Direct Answer
Cabo does not match Asian cabinet prices on a per box FOB basis. Asian factories typically run 15 to 25 percent lower on the factory gate number. Where Cabo competes is total landed cost and speed to market. A container from Asia takes 45 to 90 days on the ocean, then drayage, then customs, then warehousing before it reaches your job site. Cabo delivers under seven days by land from our 700,000 square foot factory in Mexico once production wraps, about five weeks total from confirmed spec to cabinets on site. That 30 day production window plus six days on a truck beats Asia by two to three months. For a builder financing a project or a developer with penalty clauses in a delivery contract, that time gap changes the cost equation entirely.
Why It Matters
Price per cabinet is one line item. Total project cost includes carrying costs, inventory risk, and schedule exposure. If you order from Asia, you are committing to a spec 90 to 120 days before install. Any change in unit count, any design revision, any adjustment to door style or finish means you own inventory you cannot use or you are scrambling for a second container. Cabo builds to your confirmed spec 30 days out. Changes are cheaper and easier when the factory is five days away by truck, not three months away by ship.
Financing costs matter at scale. If you are running 500 units a year, the interest on inventory sitting in a warehouse for two months adds up. If a project delays by 30 days, that Asian container is still on the water or in a port. Cabo adjusts. The factory produces when you need it, delivers when the site is ready. That flexibility has a dollar value, especially in multifamily where schedules shift and municipalities delay.
How It Works
Cabo pricing is transparent and built around volume partnerships. National Accounts is the program for the highest volume buyers, typically developers and builders running hundreds of units a year. Pricing improves with commitment, with consistency, and with clear specs. A unit runs six to 40 cabinets depending on the floor plan. At 8,000 apartment units of capacity a month, roughly 200 shipping containers, Cabo has the scale to handle large programs without the ocean transit penalty.
The cost comparison has to include logistics. A 40 foot container from Asia runs $3,000 to $8,000 depending on port congestion and fuel. Drayage, customs brokerage, and warehousing add another layer. Cabo delivers by land, often direct to the job site. One truck, one driver, one bill of lading. Simpler paperwork, fewer handoffs, less risk of damage or delay.
What to Evaluate Beyond Price
Look at total cost of ownership over a 12 month program. Include financing costs on inventory, warehouse space, risk of spec changes, and schedule risk. A project that delivers 60 days early because cabinets arrived on time has a different ROI than one that sits waiting for a container.
Consider your change order exposure. Cabo builds framed or frameless, RTA or assembled, painted or stained shaker, slim shaker, slab, thermofoil. If a floor plan shifts or a finish changes, the factory adjusts in the next production run. With Asia, you are locked in months ahead.
Evaluate your install crew's schedule. Cabinets that arrive in five weeks let you plan tighter windows. Cabinets that arrive in four months require buffer time, which costs money in labor scheduling and carrying empty units.
Cabo is CARB Phase 2 and TSCA Title VI compliant, the same standards Asia meets. Quality is equivalent. The difference is speed, logistics, and the ability to work in true partnership over years, not transactional container orders.