Custom cabinetry should feel personal. It should reflect the way a family actually lives, the layout of the home, and the small details that make a kitchen or built-in feel like it has always been there. At Harris Timberworks, that will always start with traditional, hands-on craftsmanship. The newest addition to our shop, an in-house CNC machine, doesn’t replace that approach. It strengthens it. The machine gives us more control over precision, speed, and quality, which lets us keep projects on schedule and remove avoidable costs without touching the hand-built style people come to us for.
Below is a look at how this technology directly benefits homeowners and why it is already changing how we work inside Northern Colorado homes.
Reducing Costs by adding an Advanced In-House CNC Machine
Before the CNC machine arrived in our Fort Collins shop, certain cuts and components had to be outsourced. Outsourcing adds transportation fees, vendor labor costs, and wait times. Even small delays from a third party can push a project off its original timeline.
By producing these parts ourselves, we remove those layers. The result is a more predictable budget and fewer unexpected line items. Clients see that savings reflected in final project estimates. For many families planning a kitchen or a full wall of built-ins, that stability matters just as much as the finished woodwork.
Better Quality Control From Start to Finish
Cabinetry is only as strong as the smallest cut inside a joint. When outsourced parts come in slightly off, we sometimes have to rework them by hand, which burns time and interrupts the build flow. Having the CNC inside our workspace means we can check accuracy the moment pieces come off the table. If something needs adjusting, we correct it immediately instead of waiting days for a vendor to redo it.
This tighter control keeps the entire build consistent with our standards. Every face frame, drawer box, and custom panel stays within the tolerances we expect. Homeowners end up with cabinetry that feels more solid, more uniform, and better aligned throughout the home.
Faster Project Timelines and Better Efficiency
Northern Colorado homeowners often plan renovations around school schedules, work travel, or move-in dates. The CNC machine gives us the ability to maintain tighter timelines without losing the handmade quality Timberworks is known for.
The machine handles repetitive precision work quickly, allowing our team to focus on the parts that require craft and design instinct. This improves throughput and shortens the time between design approval and installation. For homeowners, that means less downtime in the kitchen and a smoother remodeling experience.
Removing the Middleman Creates Smoother Communication
Every time a project requires a third party, communication becomes slower and more complicated. Questions about lead times, changes to designs, or slight adjustments to materials can turn into multi-day delays.
With an in-house CNC machine, we control the cutting process from inside our own walls, communication stays direct. If a client decides on a last-minute modification or wants to adjust a dimension, we can often make that change the same day. This flexibility helps keep designs fresh and allows homeowners to fine-tune details without worrying about outside vendor limitations.
Higher Levels of Customization for Unique Homes
Many Colorado homes have layouts that aren’t built for standard cabinetry: tight corners in mountain houses, older homes in Old Town, wall irregularities, or homeowners who want very specific storage solutions.
With an in-house CNC, those one-off requests no longer require specialty outsourcing. Complex curves, angled cuts, custom vent panels, integrated lighting channels, and detailed joinery are easier to produce with precision. The CNC becomes a tool that supports creativity instead of restricting it. It lets us say “yes, we can do that” more often.
Technology That Supports Tradition, Not Replaces It
It’s important to emphasize that the CNC machine doesn’t change how we build. Harris Timberworks will continue to plane boards by hand, assemble face frames at the bench, and fit doors with the same methods we have always used. The CNC simply handles the tasks that benefit most from machine precision, like consistent dado spacing, exact drawer box components, or complex shapes that would take hours to produce by hand.
By combining modern efficiency with Old World craftsmanship, we can keep delivering cabinetry that feels personal and hand-built while giving clients shorter timelines and better value.
Why This Upgrade Matters for Homeowners
Adding a CNC machine is more than a shop improvement. It directly impacts the experience clients have from the first consultation to the final installation.
- Lower project costs
- More predictable scheduling
- Tighter quality control
- Expanded customization options
- Faster turnaround on design changes
- Better reliability from start to finish
Homeowners get cabinetry that reflects their style and fits their home, built with a blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern precision.
Looking Ahead
The CNC machine expands what we can offer without pulling us away from the craftsmanship that defines Harris Timberworks. It gives us another way to deliver beautifully built cabinetry on realistic timelines, with more control, more creativity, and more value for the families who trust us with their homes.
If you’re planning a kitchen, mudroom, office, or full-home cabinetry project and want to learn how this upgrade affects your build, reach out anytime. We’d be happy to walk you through the process and explore what’s possible. Check out what that process entails here! And check out our CNC Machine in Action.