Fox Custom Woodworks

Our Standards

The Fox Standard

Every project we take on — whether it’s a single bathroom vanity or a full home — is built to the same standard. The materials change. The scale changes. The standard doesn’t.

This page is here for anyone who wants to understand what goes into a Fox cabinet before they reach out, or before they sign anything.

Construction
The Cabinet Box
The box is the part you never see once the doors are on. It’s also the part that determines how long the whole thing holds up.

Fox cabinets are built from prefinished birch plywood — ½" backs, ¾" sides, top and bottom. The back isn’t an afterthought. It’s screwed and stapled into the cabinet, which means the whole unit is rigid, square, and ready to take the weight of the wall fastening without flexing.

The interior is prefinished as standard. If a customer wants the inside colour-matched to the exterior — painted, stained, or laminate — that’s an option for any project.

Shelving is ¾" throughout. Fixed shelves are stapled and screwed. In some cases, we use a magic wire system, which means they can be removed cleanly for repairs or deep cleaning without pulling the cabinet apart. Glass shelves, where specified, are always 6mm tempered. Adjustable shelves rest on 5mm metal shelf pins.

Drawer boxes are built with prefinished ½" birch plywood, bottom included. Standard construction is rabbit and dado, dovetail construction is available on request. Both are significantly more dimensionally stable than alternatives — they won’t swell, rack, or come apart at the joints over time.

Visible Work
Doors and Faces
The door is the first thing anyone notices. It’s also where the most variation exists between cabinet makers.
Shaker style cabinet doors with farmhouse sink — Erin, Ontario
Shaker
Raised panel cabinet doors in stained cherry — Ontario
Raised Panel
Slab door cabinets — Ontario
Slab
Reeded glass cabinet doors in walnut — Ontario
Glass

For paint-grade projects, doors are built from MDF — it holds a clean painted finish and machines consistently. Natural wood for the door frames is an option, however, these will show a paint crack as the wood expands and contracts naturally over time. For stained and natural wood projects, doors are built with solid wood frames and veneer centre panels. Raised panel and other fully profiled styles are solid wood throughout.

We build any door style — shaker, raised panel, slab, beadboard, and custom profiles that match existing millwork in a home. Glass doors are available in several styles, including reeded, clear, and seeded, with 4mm glass as standard. Aluminum-framed glass doors are also an option for a more contemporary look.

Integrated handles — routed finger pulls in both wood and paint-grade MDF — are available for any project.

On Site
Installation
A well-built cabinet installed poorly is still a problem. Installation is part of the standard.

Every cabinet is set on adjustable leveling legs, which means the cabinet is leveled independently of the floor. On a perfectly flat floor this is invisible. On a real floor — and most floors aren’t perfectly flat — it’s the difference between a run of cabinets that looks right and one that doesn’t. If the cabinet style prevents the use of adjustable leveling legs, we’re full of tricks to make it perfect just the same.

Once cabinets are level, scribes, fillers, and moulding are fitted to close the gaps created between the cabinet and the wall, floor, or ceiling. This is done to each specific opening — scribed by hand to the actual surface, not approximated. The result is a finished line with minimal gaps, regardless of how much the walls move.

Cabinets are fastened to wall studs wherever possible. Where a stud isn’t available, the method is adapted to suit the wall construction. The goal is always the same: a cabinet that doesn’t move.

Every Project
Hardware
We use Blum hinges and drawer slides on every project, regardless of size.

Blum BLUMOTION hinges are soft-close, fully adjustable, and rated for tens of thousands of open-close cycles. Blum MOVENTO drawer slides are undermount, soft-close, and handle full-extension loads including heavy pull-outs without deflecting.

These aren’t premium upgrades. They’re the standard.

For handles and pulls, Fox sources through Richelieu and Marathon — two large, well-stocked suppliers with a wide range of styles and finishes. Customers are also welcome to supply their own hardware if they have a preference.

Materials
Finishing
Finishing is outsourced to a long-term partner we’ve worked with for years. It is not done in-house, and that’s intentional — spray finishing at the level we require is a specialized trade.
White oak stain lacquer clear coat finish — Erin, Ontario
Paint
We use post-catalyzed lacquer throughout. It’s harder, more durable, and more resistant to moisture than standard latex or alkyd paint. Colour can be matched to any specification.
Stain
Stain is applied and sealed with a lacquer clear coat. Colour matching is available, as is specification to established brand references.
Thermofoil
We work with two Canadian manufacturers: Thermovision and Prestolam. Both offer a wide range of colours with cross-reference matching to popular laminate brands.
Laminate & Melamine
Used for cabinet boxes and finished faces depending on the project. We source from quality manufacturers — Canadian where available — in a wide range of textures, colours, and wood-grain patterns.
MDF
Where paint-grade MDF is specified, we use a premium-grade medium density board. The distinction matters for painted surfaces: premium MDF holds a clean edge and doesn’t crack at joints the way lower-grade MDF can.
Veneer & Solid Wood
Available in oak, maple, walnut, cherry, pine, and more, plus select exotic species.
Details
Inserts and Lighting
The things inside the cabinet and the light that lets you see them.
Rev-A-Shelf soft close drawer insert — Erin, Ontario LED dimmable cabinet lighting in white oak pantry — Caledon, Ontario

Organization inserts — pull-outs, dividers, tray inserts, waste bins — are sourced from Rev-A-Shelf. Soft-close and fitted to the specific cabinet opening. Not approximate. Not universal-fit.

Lighting is LED tape, dimmable, 3000K, running at 24 volts. The colour temperature is warm — close to incandescent, which tends to work well in kitchens and living spaces. The low-voltage system is inexpensive to run, easy to service, and easy to replace if a section ever needs attention. We offer routed concealed channel lighting, and proximity or motion-activated lighting when specified.

Surfaces
Countertops and Sinks
Fox manages countertop supply and installation coordination as part of the project. We don’t fabricate or install stone ourselves — that’s done by our fabrication partners — but we quote it, schedule it, and make sure it lands right.
Custom vanity countertop and sink — Ontario

Our standard countertop profile is a 1½" mitered edge (equivalent to a 4cm profile). 2cm and 3cm are available depending on the material and manufacturer. The brands we work with regularly have established track records and good material warranties.

Sinks and faucets are available through Fox and sourced from quality Canadian suppliers. They can also be client-supplied.

Before You Start
How We Work

Two things worth knowing before a project starts.

01
3D Drawings & Renders
Every project includes full 3D drawings — to scale, coloured renders — produced in CAD before anything is built. You see exactly what you’re getting before you approve it.
02
Itemized Quotes
Materials, labour, hardware — listed line by line. You can add, remove, or change items, and the quote updates accordingly. There are no bundled numbers and no surprises.
Get Started
Let’s talk about your project.
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