How Much to Paint Kitchen Cabinets

Since kitchen renovation is a major project, it’s crucial to know how much to paint kitchen cabinets. Having an overview of the total costs you’ll need to spend will help you prepare your heart and pocket.

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Below, you will learn everything you need to know about kitchen cabinet paint expenses.

How much is it to paint kitchen cabinets varies because of different factors. It includes the materials used, the size of your cabinet, painting method, cabinet condition, possible labor costs, etc.

The price will also differ if you choose to go the DIY route or opt to hire a professional for the job.

Average Cost

The average cost of how much is it to paint kitchen cabinets plays around the price of $900 to $3,800. The national average cost is $2,133.

Meanwhile, below are the average minimum and maximum cost on how much to paint kitchen cabinets:

Minimum cost: $400
Maximum cost: $8,000

Repainting Cost

For repainting kitchen cabinets, the average cost is around $903 to $3,764.

Here, you have to consider your kitchen cabinets’ overall condition and how much stripping and sanding it needs.

If the kitchen cabinets are in good condition, you’ll spend less money and less time.

Stripping, Sanding, and Painting Cost

The entire stripping, sanding and painting cost average ranges from $5 to $10 per sq/ft. When you apply putty, you will need to include an additional $2 to $3 per sq/ft.

Primer and Paint You Need

The average cost of primer and paint plays around $20 to $50 every gallon.

If you have an average-sized kitchen, you will need one gallon of primer to cover the entire kitchen cabinets. It is for one coat of primer.

Meanwhile, you will need two gallons of paint that can cover two coats or 300 to 400 sq/ft.

For an overview of how much is it to paint kitchen cabinets depending on your kitchen size, see the comparison below:

Small kitchen: 1 gallon ($20 to $50)
Average kitchen: 1 to 2 gallons ($20 to $100)
Large kitchen: 2 to 3 gallons ($40 to $150)

It is advisable to opt for high-quality paints that serve their value. It will only cost a couple of bucks to the total cost while ensuring a good finish.

Do-it-Yourself Painting Cost

How much is it to paint kitchen cabinets by yourself ranges around $200 to $600. This amount will cover all the materials you need from the paint, primer, brush, roller, etc.

It will take you around 30 to 60 hours for the preparation, primer application, and painting process with an average-sized kitchen.

Here is a guide on how much is it to paint kitchen cabinets by looking at the necessary materials:

Primer: $35 to $50 (1 gallon)
Paint: $20 to $70 (1 gallon)
Brush: $10.48
Sprayer rent: $40 to $100 (1 day)
Paint roller: $8.97
Sandpaper: $2.50
Tack cloth: $1.98
Painter’s tape: $5.93
Scraper: $6.75
Patching compound: $8.78

Cabinet Painting Kit Costs

If you want the convenience of a complete kitchen cabinet painting kit, you will need to spend around $50 to $100.

How much is it to paint kitchen cabinets using kits will include everything you need from an instruction manual, paint, brush, roller, etc.

This way, you will save time from searching for all materials separately.

Glazing Cabinet Costs

Glaze coating creates a sheen finish after painting your kitchen cabinets.

How much is it to paint kitchen cabinets with glaze costs around $2,000 to $5,000 for a 200 sq/ft kitchen. It means that it costs $10 to $25 per sq/ft.

Kitchen Cabinet Painting Cost Comparison

There are different ways how you can revamp your kitchen cabinets. You can either opt to refinish the paint, reface, or replace your kitchen cabinets.

Your choice will largely depend on the condition of your kitchen cabinets. Among all these choices, kitchen cabinet painting cost is the most cost-effective in terms of price.

Let’s look at the difference between the three and why the kitchen cabinet painting cost remains appealing to homeowners.

Refinishing: Kitchen cabinet painting cost around $1,300 to $2,800. It involves all the expenses for removing old paint, sanding, and the paint top coating.
Refacing: It costs around $4,200 to $8,100. You have plenty of choices from solid wood, veneers, and laminate that will make your kitchen cabinet look new.
Replacing: As expected, the most expensive option is to replace your kitchen cabinets. It starts at $3,200 and can go as high as $18,100, depending on the materials used and customization.

How to Calculate the Kitchen Cabinet Painting Cost

Now, to estimate the total price of how much to paint kitchen cabinets, the key is to measure all sides.

These measurements will let you know the total amount of paint and primer you need. It will also give you an idea of how much time you need to finish the job.

Here’s how you can calculate the kitchen cabinet painting cost per sq/ft.

Choose a side and measure the cabinet’s height from top to bottom edge. Take note of the measurement.
Measure the cabinet’s width from the left to right edge. Take note of the measurement.
Multiply height times width for the square foot measurement.
Apply all these steps to all other sides of the kitchen cabinet.
To get the total square foot measurement, add all the measurements together. Repeat all the steps if you want to add another kitchen cabinet unit to paint.
Divide the total square foot measurement by 400 to determine how many paint gallons you will need. 400 is the square foot measurement a gallon of paint can cover.
Multiply the number of gallons by the price of your preferred paint brand.

How Much Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets Professionally

If you’re not confident about painting your kitchen cabinets yourself, you can opt to hire a professional. They have the expertise to accomplish the job with speed and accuracy.

But remember: if you employ a painting contractor, expect that you will be paying more at the expense of your comfort.

How much to paint kitchen cabinets professionally comes down to their expertise, labor, and other additional offerings.

Professional Painting Cost

These professionals typically charge $120 to $170 per kitchen cabinet, $50 to $100 per kitchen cabinet door, and $20 to $30 per drawer.

It translates to around $3 to $10 of charge per sq/ft. This fee includes the labor and all materials used for the project.

Note that how much cost to paint kitchen cabinets professionally will be more expensive for cabinets in a rough shape.

Furthermore, tall cabinets reaching above 8 feet may add additional charges. Different professionals charge on a varying basis. The most popular way is through a per cabinet door basis.

This breakdown will help you estimate the total costs how much cost to paint kitchen cabinets by hiring a professional:

Per door: $50 to $100
Per cabinet: $120 to $170
Per drawer: $20 to $30
Per square foot: $3 to $10
Per linear foot: $30 to $60

Here some factors professionals consider in pricing how much cost to paint kitchen cabinets:

Kitchen cabinet condition: The initial preparation before the painting plays a massive factor in the total expense. Again, if your cabinets are in bad shape, a professional painter will charge more for the necessary repairs.
Appliance removal: This is a part of how much to paint kitchen cabinets in terms of the prep work. If you choose to leave it to them to remove appliances from their workspace, expect an additional labor charge.
The paint used: Of course, how much cost to paint kitchen cabinets will vary depending on the paint itself. Since you’re working with a professional, they will likely use more expensive high-quality paints.
Layout: Having a complex kitchen design translates to more work adjustment on the professional’s part. Hence, they will likely charge more because of the additional time they need to paint the cabinets properly.
Square foot measurement: The average fee professional painters charge per sq/ft is around $2.92 to $6.66.
Your location: Finally, your location also matters on how much cost to paint kitchen cabinets. Especially if you’re living in the city, professional contractors will charge more.

Save Money & Paint Smart!

To sum, how much to paint kitchen cabinets is not cheap. Aside from the effort, you need to make, you’ll also have to spend a significant amount of money from your pocket.

You have to factor in different things in computing the total cost.

Knowing the specific expense breakdowns will help you decide which path to take for painting your kitchen cabinets.

We hope this article helped give you an overview of what to expect!