Import when you have drawings, volume, and 16 weeks. Local when the site is not measured yet, the date is close, or the job is one kitchen with a difficult wall. The saving is real but it is only realised if the specification is controlled before production.
Budget 1.35–1.6× FOB for landed cost: freight, duty, clearance, delivery and the fees nobody quotes at the start.
The 20–35% saving is against a local maker supplying the same specification, not against a stock range at a big-box store.
Imported jobs fail at two points: the specification was never verified, and the site was never measured properly before cutting.
A local maker absorbs site error in the workshop. An importer absorbs it in a second container.
The hybrid route — imported carcasses, local doors and benchtop — is common on projects with a stone or joinery component that cannot travel.
1. Comparing the right number
The comparison that matters is landed cost against a local quote for the same board, the same hardware and the same door finish. Compared against a stock range, import looks expensive; compared against a joinery shop, it looks cheap.
Build the landed figure from FOB plus freight plus duty plus clearance plus inland delivery plus the cost of the inspection you should be running. That last line is usually missing from the spreadsheet and it is the one that decides whether the saving is real.
| Line | Import | Local maker |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet supply | FOB | Workshop price |
| Freight and insurance | 8–15% of FOB | Included |
| Duty and clearance | Varies by tariff | Not applicable |
| Inspection | Third party, per shipment | In-house |
| Site adjustment | Rework or second order | Remake in workshop |
| Warranty response | Remote, slow | Local, fast |
2. Lead time and cash
Import runs on a 16-week clock: drawings, approval, 30–45 days production, 18–25 days at sea, clearance, delivery. Local joinery can be 6 weeks because the workshop is 40 minutes away.
Cash behaves differently too. Import usually needs 30–50% deposit at order, balance before shipment — so you are funding the goods for two months before they land. Local work is often staged against delivery. On a project with tight cash flow, a 25% saving that arrives 10 weeks later can still be the wrong answer.
3. Where the risk actually lands
Compliance. Board grade, formaldehyde class and fire performance have to be verified before production, not on arrival. A container of non-compliant board is not a negotiation, it is a re-export.
Dimensional error. If the site was not measured before cutting, the error is discovered at installation, 12,000 km from the saw. A local maker sends a fitter; an importer sends a claim.
Transit damage. Corners and faces take hits that a workshop never sees. The fix is packing specification, which has to be written into the order.
4. When import is the wrong answer
One kitchen with an out-of-square wall and a client who wants to see samples in a showroom. The saving does not cover the risk of one wrong dimension.
Projects with a fixed handover inside eight weeks. No amount of price advantage fixes a container that has not sailed.
Anything where the specification is still moving. If the door finish is not chosen, the order cannot be cut, and the clock cannot start.
| Situation | Better route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Single kitchen, walls not measured | Local | Remake in the workshop, not in a container |
| 40 identical apartment units | Import | Repetition amortises setup and drawings |
| Handover inside 8 weeks | Local | The container has not sailed yet |
| Specification still moving | Neither — freeze the spec first | Cutting cannot start |
| Stone benchtop and feature joinery | Hybrid | Those parts do not travel well |
5. The hybrid route most projects end up with
Import the carcasses, doors and hardware; source the benchtop locally because stone is cut to a template taken on site. That single split removes the highest-risk dimension from the shipment and keeps the 20–35% saving on the part that travels well.
Some projects also keep the visible joinery local — a feature island, a curved run — while importing the standard units. It costs a little more and removes the two arguments clients actually have: the benchtop joint and the feature wall.
Frequently asked questions
How much cheaper is importing really?
Typically 20–35% against a local maker at the same specification, once landed cost is counted. Against a stock range, the gap can disappear.
What is the landed cost multiplier?
Roughly 1.35–1.6× FOB, depending on duty, route and how much inspection you specify.
How long does an imported kitchen take?
About 16 weeks from drawing freeze to handover: production 30–45 days, sea freight 18–25 days, plus clearance and delivery.
What happens if a cabinet is the wrong size?
On a local job it is remade in the workshop. On an import it is a claim, a remake and a second shipment — which is why the site measurement matters more, not less.
Can I import part of the kitchen?
Yes, and most projects should. Carcasses and doors travel well; stone benchtops and feature joinery are better made locally.
