Five stages, and you always know which one you are in
Most of what goes wrong on a cabinetry project goes wrong in the gaps between people. This is how we close them — with a drawing set you approve, a scope you can read, and one person accountable throughout.
What happens, in order
Durations are honest rather than optimistic. We would rather tell you eight weeks and deliver in eight than tell you six and deliver in eight.
- 01
Initial conversation
A phone call or a video call, usually 20 to 30 minutes
This is a conversation rather than a sales call. You describe the space and what is not working about it; we ask the questions that determine what the project actually involves — the room, the constraints, the appliances, whether other trades are involved and when you need it finished.
By the end of it you should have a realistic sense of scale and sequence, and we should know whether we are the right people for the job. If we are not, we will say so. Sending photographs beforehand makes this call considerably more useful.
What we do
- Ask the questions that determine scope
- Explain what the work typically involves
- Give you an honest view on fit and feasibility
- Set out what happens next
What you do
- Describe the space and what is not working
- Share photographs if you have them
- Tell us your timeline and any fixed dates
- Say if a designer or contractor is already involved
- 02
Site consultation and measurements
Typically 45 to 90 minutes on site
We come to the space and take the dimensions ourselves. That means the wall lengths, the ceiling heights at both ends of each run, the deviation from level and plumb, the window and door positions, the plumbing and electrical rough-ins, and the delivery route into the room.
This is also where the practical constraints surface: the bulkhead that may or may not carry a duct, the wall that is 18 millimetres out over its length, the stair turn that decides whether a unit arrives in one piece. Working from a floor plan instead of a measured survey is how cabinetry ends up not fitting.
What we do
- Take a full dimensioned survey
- Record level, plumb and squareness deviations
- Check the delivery and installation route
- Identify constraints before they become problems
What you do
- Provide access to the space
- Have appliance model numbers available if they are chosen
- Point out anything you already know is awkward
- Share your building's rules if you are in a condo
- 03
Design and material selection
Usually one to three weeks, depending on how many revisions you want
We produce elevation drawings showing the cabinetry as it will be built, with real dimensions on them. Alongside that comes a written scope that lists each cabinet, its size and its configuration — so the quotation refers to a specific document rather than a general description.
Material and finish selection happens in parallel. We narrow the field to options that suit the room and the way it is used, and put physical samples in your hands. Nothing is manufactured until you have approved both the drawings and the scope, and revisions at this stage cost nothing but time.
What we do
- Produce dimensioned elevation drawings
- Write a scope listing every cabinet and its size
- Present material and finish options with samples
- Revise the design until it is right
What you do
- Review the drawings and ask questions
- Confirm appliance and fixture selections
- Choose the door style, finish and hardware
- Approve the drawings and the written scope
- 04
Production and scheduling
Typically four to eight weeks, depending on scope and finish
Once the drawings are approved, the project goes into manufacturing with our production partners, and we manage it from there. This is the longest phase and the quietest one — most of it is waiting productively.
Meanwhile we handle the scheduling: confirming your installation window, booking service elevators and loading docks where a building requires it, arranging the certificates of insurance property managers ask for, and coordinating with your electrician, plumber or countertop supplier so the sequence works.
What we do
- Manage manufacturing with our production partners
- Book building access and delivery windows
- Coordinate with the other trades on your project
- Keep you informed if anything moves
What you do
- Confirm the installation window
- Clear the space by the agreed date
- Complete any preparatory trade work
- Put us in touch with your building manager if applicable
- 05
Installation and final review
One to four days on site for most residential projects
Installation begins with protecting the route and the surrounding rooms. Cabinetry is set, levelled and scribed to the walls, hardware is fitted and adjusted, and doors and drawers are aligned properly rather than approximately.
We then walk the finished work with you. If anything is outstanding — a damaged part, a wall further out than the survey suggested, a component that needs a return visit — it goes on a written list with a date against it. Nothing gets forced into place, and nothing gets left vague.
What we do
- Protect the space before starting
- Install, level, scribe and adjust
- Document anything outstanding in writing with a date
- Return to complete any deficiency items
What you do
- Provide access on the agreed days
- Walk through the completed work with us
- Raise anything that is not right
Being clear about how this works
It matters that you know exactly who does what, because it determines who is accountable when something needs fixing.
What Craft Mill Works does
- Takes the site measurements and produces the drawing set
- Designs the cabinetry layout and the interior storage
- Specifies materials, finishes, hardware and fittings
- Writes the scope document the quotation is based on
- Manages manufacturing with our production partners
- Coordinates delivery, building access and site logistics
- Schedules and supervises installation
- Handles the walkthrough, the deficiency list and the return visit
What we coordinate rather than perform
- Manufacturing — delivered by our local production partners
- Installation — delivered by installers we work with regularly
- Countertop fabrication — through stone and surface suppliers
- Electrical and plumbing — by the appropriate licensed trades
- Structural work and permits — by your contractor or designer
- Painting on site, where that route is chosen
We do not own a manufacturing facility, and we would rather say so than imply a workshop we do not have. What we do own is the coordination — the drawings, the specification, the schedule and the accountability. In practice that means one person stays responsible to you for the whole project rather than three companies pointing at each other.
About how we work
What does the initial consultation cost?
Nothing. The first conversation and the measurement visit are free, and there is no obligation at any point. We would rather establish early whether we are the right people for your project than have either of us discover it later.
Do I pay before I see drawings?
No. You see the drawings and the written scope first, and the quotation is based on those documents. Deposits are taken once you have approved what you are buying, and the schedule of payments is set out in writing before anything is signed.
What happens if I want to change something after approval?
Changes after approval are possible until manufacturing starts, and become progressively more difficult after that. Any change is priced and confirmed in writing before it happens, so nothing appears for the first time on the final invoice. This is the part of the process that most often goes wrong elsewhere, and we handle it deliberately.
Who is actually on site during installation?
Our installation partners, coordinated by us. We are the design, sales and project-coordination company, and we work with local manufacturing and installation partners we use regularly. Your point of contact does not change — the person who measured your space is the person who answers when you call in week six.
What if something is wrong at the final walkthrough?
It goes on a written deficiency list with a date against it, and we come back and complete it. Occasionally a part is damaged in transit or a wall is further out than the survey suggested. We fit everything that can be fitted properly, document what is outstanding, and give you a date. Nothing gets forced into place to close a job.
Can you work alongside my contractor or designer?
Yes, and it usually makes the project run better. We can be engaged directly by you, by your general contractor as the cabinetry trade, or by your designer as the specialist executing their drawings. Tell us which arrangement you are in and we will fit it.
Start at stage one
A twenty-minute conversation about the space, with no obligation and nothing to sign. If we are not the right people for the project, we will tell you.