Cabinet Hardware Installation in Bozeman, MT | Pulls, knobs, hinges and runners fitted straight and in line
At Custom Cabinets Bozeman MT, we install cabinet hardware so it looks deliberate: pulls and knobs drilled with jigs in perfectly aligned rows, old holes filled when sizes change, and hinges and runners upgraded to soft-close where the cabinets allow. It is a small job that changes a whole room.
Free design consultationTell us about the room. We call back to book a measure.
Cabinet Hardware Installation in and around Bozeman MT
New hardware is one of the cheapest ways to update cabinets, and one of the easiest to get wrong. A pull a sixteenth of an inch off its neighbour is visible across the room. We use drilling jigs, set standards for placement, and fill old holes cleanly when sizes change.
How a hardware job runs
Choose
We help you pick sizes and finishes that suit your doors.
Plan
Placement is agreed and a test door is drilled.
Install
Every door and drawer is drilled and fitted with jigs.
Upgrade
Hinges and runners are swapped and adjusted where wanted.
Hand-measured hardware compared with ours
| The usual approach | How we do it |
|---|---|
| Holes measured one door at a time. | A jig set once and used on every matching part. |
| Splintered holes on the back face. | Backer blocks behind every hole. |
| New pulls that do not cover old holes. | Old holes filled and touched in. |
| Old hinges left in place. | Soft-close upgrades where the boxes allow. |
Hardware mistakes we fix
| What goes wrong | Why it happens | What we do about it |
|---|---|---|
| Pulls not in line | Measured by hand door by door. | Drilling jigs for every part. |
| Doors slam | No soft-close hinges. | Soft-close hinge upgrades. |
| Pulls loosen | Wrong screw length. | Screws sized to the door thickness. |
Jigs, not tape measures
Measuring each door by hand invites small errors that add up. We set an adjustable drilling jig to the placement we agree with you and use it on every matching door and drawer, so every pull sits at the same height and distance from the edge.
We drill from the front with a backer block behind to stop splintering, and we test-fit before drilling the rest of the kitchen.
Choosing hardware well
Size
Longer pulls on wide drawers look balanced. A common rule is about a third of the drawer width.
Finish
Brushed and matte finishes hide fingerprints better than polished ones.
Mixing
Knobs on doors and pulls on drawers is a classic combination.
Comfort
Test pulls in your hand before ordering a whole kitchen of them.
What our hardware installs include
- A placement plan for every door and drawer before drilling.
- Drilling jigs so every pull lines up with its neighbours.
- Old holes filled and touched in when pull spacing changes.
- Hinges and runners upgraded to soft-close where possible.
Hardware standards we follow
- Door pulls
- Set 2 to 3 inches from the door corner, on the vertical stile
- Drawer pulls
- Centred, or a third down on tall drawers
- Hinges
- 35 mm cup concealed, soft-close
- Runners
- Full-extension, soft-close, sized to the drawer
Order one extra
Order a few extra pulls or knobs. Finishes change between batches, and a spare saves you hunting for a match if one is ever damaged.
If you are unsure between two styles, we can fit a sample pull on one door and one drawer so you can live with it for a few days before we drill the rest of the kitchen.
Soft-close hinge upgrades
Many older cabinets can take modern concealed soft-close hinges, either directly or with a small conversion. The doors stop slamming, adjust in three directions and close gently every time. It is one of the most noticeable small upgrades in a kitchen.
Hinge upgrades need care on face-frame cabinets, which use a different mounting plate to frameless boxes. We identify the cabinet construction first, order the correct plates, and test one door before converting the rest. Doors are then adjusted in height, depth and side-to-side so the reveals are even again.
Cabinet Hardware Installation: terms we use
- Center-to-center
- The distance between the two screw holes of a pull, measured from the centre of each. It is the measurement you need when replacing pulls on existing holes.
- Drilling jig
- An adjustable guide clamped to a door or drawer front that positions the drill bit at the same spot every time. It keeps rows of pulls perfectly aligned.
- Backer block
- A scrap of wood held behind a door while drilling. It stops the bit splintering the back face as it breaks through.
- Soft-close
- A damping mechanism in a hinge or runner that slows a door or drawer in the last few inches so it closes quietly without slamming.
What changes hardware installation cost
Hardware installation cost depends mostly on quantity and complexity.
Number of doors and drawers
Each needs placement, drilling and fitting.
Hole filling
Changing pull sizes means filling and touching in old holes.
Hinge and runner upgrades
Upgrades add parts and adjustment time.
Hardware for cabins and rentals
Many homes in Big Sky, West Yellowstone and the canyons are rented to visitors for part of the year. Rental kitchens take hard use from guests who do not know the cabinets, and slammed doors and yanked drawers wear hardware fast.
For rentals we recommend robust soft-close hinges, solid pulls with through-bolts rather than knobs that spin loose, and runners rated well above the expected load. Spare parts kept on site make quick fixes between guests easy.
Before your hardware install
- The hardware you have chosen, with screws.
- Whether old holes need covering.
- Any doors that slam or sag.
- Whether drawers need new runners.
Hardware in cold and dry conditions
In unheated spaces such as garages and some cabins, metal hardware gets very cold and wood shrinks around screws in dry winters. Pulls can loosen slightly over a season.
We use the correct screw length and pilot size so screws grip well, and we check that door thickness suits the pull screws. A quick tighten at the change of season keeps everything firm.
Questions about cabinet hardware installation
How do you make sure cabinet pulls line up?
We use adjustable drilling jigs set to one agreed placement, then drill every matching door and drawer with the same jig. That keeps every pull at the same height and distance from the edge across the whole kitchen.
Is a permit needed to change cabinet hardware in Four Corners?
No. Hardware is finish work and needs no permit anywhere. Four Corners is unincorporated Gallatin County, under state jurisdiction, where homes of fewer than five units are exempt from state building permits in any case.
Can I put new pulls on old holes?
If the new pull has the same hole spacing, yes. If not, we fill the old holes, touch in the finish and drill new ones. A backplate can also cover old holes on some styles.
Can old cabinets be upgraded to soft-close hinges?
Many can. Frameless cabinets usually take modern concealed hinges directly. Face-frame cabinets may need face-frame hinge plates. We check your cabinets before ordering.
Where should knobs go on cabinet doors?
Usually on the stile opposite the hinge, 2 to 3 inches from the corner nearest the counter. On uppers they go near the bottom corner, and on bases near the top corner.
What size pull should I use on drawers?
A common guide is about a third of the drawer width, though style matters more than any rule. Wide drawers often look best with longer pulls or two knobs.
How long does a hardware install take?
A typical kitchen takes a few hours to a day, depending on the number of pieces and whether old holes need filling or hinges need upgrading.
Can you add soft-close to existing drawers?
Sometimes with add-on dampers, but the best result comes from new soft-close runners. That may need new drawer boxes if the old ones are the wrong size.
Do you supply cabinet hardware?
We can help you choose and source hardware, or install hardware you have already bought. Either way we check the screws and sizes suit your doors.
Should hardware on uppers and bases match?
Usually yes for a calm look, though some kitchens use knobs on upper doors and pulls on drawers and base doors. What matters most is consistent placement and finish across the room.
Work that pairs with cabinet hardware installation
Hardware work often joins a refresh. These are the services commonly paired with it.
- Cabinet Repair
- Cabinet Refinishing & Painting
- Cabinet Refacing
- Cabinet Installation
- Kitchen Cabinets
- Modern Flat-Panel Cabinets
Straight rows, solid fixings, soft-close upgradesPulls, knobs and soft-close hinge and runner upgrades, fitted straight.
Call 406-521-7523