A bathroom vanity cabinet only is the box and nothing on it: the carcass, doors, drawers and hinges, with no countertop, sink, faucet or backsplash. A vanity "with top" adds a factory-made top, usually with the bowl cast in and the faucet holes already drilled. Buy the cabinet alone when you want a specific stone, a size that doesn't match a stock set, a counter that matches the kitchen or a better-built box; buy the set when the wall fits a stock width, the budget is tight and you want one delivery and one install.
We sell cabinets for a living, and every vanity cabinet we sell ships as the box alone. We don't sell sinks or faucets, and for most of our lines, including all of Fabuwood Allure, the top comes from a fabricator or a home center. (The exception is Fabuwood's own vanity tops for its Illume and Ovela vanities, listed as separate items.) So this guide covers the other half: top, sink, faucet drilling, splash, cost and timing. For widths, depths and heights, our bathroom vanity sizes and heights guide has the charts, and our Fabuwood vanity guide lists every box in that line by SKU.
Key Takeaways
- "Cabinet only" means no top, no sink, no faucet, no backsplash. Finished end panels are usually a separate option too.
- Stock tops are standard: about 22 inches deep over a 21-inch-deep box, sold in widths slightly wider than the cabinet, usually in cultured marble with an integral bowl and a 4-inch faucet spread.
- Fabricated tops (quartz, granite, marble, solid surface) are templated after the cabinet is installed and level; SlabWise puts fabrication at 5 to 15 business days after that.
- Faucet drilling is a top decision, not a cabinet one: single hole, three holes at 4 inches (centerset) or three at 8 inches (widespread). Pick the faucet before the top is drilled.
- Real numbers: a Fabuwood Galaxy 48-inch sink-and-drawer combo is $975.00 cabinet only on our site; SlabWise puts a mid-range granite or quartz top for a 48-inch vanity at $550 to $1,100, so the pair lands around $1,525 to $2,075 before sink, faucet and labor.
- We don't sell sinks or faucets. The only tops we list are Fabuwood's own, for Illume and Ovela vanities; for everything else we size the cabinet around the top you choose.
Table of Contents
- What "Cabinet Only" Includes, and What It Leaves Out
- Cabinet Only or With a Top: Which Fits Your Bathroom
- Vanity Top Options: Materials Compared
- Stock Vanity Tops vs Fabricated Tops
- Sink Types and Cut-Outs
- Faucet Drilling: Single Hole, 4-Inch and 8-Inch
- Backsplash and Side Splash
- What Each Route Costs, Worked Out
- Lead Time and the Order of Work
- Measuring for a Separate Top
- How Our Vanities Are Sold
- Frequently Asked Questions
What "Cabinet Only" Includes, and What It Leaves Out
Vanity base only, cabinet only, vanity without top: all mean the box with its doors, drawers, hinges and slides, and on most cabinet-grade lines a toe kick. What doesn't arrive is everything that touches water.
| Part | Cabinet only | Vanity with top |
|---|---|---|
| Box, doors, drawers, hinges | Included | Included |
| Countertop | Not included | Included, usually cultured marble, sometimes stone |
| Sink | Not included | Included, cast in or pre-mounted |
| Faucet holes | Not applicable | Pre-drilled to one pattern |
| Backsplash | Not included | Often a loose 4-inch splash in the box |
| Faucet and drain | Not included | Sometimes included, often not; read the listing |
| Finished end panel | Often a separate option | Usually finished as a piece of furniture |
Two details on the cabinet side matter for the top. First, a cabinet-grade vanity base is built to carry stone. Fabuwood's Allure spec book describes a plywood panel beam fastened into a dovetail groove at the top of each base cabinet "for use of support and mounting of a countertop," and US Cabinet Depot's spec manual says its plywood construction supports granite, concrete or any other countertop material with no added reinforcement. Second, the sink bases are open where the plumbing comes through. J&K's vanity sink cabinets, for example, are listed with the back panel open, and the sink-and-drawer versions are open on the sink side only, so the drain lands behind the door rather than behind the drawers.
The end panel is the one people miss. If an end of the vanity faces the room, you usually add a finished side to the order; on our Fabuwood listings it's a "Finished Sides" option (No Sides, Left, Right or Both), $62.40 per finished side on a Galaxy vanity at site price. Leave it off and the exposed end is plain cabinet side.
Cabinet Only or With a Top: Which Fits Your Bathroom
Neither route wins in general. The wall, the stone and the calendar decide it.
| Your situation | Better route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hall bath, wall fits a 24, 30 or 36-inch set, budget first | Vanity with top, or a cabinet-grade box with a stock top | Stock tops are cheap, off the shelf and need no templating |
| Top should match the kitchen counter | Cabinet only | A fabricator can cut the vanity from the kitchen slab or its remnant |
| Wall-to-wall alcove or odd width (say 51 inches) | Cabinet only | Boxes combine in 3-inch steps; a fabricated top is cut to the wall |
| Double vanity 60 inches or wider | Cabinet only | One seamless top over separate boxes, sinks placed where you want them |
| You want an 8-inch widespread faucet | Cabinet only, or a set drilled for 8 inches | Many stock cultured-marble tops come drilled for 4 inches |
| Rental or flip on a fixed date | Vanity with top | One delivery, no template visit, no wait on a fabricator |
| Vessel sink or wall-mount faucet | Cabinet only | You need a top drilled for your fixture, or not drilled at all |
The table leaves out the hybrid, which is often the best value in a hall bath: a cabinet-grade box under an off-the-shelf top. SlabWise puts prefabricated 25×22 and 49×22-inch tops at $150 to $500, in stock or within 3 to 5 days. You get the better drawers and box without a fabricator, as long as the cabinet width matches a stock top size.
Vanity Top Options: Materials Compared
A bathroom top sees water, toothpaste, makeup and hair dye rather than hot pans and knives, which changes the ranking a little from the kitchen. Here's how the common materials compare, with installed price ranges per square foot from SlabWise's 2026 vanity countertop pricing guide unless noted.
| Material | Installed cost per sq ft | Strengths in a bathroom | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cultured marble | $30–$100 (Marble.com) | Bowl cast in, no seam at the sink; gel-coat surface needs no sealing | A gel coat over a cast body, not solid stone; looks less natural than real stone |
| Solid surface | About $40–$125 (our solid surface guide) | Integrated bowl, near-invisible seams, scratches sand out | Softer than stone; a thin sheet needs support at overhangs |
| Laminate | $10–$30 | Cheapest; fine for a rental | Usually paired with a drop-in sink; seams swell if water sits on them |
| Granite | $50–$120 | Hard, heat-proof, every slab different | Needs periodic sealing |
| Quartz | $55–$130 | Non-porous, consistent pattern, no sealing | Heavy; less heat-tolerant than granite, which matters little in a bath |
| Marble | $75–$200 | The classic look | Etches from acidic products and stains without sealing |
| Quartzite | $80–$200 | Stone look, harder than marble | Priced like premium stone; confirm it's true quartzite |
Cultured marble is the material most vanity-with-top sets use, and it's worth understanding. ARSTAR, a cultured-marble maker, describes its tops as polyester resin and crushed marble dust under a "100% non-porous gel coat," with the bowl and top cast as one unit so there's no seam at the bowl joint. The trade-off: the surface is a coating over a cast body, not solid stone.
If you are choosing between the stones and engineered surfaces for the first time, our countertop types, heights and depths guide explains each material and slab thickness, and our guide to non-porous surfaces covers which ones need sealing. For the look of the room, how to match cabinets, countertops, backsplash and flooring applies to a bathroom as well.
Stock Vanity Tops vs Fabricated Tops
Buying the cabinet only doesn't commit you to a stone shop. Either kind of top fits a cabinet-grade box.
Stock tops are made in standard sizes and sold off the shelf. SolidSurface.com, which configures vanity tops to order, notes that vanity tops "typically measure 22" from front to rear," and cultured-marble makers such as ARSTAR and Rynone list 19- and 22-inch standard depths. The 22-inch depth is the one that suits a standard 21-inch-deep vanity box, giving about an inch of overhang at the front. Widths run slightly over the cabinet sizes they're made for, which is why you see tops listed at 25, 31 or 49 inches wide rather than 24, 30 or 48; ARSTAR's range, for example, runs from 25 to 73 inches. ARSTAR's standard drilling is a 4-inch centerset, with 8-inch widespread only on select models. Rynone also notes that overall dimensions and placements may vary by ¼ to ½ inch, which is normal for a cast part, and one more reason to have the top in hand before the plumber sets the drain height.
Fabricated tops are cut from a slab to your exact wall, with the sink cut-out, faucet holes and edge profile you choose. They can match the kitchen, span a double vanity in one piece and fit an out-of-square alcove, at the cost of time and a template visit. The fabricator measures after the cabinets are installed, then cuts, then comes back to set the top.
One money-saver sits between the two. SlabWise notes that remnants, leftover pieces from larger kitchen jobs, often sell for 30 to 50 percent off standard slab pricing. A vanity top is small enough to come out of a remnant, and if you're doing the kitchen at the same time, your own kitchen slab's offcut may cover it.
Sink Types and Cut-Outs
The sink decides the cut-out, and the cut-out decides a lot about the cabinet. Pick the bowl before anyone templates the top.
- Integral (integrated): the bowl is cast or bonded as part of the top. It's the standard on cultured marble and a solid-surface option. No rim to clean, but you can't swap the bowl later without replacing the top.
- Undermount: a separate bowl clipped or bonded under a cut-out in stone or quartz. The most common pairing with a fabricated top. The cut-out edge is polished, and the bowl hangs inside the sink base.
- Drop-in (self-rimming): the bowl's rim sits on the counter. The easy choice for laminate and for replacing a bowl yourself.
- Vessel: the bowl sits on top, so the counter needs only a drain hole. It adds the bowl's full height to the counter, which our sizes and heights guide works through with real numbers.
- Semi-recessed: part of the bowl drops into the top and part stands above it, a compromise for shallow counters or tall boxes.
SlabWise prices a sink cut-out at $100 to $300 per opening, so a double vanity pays that twice. On the cabinet side, an undermount or integral bowl hangs below the top, so it has to clear the inside of the sink base, including the top rail. On Fabuwood's Allure vanity sink bases the spec drawing shows a 6¾-inch false front across the top. On a sink-and-drawer combo, the sink section is narrower than the whole cabinet, because the drawer stack takes part of the width. Measure the bowl's outside dimensions against the sink section, not the cabinet width. Our sink base cabinet guide explains how bowls fit boxes in more detail.
Faucet Drilling: Single Hole, 4-Inch and 8-Inch
This is where a vanity-with-top set most often limits you, because its holes are already drilled. The measurement that matters is the spread: the distance from the center of the left hole to the center of the right hole. SolidSurface.com's drilling options show the three standard patterns, each using 1⅜-inch holes.
| Drilling | Holes and spread | Faucet it takes | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single hole | One centered hole | Single-handle faucet | Cleanest look, easiest to wipe; the usual pick for a narrow top |
| 4-inch centerset | Three holes, outer holes 4″ apart | Centerset faucet (spout and handles on one base) | The standard on most stock cultured-marble tops |
| 8-inch widespread | Three holes, outer holes 8″ apart | Widespread faucet (separate spout and handles) | Many widespread faucets adjust wider, often up to 16″ depending on model |
| No holes | None, or drain only | Wall-mount or vessel faucet on its own hole | A wall-mount faucet needs its valve in the wall before drywall |
There are two escape routes if you buy a pre-drilled top and change your mind. Some single-hole faucets come with a deck plate that covers a three-hole pattern, though Willow Bath and Vanity notes not every model includes one. Going the other way, from one hole to three, means drilling stone, which is a fabricator's job, not a homeowner's. With a fabricated top you avoid the whole problem: you hand the fabricator the faucet's spec sheet and they drill to it.
Backsplash and Side Splash
The joint between the top and the wall takes more water than any other part of a vanity. There are three ways to handle it.
- Loose backsplash: a 4-inch strip of the top material. SolidSurface.com notes its tops come with a 4-inch backsplash "attached to the wall and vanity top by the purchaser." Most stock tops include one.
- Side splash: the same 4-inch strip on an end that meets a wall. You need one when the vanity butts a side wall or sits in an alcove; you don't on an end that's open to the room. Coved (curved-joint) back and side splashes are an option on solid surface.
- Full-height tile or slab: skip the 4-inch strip and tile or slab the wall behind the vanity instead. It looks more finished, and on a fabricated top it's the usual choice.
The splash also affects the cabinet. A top with a side splash can't overhang on that side, so the box sits tight to the wall or has a filler. And if the wall is out of square, a 4-inch splash will show the gap. A fabricator scribes a fabricated splash to the wall; a stock splash relies on caulk.
What Each Route Costs, Worked Out
A set has one price. Cabinet only means adding up four: cabinet, top, sink and faucet. Here are two builds using cabinet-only prices on our site for Fabuwood Galaxy's twelve standard finishes and SlabWise's 2026 installed ranges for a mid-range granite or quartz top by vanity width.
| Build | Cabinet (our site) | Granite or quartz top (SlabWise) | Cabinet + top |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48″ hall bath, one sink | GD VSD48 combo, $975.00 | $550–$1,100 (48″ top) | $1,525–$2,075 |
| 60″ primary bath, two sinks | GD VSD60DOUBLE, $1,046.50 | $700–$1,400 (60″ double top) | $1,746.50–$2,446.50 |
Still to add: the sinks, the faucets, a finished end if one shows, and labor. SlabWise lists sink cut-outs at $100 to $300 per opening and removal of an old top at $50 to $150, so ask whether a quote includes them. On the cabinet side, Desert Oak and Natural Oak run about 20 percent higher than the standard finishes, and licensed trades buy 20 to 40 percent below site prices through Captivating Pro. Installation is covered in our installation cost guide.
Where the set wins is the small room. For a 24- or 30-inch powder room, a stock top on a stock box skips the fabricator's minimums and the template visit. Where cabinet only wins is everything wide or custom, because a set doesn't get cheaper per inch as it grows and a fabricated top over separate boxes does.
Lead Time and the Order of Work
A vanity with a top is one delivery and, usually, one visit from the installer and plumber. A bathroom vanity cabinet only adds a sequence you have to respect:
- Choose the sink and faucet and get their spec sheets.
- Order the cabinet. Confirm its lead time on your quote.
- Install the cabinet level and fastened to the wall.
- The fabricator templates the top from the installed cabinet.
- Fabrication: SlabWise puts turnaround at 5 to 15 business days.
- Install the top, then the splash, then the plumber connects the faucet and drain.
The bathroom is usually without a working sink from step 3 to step 6, so plan around it if it's the only bath. The most expensive mistake is skipping step 1: a fabricator who cuts for the wrong bowl or drills the wrong spread has made a new top, not a repair. A stock top skips steps 4 and 5.
Measuring for a Separate Top
Size the cabinet from the room first; these are the extra measurements the top needs.
- Depth: the standard vanity countertop depth is 22 inches, over a 21-inch box, about an inch past the doors.
- Exposed ends: SolidSurface.com says to add ¾ to 1 inch for edges not against a wall. A 36-inch cabinet against one wall with one open end takes a top about 37 inches wide.
- Alcoves: measure wall to wall at the back, middle and front. Walls are rarely square; a fabricator scribes to them, a stock top can't.
- Sink center: mark the drain and supply lines, and decide whether the bowl sits centered on the cabinet or on the sink section of a combo.
- Height: add the top's thickness and any vessel bowl to the box height before you commit.
How Our Vanities Are Sold
Every vanity cabinet we sell is the box alone, and we don't sell sinks or faucets. In our online store, the Fabuwood vanity boxes are listed by finish under vanity cabinets: vanity sink bases (VSB, 21 to 42 inches), sink-and-drawer combos (VSD, 30 to 60 inches), drawer bases (VDB), vanity bases (VB) and full-height door bases (VB…FD). In the Allure spec book they're 34½ inches tall and 21 inches deep. The 30- and 36-inch combos are made drawer-left or drawer-right and can't be reversed after assembly. In Galaxy's standard finishes the boxes run from $328.25 for a 12-inch full-height base to $1,196.00 for the 60-inch single-bowl combo.
The one place we list a top is Fabuwood's frameless Illume and Ovela vanities. Fabuwood makes matching vanity tops for them in 24, 30, 36, 42 and 48 inches plus 60-inch single- and double-bowl versions, in four surfaces. At site prices, Cloud and Moonstone run from $425.75 (24-inch) to $1,205.75 (60-inch double); Desert Silver and Miami Vena run from $1,488.50 to $3,048.50. They are separate line items, so the cabinet is still bought on its own; confirm the bowl, faucet drilling and splash details on your quote before you pick a faucet.
US Cabinet Depot vanities are listed online too, also cabinet only; a 30-inch Shaker White combo (SW-V3021DL) is $456.72. KCD and J&K have vanity pages in their spec books (J&K's at 33 inches tall, KCD's at 34½) and are quoted per project; ask which pieces exist in your door style. The full pages are in our spec book library. On the top side, we size the sink base for your bowl, add finished ends where the top overhangs and give your fabricator the box dimensions. Two policies to know: all sales are final and orders can be cancelled only before production, so settle the sink and the drawer side first. How to order cabinets online walks through the steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "vanity cabinet only" mean?
The cabinet without a countertop, sink, faucet or backsplash. You buy the top separately, stock or fabricated.
Is it cheaper to buy a vanity without a top?
The cabinet costs less on its own, but the finished vanity often doesn't. For small stock widths a set is usually cheaper; for wide, double or custom vanities, cabinet only plus a fabricated top is often the better value.
What size top do I need for a 36-inch vanity?
Usually 22 inches deep and about 37 inches wide with one exposed end, 38 with two, or cut to the wall in an alcove.
Can I put a quartz or granite top on any vanity base?
On a cabinet-grade base, yes. Fabuwood and US Cabinet Depot both build their bases to carry stone. Check a budget set's box before loading stone on it.
Do vanity tops come with the faucet holes drilled?
Stock tops do, usually for a 4-inch centerset. Fabricated tops are drilled to your faucet: single hole, 4-inch or 8-inch.
Do I need a side splash?
Only on an end that meets a wall. An end open to the room gets an overhang instead.
Does Captivating Cabinets sell vanity tops?
Only Fabuwood's own tops for its Illume and Ovela vanities, sold as separate items. For every other line we sell the cabinets and plan them around the top you choose. We don't sell sinks or faucets.
Get Your Vanity Cabinet Sized Around the Top You Want
Send us the wall width, the drain location, a photo and the sink and faucet you like. Our free design service covers bathrooms: a designer replies within one business day, with the 3D design and itemized cabinet quote within 24–48 hours. Or reach us through the contact page or at 609-900-3358.
Written by
Noor K.Technology Manager at Captivating Cabinets
Noor manages and develops the Captivating Cabinets website, and writes practical guides on cabinet styles, finishes, pricing, and remodel planning.
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