How Trade Pricing Actually Works — and What to Tell Your Clients

One of the most common pain points for contractors and designers isn't finding good cabinetry — it's managing client expectations around cost when they've already been to a showroom or pulled prices online.

Here's a framework that works.

Separate Product Cost from Project Cost

When clients ask "what do the cabinets cost?" they're usually asking the wrong question. The cabinet cost is one line item in a project that includes layout, installation, finishing, hardware, trim, and your time. Quoting cabinet cost in isolation creates anchoring problems.

You don't owe clients a detailed explanation of your cost structure any more than a plumber owes one for their wholesale pipe pricing.

Frame it as: "The cabinetry package for this project is $X, installed and complete." Then if they push on the breakdown, you have room to discuss it.

Trade Pricing Is Real — But It's Not a Secret

Clients sometimes push back when they've seen retail pricing. The short answer: trade pricing exists because we buy in volume and are verified commercial buyers. It's the same reason a restaurant pays less for produce than a household does.

You don't owe clients a detailed explanation of your cost structure any more than a plumber owes one for their wholesale pipe pricing.

Protecting Your Margin

At Dogwood, our Tier 1 pricing runs approximately 50% below major retail showroom pricing on comparable cabinetry. Most of our trade customers mark up 20–35% for their clients, which puts them at or below what clients would pay at retail — making the conversation easy.

If you're ever losing bids to "I can just buy it at [retailer]," the conversation needs to be about value — installation quality, warranty, project management — not cabinet price.