Cabinetry components

Base cabinet
A cabinet designed to sit on or above the floor and usually support a benchtop. Its quote allowance may include the cabinet body, doors or drawers, hardware and associated panels.
Upper cabinet
A wall-mounted cabinet positioned above a benchtop or working area. It may also be called a wall cabinet.
Tall cabinet
A full-height or near-full-height cabinet such as a pantry, broom cabinet, appliance tower or wardrobe unit.
Panel
A visible or structural sheet component. In quoting, identify its material, finish, thickness, dimensions and edge treatment rather than assuming every panel is the same.
Filler
A fitted strip used to close a planned gap between cabinetry and an adjacent wall, cabinet or appliance. A filler can provide clearance as well as a finished appearance.
Scribe
A component or allowance shaped on site to follow an uneven wall, floor or ceiling. It should not be confused with a fixed-width filler.
Kicker
The recessed area and finishing board at the base of floor-mounted cabinetry, also called a toe kick or plinth.
Hardware
Functional fittings such as hinges, drawer runners, handles, lift systems, shelf supports and joining hardware. Hardware should be identified by required type and quantity when pricing.
Substrate
The underlying board or sheet material beneath a decorative surface or finish. Cost and manufacturing requirements can vary with substrate type and thickness.
Finish
The specified visible surface, colour or coating applied to cabinetry components. Drawings may refer to a separate finishes schedule that must be checked against elevations and notes.

Drawings and scope

Plan
A horizontal view showing room arrangement, cabinet runs, walls, openings and dimensions. Plans establish location but may not show every vertical detail.
Elevation
A straight-on vertical view of a wall or cabinet run, used to understand heights, widths, appliance positions and visible cabinet divisions.
Section
A cut-through view showing internal or side relationships that may not be clear in a plan or elevation, such as depths, construction zones and junctions.
Room
A project area used to organise scope and pricing, such as a kitchen, laundry, wardrobe or vanity. One room can contain multiple elevations and cabinet runs.
Run
A connected sequence of cabinets or components along an elevation. Breaking work into runs can help review dimensions and scope.
Drawing revision
An issued change to a drawing set. The revision identifier and date should be recorded because changed dimensions, finishes or scope can affect the quote.
Assumption
A clearly stated working decision used where project information is incomplete or ambiguous. Assumptions should be reviewed and visible to the person approving the quote.
Exclusion
Work, supply or responsibility specifically left out of the quoted scope. Clear exclusions reduce the chance that an omitted item is mistaken for an inclusion.
Provisional allowance
An estimated amount carried for an item that cannot yet be finally priced. The quote should explain what the allowance covers and how it may be adjusted.

For a practical review sequence, see how to estimate joinery from architectural drawings and what to include in a cabinetry quote.

Costing and quoting

Direct labour
Labour attributable to completing a project, such as drafting, machining, assembly, delivery or installation where those activities are treated as direct project costs.
Overhead
Business operating costs that cannot be assigned neatly to one cabinet or project, such as premises, administration, insurance and software. A consistent recovery method helps prevent them being omitted.
Markup
The amount added to cost to produce a selling price, expressed as a percentage of cost. Markup and margin are not interchangeable.
Gross margin
The gross profit expressed as a percentage of selling price: (selling price minus cost) divided by selling price. It does not by itself establish net business profit.
Contingency
An explicit allowance for defined uncertainty or risk. It should not be used to hide an incomplete scope review.
Quotation package
The documents issued together to explain price and scope, which may include the quote, room breakdown, inclusions, exclusions, assumptions, terms and supporting drawings where applicable.
Variation
An agreed change to the original scope, specification or price. It should identify what changed and its effect on cost and timing before work proceeds where practicable.

See the worked explanations in labour, overhead and margin and the cabinet job costing guide.

Production information

Shop drawing
A detailed drawing prepared to communicate how cabinetry is configured or intended to be made and installed. It must be reviewed against approved scope and site information.
Cut list
A list of parts to be cut, commonly including dimensions, quantity, material and edge information. Its usefulness depends on accurate cabinet configuration and production rules.
Nesting
The arrangement of parts on sheet material to plan cutting and material use. Nesting settings, tooling and machine requirements need validation before production.
CNC
Computer numerical control machinery that follows programmed instructions for operations such as cutting, drilling or routing. A drawing or quote system is not automatically a complete CNC workflow.
Production label
A printed identifier used to connect a manufactured part or cabinet with project, room, material or assembly information.
Export
Data or a document produced for use outside the current system. An available export does not necessarily mean direct integration with every receiving application or machine.

Read how cut-list and nesting views support material takeoff and quote review or compare CAD/CAM and quoting software.

Use the terms in a structured quote

See how JOINA organises rooms, cabinetry, pricing inputs and review.

Explore the quoting workflow