Cut List Optimisation: Save 15% on Materials

The Hidden Cost of Poor Cut Planning

If you're a cabinet maker working with sheet materials — MDF, plywood, melamine — you already know that materials are one of your biggest costs. But did you know that most workshops waste between 15% and 20% of every board they buy?

Why Manual Planning Falls Short

When you plan cuts by hand or in your head, you're optimising for speed, not efficiency. You cut the biggest pieces first and hope the offcuts are useful. Sometimes they are. Often they end up in the skip.

How Nesting Algorithms Work

Professional cut list optimisation software uses nesting algorithms to arrange all your parts on the fewest possible boards. It considers:

• Part dimensions and grain direction
• Board sizes available from your supplier
• Saw kerf width
• Edge banding requirements
• Offcut reuse across projects

Real-World Savings

On a recent 12-unit kitchen project, I compared my manual cut plan with Cabinetos optimised output. The difference? Three fewer boards — that's over £150 saved on a single job.

Try It Yourself

If you haven't tried automated cut list optimisation yet, you're leaving money on the table. Cabinetos makes it simple: enter your parts, select your boards, and get an optimised layout in seconds.