Freight Class for Cabinets
Ready-to-assemble cabinets ship flat and dense: a 24-inch base cabinet from Cabinets To Go comes in a box 6.1 inches thick weighing 63.95 lb, which works out to about 22 lb/ft³ at most, class 70. Assembled cabinets ship in individual cartons that are mostly air, so they rate a much higher class. Tall pantry boxes stay just under the 8-foot length-charge line.
Flat-pack cabinets
Cabinets To Go lists the box height and weight of its ready-to-assemble Malibu White Shaker cabinets. A 24-inch base cabinet ships in a box 6.1 inches thick weighing 63.95 lb; a 24 × 90 inch pantry cabinet in a 6.3-inch box at 156.56 lb; a 33 × 90 inch double-oven cabinet in a 5.91-inch box at 231.53 lb.
The box has to be at least as big as the largest panel inside it. For the base cabinet, that is the 24 × 34.5 inch side, so the box is at least 34.5 × 24 × 6.1 inches, and its density can be no more than about 22 lb/ft³, class 70. Real boxes are a little larger, so flat-pack cabinets rate class 70 at best.
Worked examples
Box thickness and weight come from Cabinets To Go product pages; the box footprint is the smallest size that can hold the largest panel.
Flat-pack base cabinet — class 70 at best
Cabinets To Go 24-inch base: box 6.1 in thick, 63.95 lb, at least 34.5 × 24 in to hold the side panels.
34.5 × 24 × 6.1 = 5,051 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 2.9 ft³. Density = 63.95 lb ÷ 2.9 ft³.
At most 21.9 lb/ft³ → class 70 or higher.
Flat-pack pantry cabinet — class 70 at best
Cabinets To Go 24 × 90 in pantry: box 6.3 in thick, 156.56 lb, at least 90 × 24 in.
90 × 24 × 6.3 = 13,608 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 7.9 ft³. Density = 156.56 lb ÷ 7.9 ft³.
At most 19.9 lb/ft³ → class 70 or higher, and just under the 8-foot length line.
Assembled cabinets
KraftMaid ships assembled cabinets in individual cartons and warns that cabinets are heavy and the cartons awkward to handle. An assembled cabinet is a hollow box inside a carton, so it measures far lower than a flat pack and rates a much higher class; measure each carton.
Merillat's instructions say cabinets should be installed by at least two people because of their size and weight, and that cartons should stay closed until each cabinet is needed. That protects the finish on the job site as well as in transit.
Tall cabinets and length
A 90-inch pantry box is 7½ feet long, just under the 8-foot line where XPO and FedEx Freight start adding length charges. Taller or longer pieces, such as long filler strips or crown moulding in its own box, can cross it.
Wood cabinetry also needs stable conditions. MasterBrand recommends storing and installing its cabinets in a temperate space with controlled humidity, so do not leave cabinet pallets in an unheated warehouse or a wet trailer.
Check your cabinet shipment
Enter each box's or the pallet's size and weight. Flat-pack and assembled cabinets of the same size can be several classes apart.
Density-based estimate. Some commodities carry a fixed NMFC class — check our freight class by commodity pages.
Estimated Freight Class
Density
18.75
lb/ft³
Volume
53.33
ft³
Weight
1,000
lb
15–22.5 lb/ft³ → Class 70
NMFC density scale (Docket 2025-1, effective July 19, 2025)
Free PDF includes a watermark. Pro removes it & adds your brand.
Estimates only — verify freight class/NMFC and chargeable weight with your carrier.
Uses the 13-tier NMFC density scale (Docket 2025-1). See the full freight class chart.
Frequently asked questions
What freight class are cabinets?
Flat-pack cabinets rate about class 70 at best (about 20 to 22 lb/ft³). Assembled cabinets ship in hollow cartons and rate much higher.
How much does a flat-pack cabinet weigh?
Cabinets To Go lists 63.95 lb for a 24-inch base cabinet box, 156.56 lb for a 24 × 90 inch pantry, and 231.53 lb for a 33 × 90 inch double-oven cabinet.
How are assembled cabinets shipped?
In individual cartons, as KraftMaid does. They are heavy and awkward, so Merillat says to handle and install them with at least two people.
Do tall cabinets pay a length charge?
A 90-inch box is 7½ feet, just under the 8-foot line where XPO and FedEx Freight add length charges. Longer pieces cross it.