and Finish Carpentry

    Crown, light rail, toe kicks, scribe molding and decorative panel ends turn a row of boxes into millwork. Door casing, baseboard and window stool are matched to the cabinet profile so the finished room reads as one piece of work.

Why Choose Us for Cabinetry

Boxes Rated for the Load They Will Carry

Wall cabinets tested to hold 600 pounds and shelves rated at 15 pounds per square foot are measured figures, not marketing copy. We specify to that standard and fasten through the back rail into studs, never into drywall anchors alone.

Runs Scribed to Walls That Are Never Square

Framing is rarely plumb in a house finished in the 1980s, so fillers, end panels and scribe molding get cut to the wall instead of forced into a gap. A run that dies tight in a corner looks built rather than installed.

Doors and Drawers Aligned After Everything Settles

Six-way adjustable hinges let us bring every reveal to a consistent 1/8 inch once boxes are fastened and the countertop is set. We come back after the first heating season to reset anything that has shifted with indoor humidity.

Finish Samples Reviewed in Your Own Light

Paint and stain read differently under showroom fluorescents than under a north window at 4 p.m. in January, so door samples go home with you before an order is placed. Sheen matters as much as color on a surface handled daily.

Storage Planned Around What You Already Own

Counting the sheet pans, stock pots, countertop appliances and pantry staples you actually keep is what decides drawer depths, pull-out widths, tray heights and shelf spacing. A plan drawn from that inventory beats one copied off a catalog page.

Demolition That Leaves Drywall and Flooring Intact

Old boxes come out whole wherever possible: caulk lines scored, screws backed out of the blocking, and panels lifted clear instead of pried. Patching a torn wall or a gouged floor is time nobody budgeted into the schedule.

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Storage Planned Inch by Inch, Then Built to Fit

Cabinets are the part of a house you put your hands on every single day, and whether a run feels solid or rattles comes down to box construction, fastening and reveal. Curtis C Contracting LLC designs, builds and installs cabinetry in Big Lake, MN for kitchens, bathrooms, pantries, mudrooms, laundry rooms and living spaces, including refacing, hardware upgrades, built-ins and the trim carpentry that ties everything together. There is no hurry in settling on door styles and finishes, because a sample viewed in your own light beats a showroom wall every time. Send your room dimensions through our contact page and request a free quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How far above the countertop are wall cabinets installed?

    Standard spacing is 18 inches from countertop to the bottom of the upper cabinet, which clears most countertop appliances. Above a sink that range stretches to 24 to 36 inches, and over a cooktop the hood manufacturer sets the required clearance.

  • What is the standard base cabinet height?

    Base cabinets measure 34.5 inches tall and 24 inches deep, landing at 36 inches once a countertop is on. Toe kicks account for roughly 4 inches of that height, and taller households sometimes request a 39-inch finished counter instead.

  • Can you reface cabinets instead of replacing them?

    Yes, provided the boxes are square, structurally sound and laid out the way you want to keep. Refacing changes doors, drawer fronts, hinges and face-frame skins. Curtis C. Contracting quotes refacing beside full replacement in Big Lake, MN.

  • What does KCMA certification mean?

    It means the cabinet passed all 14 independent tests in the KCMA standard, including 25,000 door cycles, a 600-pound wall-cabinet load, shelves carrying 15 pounds per square foot for 7 days, and a 24-hour chemical exposure on the finish.

  • Are plywood cabinet boxes better than particleboard?

    Plywood holds screws better, weighs less and survives a leak under the sink, which matters most in sink bases and wall cabinets. Furniture-grade particleboard sits flatter and performs well in dry runs, so many kitchens sensibly mix the two.

  • Can I install new cabinets over existing flooring?

    Installing over the existing floor works, but it locks that floor in place; replacing it later means cutting around the cabinet run or removing it. When new flooring is already planned, run it first and set the cabinets on top.

  • What are soft-close hinges?

    Soft-close hinges carry a hydraulic damper that catches the door in the final inch of travel and eases it shut. Most retrofit into existing European-style cup bores, so the upgrade rarely requires new doors or new cabinet boxes.

  • Should cabinets go to the ceiling?

    Running uppers to the ceiling adds usable storage and removes the dust ledge, though the top shelf needs a step stool. Under 9-foot ceilings a stacked upper with glass doors handles the height better. Curtis C. Contracting builds either in Big Lake, MN.