You have a box of new pulls on the counter and a drill in the garage, and you already know the first hole is the one you cannot undo. Cabinet hardware installation in Jacksonville, FL is a small line item among the cabinet services we offer, and the one where a short job goes sideways fastest. A misdrilled hole in a finished door is not a touch-up, it is a resprayed door.
The old convention was knobs on doors and pulls on drawers, which suits traditional and farmhouse kitchens. Most kitchens we outfit now run pulls everywhere, since a pull is easier to grab with wet hands, though a long pull crowds a narrow door. Knobs everywhere works on small vanities and medicine cabinets, nowhere else.
One rule worth keeping: any drawer over 30 in wide gets two pulls or one appliance pull, because a single 4 in pull racks the drawer and chews up the glides.
Good hardware placement is invisible, bad placement is the first thing your eye finds. These are the numbers we use.
| Location | Standard placement |
|---|---|
| Upper door knob or pull | 2-1/2 to 3 in up from the bottom corner |
| Lower door knob or pull | 2-1/2 to 3 in down from the top |
| Base drawer pull | Centered on the front, horizontal |
Hardware goes on the stile opposite the hinges, the same distance from the corner across the kitchen. Copy the position, not a measurement off the floor. Pull length is the other call: figure a third the width of the front, so a 24 in drawer takes an 8 to 10 in pull and a 36 in drawer takes 12 in or two shorter ones.
Cabinet knob installation is one hole, which sounds forgiving and is not. A knob has a visible collar, so a hole 1/8 in off center on a shaker stile shows against the panel edge. We drill from the face with a backer block clamped behind, since doors in older Jacksonville kitchens are thin veneered particleboard that craters out the back without one.
Cabinet pull installation is two holes that must be parallel and exactly spaced, which is why hardware is sold by center-to-center, not overall length. A pull marked 5-1/16 in, the common 128 mm size, measures about 6 in overall. If you want to reuse existing holes, measure your center-to-center and shop that number. A 3 in pull will not cover holes drilled at 128 mm.
A cabinet hardware jig clamps to the door and registers off two edges, so every hole lands in the same spot. Across 25 doors and 10 drawers that is 60 holes, and freehand marking drifts. One mistake costs real money: filling, priming and respraying that door runs $80 to $160, or a new door if the hole broke the panel groove.
This is the most common version of the job here: your new pulls are 128 mm, the builder installed 3 in, and 40 holes are wrong.
On painted cabinets we fill with two part filler, sand flush, prime and respray those doors. Filler that sinks is why a cheap job shows dimples in six months. On stained cabinets a filled hole never disappears, so we keep the existing center-to-center or use a backplate. If most of the kitchen needs filling anyway, price refinishing at the same time.
Cabinet hinge replacement pairs with new pulls, since both happen with the doors off. Old face-frame hinges can be swapped for concealed Euro hinges, but that means boring a 35 mm cup in each door, which is shop work. If you already have Euro hinges, moving to soft close is a straight swap. Blown-out hinge screws need the dowel fix covered under cabinet repair.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Knobs or pulls into existing holes | $4 to $8 per piece |
| New holes drilled with a jig | $8 to $16 per hole |
| Fill, prime and respray a door | $80 to $160 each |
| Hinge replacement, Euro cup | $25 to $55 per door |
| 25 door kitchen, all new holes | $450 to $950 |
Three things move the price: reusing holes versus drilling new, whether old holes need filling and refinishing, and hardware count. These are typical Jacksonville ranges, and an exact figure takes counting doors and drawers.
4.8 ★
Klein Carpentry holds a 4.8 star average across 51 Google reviews. Homeowners keep mentioning the same things: fast replies, crews who show up when they say they will, and attention to detail. Every cabinet hardware installation project gets a written quote, a clear schedule and a daylight walkthrough at the end.
Humidity
Wood gains and loses moisture with the air around it, and the USDA Forest Products Laboratory's Wood Handbook shows how much it swells and shrinks as a result. We plan every cabinet hardware installation job for that movement: stable sheet goods, acclimated lumber, moisture-resistant material near slabs and wet rooms, and joints with room to move.
3 Heights
Jacksonville homes range from plaster and concrete block to square new construction. We measure each opening at the floor, mid height and ceiling before building, then scribe the finished work to the wall. Depending on the piece, it is built in our shop and brought in finished or built on site in your home, so the fit stays tight either way.
4.8from 51 Google reviews
Absolutely recommend! 5 Star experience all around. Pricing was extremely reasonable and fair and the results of the work was spectacular. I had a window frame and siding that needed to be replaced due to water damage. The end result was nothing short of excellent. I will be definitely be using them again going forward and will be letting others know to use them as well.
Gregory Brown · a year ago on Google
If I could give Klein Carpentry 10 Stars I would. Ray and Nathan are First Class Carpenters and throughout the whole process their attention to detail was beyond our expectations. We had Shiplap installed in our Cafe/Dining Room and Board&Batten throughout the Foyer. Through the start of installation the communication, cleanliness and putting up a plastic wall to exhaust the dust outside was a Plus because going through renovations can be stressful but they made it perfect. We are so impressed that they are coming back to do built-ins on each side of the fireplace. ⭐️⭐️Update Second Review⭐️⭐️ Ray and Nathan has exceeded our expectations again. Just Wow!!! They designed our 10 ft Built Ins here in Marshes of Maderia by Master Craft Homes. We absolutely love the Reeded Door and Drawer Panel design with Lights looks so Sophisticated and Timeless . Now our New Home looks complete ❤️
Stacy Johnson · a year ago on Google
We recently used Klein Carpentry to aid in the renovation of our home. Ray and his team installed new baseboards, wainscotting, window/door trim and crown molding to bring a major update to what was a builder grade interior. From the bidding to the final nail took about two months but the results were worth the wait. During the entire process, Ray was polite and passionate about his work while keeping the working area tidy at all times. I would highly recommend using Kline for any of your carpentry needs, you won't be disappointed!
Glenn Seagers · 2 years ago on Google
Reviews from Google
Yes, and most of our hardware jobs work that way. Have it on hand before we arrive, plus two or three spares.
Not if they are filled properly and the door is resprayed. Two part filler sanded flush holds its shape, while lightweight spackle shrinks and telegraphs within a season here.
Often not by itself. For a vanity or two we bundle it with other cabinet work rather than charging a trip for eight holes.
That is common on 1980s and 1990s Jacksonville kitchens with veneered particleboard doors. We drill with a backer block and a brad point bit, scoring the veneer first.
Salt air at Atlantic Beach and Ponte Vedra is hard on plated finishes, and cheap plating pits within a couple of years. Solid brass, stainless and good powder coat hold up best.
For hinge and glide upgrades
For stripped hinge screws
For undrilled doors
For under-cabinet lighting
From Klein Carpentry
Call (904) 759-4988 with your door and drawer count and the hardware you picked. We work throughout Jacksonville and will say upfront whether your old holes can be reused.
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