Kitchen cabinet painting cost
Painting cabinets costs $40 to $120 a linear foot, putting a 25 foot kitchen at $1,000 to $3,000. It is the cheapest way to change a kitchen, and the preparation is the entire job.
National average
$70
per linear ft
Painting kitchen cabinets costs $40 to $120 a linear foot, typically around $70, which puts a 25 foot kitchen at $1,000 to $3,000. It is the cheapest way to change how a kitchen looks by a large margin, and it is the job where the difference between a good result and a bad one is entirely in the preparation.
What it costs
| Job | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Per linear foot, sprayed, professional | $40 to $120 |
| Small kitchen, 15 linear feet | $600 to $1,800 |
| Average kitchen, 25 linear feet | $1,000 to $3,000 |
| Large kitchen, 40 linear feet | $1,600 to $4,800 |
| Brushed and rolled instead of sprayed | subtract 20 to 30% |
| Doors sprayed off site in a booth | add $200 to $800 |
| Stripping an existing finish | add $300 to $1,200 |
| Filling grain on oak for a smooth finish | add $400 to $1,500 |
| New hinges and slides while doors are off | $10 to $40 each |
| New handles and knobs | $3 to $30 each |
| Interior of the boxes painted too | add 20 to 40% |
| DIY materials only | $200 to $600 |
The preparation is the job
Paint on a kitchen cabinet has to survive grease, steam, fingernails and cleaning products for a decade. What makes it survive is what happens before the colour goes on.
Degreasing. Years of cooking leaves a film on every surface within reach of the hob, and nothing adheres to it. A proper job degreases with a dedicated cleaner, not soapy water.
Sanding. Enough to key the surface, not enough to go through the veneer. This is where a rushed job fails; paint over a glossy factory finish peels off in strips at the first knock.
Filling. Oak has open grain that shows through paint as a texture. If you want a smooth modern look on oak, the grain has to be filled, and that is a real cost and a real day of work.
Priming. A bonding primer suited to the substrate. Laminate and thermofoil need a specific one; ordinary primer will not stick.
Spraying. Brush marks are what make painted cabinets look painted. Sprayed doors, ideally off site or in a masked-off area, are what make them look finished.
A quote that does not mention degreasing, sanding and priming is quoting two coats of paint over grease, and it will fail within two years.
What can and cannot be painted
Solid wood and wood veneer. Yes, and this is what the process is designed for.
Thermofoil and rigid thermofoil. Possible with the right bonding primer, and risky: the foil can lift with heat and once it does, paint does not save it.
Laminate. Possible with a bonding primer, and the result is only as good as the adhesion. Test an inside door edge first.
Melamine. Same as laminate, and prone to chipping at edges.
Metal. Yes, and it takes paint well.
If the doors are 1980s oak with sound boxes, painting is a genuinely transformative $1,500. If they are peeling thermofoil, the money belongs in doors.
DIY honestly
Materials are $200 to $600. The work is 30 to 50 hours for an average kitchen spread over a week or more, because each coat needs to cure.
What people underestimate: labelling and organising 30 doors and drawer fronts, finding somewhere to lay them flat while they dry, and the fact that the kitchen is half unusable throughout. What people get wrong: skipping the degrease, sanding too little, and using a wall paint rather than a cabinet enamel.
If you brush and roll, use a self-levelling cabinet enamel and a good brush, and accept a slight texture. If you want a sprayed finish, a decent HVLP sprayer is $150 to $400 and the learning curve is real.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the paint last?
Eight to fifteen years on a well-prepared job in a normal kitchen. Around the hob and on the doors people open with wet hands, expect to touch up sooner.
Can I paint just the doors and leave the frames?
You can, and the colour will not match exactly because the frames are a different surface with different absorption. If you are changing colour, do both.
How long is the kitchen out of action?
Three to seven days for a professional job, longer for DIY. The boxes stay usable; it is the doors that are away.
Is white a mistake in a kitchen?
It shows marks and it stays fashionable. Off-white and warm greys are more forgiving and photograph nearly as well. Very dark colours look excellent and show every crumb and fingerprint.
Should I do the interiors?
Only if they are visibly bad or you have glass doors. It adds 20 to 40% and nobody sees inside a closed cupboard.
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