You go to a custom home store and the sales quote is "799 per projection area". Do you think it's cheap. When you actually place an order, you will find that the final price is significantly higher than your budget. Where is the problem? In terms of pricing method.

Projection area and unfolding area are two completely different algorithms.

The projected area is the length multiplied by the height when viewed from the front of the cabinet. It is simple and rough, and looks cheap. But it only includes the most basic configuration - usually only a few partitions, no drawers, no handles, no visible panels, and no non-standard size processing fees. Anything you want to add will be charged separately.

The unfolded area is calculated by disassembling each panel of the cabinet, multiplying the length by the width, and adding them one by one. The unit price may seem more expensive than the projected area, but it usually includes basic hardware and simple functional components. The final total price depends on the complexity of your cabinet.

Simple cabinet, cost-effective projection area; Complex cabinets have a more transparent unfolded area.

If your home is just a simple wardrobe with two doors and a few partitions, the projected area is indeed cheap. But if you want to make a full wall bookshelf, a tatami with drawers, or an irregular corner cabinet, the unfolded area is actually more cost-effective because the projected area will make you suffer in addition.

The biggest pitfall is not the pricing method, but the "low price drainage and additional harvesting".

Regardless of the pricing method, sales will introduce you at a low price and add money at every unexpected stage. Drawers need to be charged, handles need to be charged, transparent panels need to be charged, closure strips need to be charged, non-standard sizes need to be charged, and irregular shapes need to be charged... These additional items alone are not many, and adding them together can double the total price.

So, don't be fooled by the unit price. Before placing an order, ask the salesperson to list all possible additional items, calculate the final total price, and then compare it with others. Only looking at the unit price without considering the total price is the biggest trap in sheet metal consumption.

Remember: the price of the board is not calculated, it is negotiated. But the premise is that you need to know where all the additional items are.