Flat pack puts 40–60% more cabinetry in the same container, but it moves assembly to site at roughly 25–40 carcasses per two-person crew per day. Assembled arrives ready to fix and needs two to three times the storage. Flat pack wins on long routes and tight city sites; assembled wins on short routes and tight programmes. The mistake is choosing on freight alone.
Flat pack ships 40–60% more units per container — a volume saving, not a cost saving.
Assembly runs at about 25–40 carcasses per two-person crew per day.
Assembled needs 2–3x the site storage and carries higher handling damage on long routes.
Assembled shortens the install window; flat pack needs a build window before it.
Mixed orders are common: fragile and tall units assembled, the rest flat.
1. What changes between the two
The cabinet is the same. Board, hardware, finish and door profile can be identical. What changes is the state it arrives in, and therefore who does the assembly, where it is stored, and how much air you ship. Our RTA vs assembled comparison covers the joint and squareness side; this page covers shipping, storage and schedule, and the board thickness comparison covers the carcass itself.
2. Freight and container maths
| Line | Paquete plano | montado |
|---|---|---|
| Units per 40 ft HC | 40–60% más | Base |
| Flete por unidad | Más Bajo | 30–60% más alto |
| Almacenamiento del sitio | Compact | 2–3x footprint |
| Mano de obra de montaje | En el sitio | En fábrica |
| Instalar Windows | Más | Shorter |
The freight line is the one buyers see first, and it is the one most often over-weighted. Freight is a single line of landed cost. If flat pack adds three crew-days and a week of programme, the unit saving can disappear.
3. Damage and packaging
Assembled boxes handle more times and occupy more volume, so they collect more handling damage on long multimodal routes. Flat pack is compact but exposed at panel edges, corners and door faces. In both cases packaging decides the outcome. Edge protection, corner boards and moisture barrier matter more than the format itself; our normas de embalaje para la exportación set out what to require.
A inspección de pre-envío should check pack integrity and count, not just product quality. Damage found at destination is a claim; damage found before loading is a fix.
4. Site labour and programme
Flat pack shifts work from factory to site, and site labour is usually the more expensive and less controllable of the two. A 60-unit apartment kitchen at 30 carcasses per crew-day is two crew-days of assembly, before doors, adjustment and snagging. If the programme has no build window, that work lands on the critical path.
Assembled moves the same work into the factory where it is cheaper and repeatable. The trade is container volume. Projects with expensive site labour and short programmes often find assembled cheaper overall even at a higher freight line. The guía de plazos de entrega shows how the build window fits the 16-week schedule.
5. Choosing the format
Use flat pack when the route is long, storage is tight, and you control an assembly crew. Use assembled when the programme is short, site labour is expensive or unavailable, and the container is not the constraint. For most apartment projects the answer is a split: tall, glass and fragile units assembled, the rest flat. Model both in the guía de costos de desembarque before deciding on freight alone.
6. Sequencing a mixed load
When you split a load, sequence it by install order, not by product type. Kitchens first, then wardrobes and vanities, so the site is not holding 40 flat-pack boxes while the first fix is still open. Label every carton with room, elevation and unit number, and keep the packing list in the same order as the install drawing. A load that arrives sorted saves more site time than a slightly cheaper freight rate, and the carcass specification should stay identical across both formats so assembled and flat units match.
Preguntas frecuentes
Is flat pack always cheaper to ship?
Per unit, yes, because 40–60% more fit in a container. Total cost only falls if you have an assembly crew and a site that can hold the build window. Without those, the saving moves into labour and delay.
How much site labour does flat pack add?
Roughly 25–40 carcasses per two-person crew per day, before doors and adjustment. A 60-unit apartment kitchen is several crew-days, not an afternoon.
Does assembled arrive damaged more often?
On long multimodal routes, yes. Assembled boxes are bulkier and handle more times. Flat pack is more compact but exposed at edges, so packaging quality decides the outcome either way.
Can flat pack be stored in a smaller site?
Yes. That is one of its main advantages in city apartments with no laydown area. Assembled needs two to three times the storage footprint.
Which is better for a tight programme?
Assembled. It arrives ready to position and fix, so the install window is shorter. Flat pack needs a build window before installation.
Can you mix flat pack and assembled in one order?
Yes. Some projects ship tall and glass units assembled and the rest flat. It is a sensible way to protect fragile items without paying container volume for everything.
