Sales Toolkit for Cabinet and Millwork Shops: Win Work From Builders and GCs
Cabinet and millwork shops win work from builders and general contractors by reaching them before the cabinetry package is awarded, sending a bid that is easy to compare and following up as the build moves. The window runs from about 50% of the way through the build to about 70%, with the last realistic approach at about 80%. Builtie, a sales automation platform for construction trades, counted 38,305 cabinetry projects inside that window across 25 markets on October 9, 2026 and finds each builder's decision maker; this toolkit has the timing, copyable bid and follow-up templates, and where the work is.
The same four steps, whether the buyer is a builder, a designer, an owner or a company you want to acquire.
How cabinet and millwork shops win work from builders and GCs
- Find the projects early, on building permits: most private cabinetry work is awarded by the builder or general contractor without a public bid.
- Call inside the window: from about 50% of the way through the build to about 70%, with the last realistic approach at about 80%.
- Reach the person who buys cabinetry work. The builder or developer awards cabinetry, often with an interior designer or kitchen designer specifying it; on custom homes the owner decides.
- Send a bid that is easy to compare: scope, price and validity, exclusions, allowances and a schedule tied to the build.
- Follow up when the build moves, not on a timer, and ask for the builder's next project when this one is decided.
When cabinetry work gets picked
Builtie times cabinetry work from about 50% of the way through the build to about 70%, with the last realistic approach at about 80%. That is after the rough-ins, when the interior finishes are priced.
Tap a stage. The highlighted stage is where cabinetry is typically awarded.
The window is a share of the build, so its dates depend on how long the build runs. Builtie's own estimate sets the build length from the declared construction value on the permit; in weeks after construction starts:
| Declared value | Window opens | Window closes | Last realistic approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| $250k to $1M (7-month build) | week 15 | week 21 | week 24 |
| $1M to $5M (13-month build) | week 28 | week 40 | week 45 |
| $5M to $25M (20-month build) | week 43 | week 61 | week 70 |
| $25M to $100M (30-month build) | week 65 | week 91 | week 104 |
Check one project: the award window calculator takes a trade and a stage (or months since the permit was issued) and says whether cabinetry work is before, inside or past its window.
Bid cover note template
Send this with the price. It answers the questions an estimator asks before comparing bids: what is in, what is out, what is an allowance, and when you can start. Replace everything in [brackets].
Subject: [Project address]: Cabinetry price from [Your company] Hi [First name], Attached is our cabinetry price for [project address], based on [drawings / specification, revision and date]. Scope: shop drawings, fabrication, delivery and installation of cabinetry and millwork per [drawing sheets]. Price: $[amount] [plus tax], valid until [date]. Excludes: countertops unless listed; plumbing and electrical connections; appliances; wall blocking. Allowances: hardware at $[amount] per unit; finishes from [range]. Schedule: Cabinetry work is usually decided between about 50% and 70% of the build. We can hold [crew / production slot] for [weeks or dates] if we hear back by [date], and will confirm again when drywall is scheduled and the shop-drawing deadline is set. Why us: [show shop drawings, your production lead time and a proposed delivery date that fits the finishing schedule]. One question: [the one thing that would change the price, such as a spec choice or a phasing date]. [Your name] [Company] | [phone] | [email]
Three-touch follow-up and a LinkedIn note
Three emails, each tied to the project rather than to a calendar: the first a few days after the bid, the second when drywall is scheduled and the shop-drawing deadline is set, the third before the window closes at about 80% of the build. The LinkedIn note is for the estimator or project manager you have not met.
Subject: Re: [Project address]: cabinetry price Hi [First name], Checking the cabinetry price for [project address] reached you and reads clearly. If anything in the scope or the exclusions does not match your other bids, tell me and I will line it up so you are comparing like for like. [Your name] | [phone]
Subject: [Project address]: cabinetry schedule Hi [First name], I see [project address] is moving: drywall is scheduled and the shop-drawing deadline is set. That is usually when cabinetry work gets decided. We are still holding [crew / production slot] for [dates]. Can I get 10 minutes this week to confirm the scope, or is there a revision I should price? [Your name] | [phone]
Subject: [Project address]: releasing our cabinetry slot Hi [First name], We will release the [crew / production slot] we held for [project address] on [date] unless you need it. If cabinetry work has been awarded, no problem: what is your next project, and when does it go out to price? [Your name] | [phone]
Hi [First name], saw [Company] has [project address] in the works. We do cabinetry work for builders and GCs in [city] and price to your schedule. Worth a look before cabinetry work is awarded? [Your name]
Where cabinetry projects are open now
| Market | State or province | Projects in the award window |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | New York | 16,570 |
| Austin | Texas | 7,295 |
| Miami-Dade | Florida | 3,549 |
| Calgary | Alberta | 2,126 |
| Los Angeles | California | 1,938 |
| Toronto | Ontario | 1,694 |
| Nashville | Tennessee | 1,100 |
| Chicago | Illinois | 939 |
38,305 cabinetry projects were inside the award window across 25 markets in the United States and Canada on October 9, 2026: 16,467 new buildings and 21,838 renovations or alterations. Every market: cabinetry leads by city.
More for cabinet and millwork shops
- Sales automation for cabinet and millwork shops
- How to find clients for cabinet and millwork shops
- How to find cabinetry projects
- How to get more cabinetry jobs
- New construction projects for cabinet and millwork shops
- CRM for cabinet and millwork shops: what to track
- Cabinetry and Millwork construction leads by city
- The award window calculator
- Construction sales email templates
- Sales toolkits for every trade
Plans
Builtie's Starter plan is $79 per seat per month (CAD) for 20 projects; Growth is $99 for 50 projects and adds the LinkedIn and email outreach you run yourself. Opening a project spends one credit, and the decision makers, emails, phones and AI call script inside it are included. Your monthly credits reset at each renewal, and extra credit packs are valid for 30 days. The free trial runs 7 days with 10 projects. Custom, where Builtie's team runs the outreach for you, starts from CAD $1,500 a month on top of a Growth seat.
Frequently asked questions
How do cabinet and millwork shops win work from builders and general contractors?
By finding projects early on building permits, reaching the builder or general contractor while the cabinetry package is still open (from about 50% of the way through the build to about 70%, with the last realistic approach at about 80%), sending a bid that states scope, exclusions, allowances and schedule, and following up as the build moves.
When is cabinetry work awarded on a new building?
Builtie times cabinetry work from about 50% of the way through the build to about 70%, with the last realistic approach at about 80%. The builder or developer awards cabinetry, often with an interior designer or kitchen designer specifying it; on custom homes the owner decides.
What should a cabinetry bid cover note include?
The drawings and revision it is based on, the scope (shop drawings, fabrication, delivery and installation of cabinetry and millwork per [drawing sheets]), the price and how long it holds, what it excludes, the allowances, and a schedule tied to when cabinetry work is decided.
How should I follow up on a cabinetry bid?
Three touches tied to the project: a few days after sending, when drywall is scheduled and the shop-drawing deadline is set, and before the window closes at about 80% of the build. If the package is gone, ask for the builder's next project.
Is Builtie a CRM?
No. A CRM stores the contacts and deals you already have. Builtie is sales automation: it finds the projects from building permits, times each one to your trade's award window, finds the decision maker and runs the LinkedIn and email outreach. Most customers keep their CRM or job-management tool for the work they win.
What does Builtie cost?
Starter is $79 per seat per month (CAD) for 20 projects; Growth is $99 for 50 projects and adds LinkedIn and email outreach. There is a 7-day free trial with 10 projects.