Kitchen Cabinets
Usually the single biggest line on a kitchen remodel. Get this decision right and the rest of the budget behaves.
The biggest search and the biggest line item, by far
Cabinets are the highest-demand kitchen topic in our data by a wide margin, and for good reason: they typically eat about a third of a full remodel budget, more than counters, appliances or labor. They also set the visual tone of the room more than any other choice you make.
The industry sells cabinets in three tiers. Stock cabinets come in fixed sizes on short lead times at the lowest price. Semi-custom cabinets start from standard lines but let you adjust sizes, depths and finishes. Custom cabinets are built to your kitchen from scratch, at furniture prices and furniture lead times. Most remodels land in stock or semi-custom, filled out with trim and panels that make them read as custom.
Before pricing new boxes at all, answer one question honestly: does your current layout work? If the boxes are sound and the layout works, refacing, which keeps the cabinet boxes and replaces doors, drawer fronts and veneer, delivers a new-looking kitchen for roughly a third to half the cost of replacement. If the layout is wrong, no door style will fix it, and replacement is the honest answer.
Your realistic options, cheapest to priciest
Each step up buys fit and finish, not just looks. Installed prices per linear foot are typical published ballparks, not quotes.
Paint or refinish
New color on sound existing doors. The budget play, and a skilled painter matters more than the paint. Works only if doors and boxes are in good shape.
New hardware and accessories
Pulls, hinges, soft-close retrofits, rollout trays. Small money, outsized daily effect, and a strong search topic on its own in our data.
Cabinet refacing
New doors, drawer fronts and veneer over existing boxes, typically a few days of work. Great when the layout stays. Useless if the boxes are failing.
Stock cabinets
Fixed sizes, fast delivery, roughly $100 to $300 per linear foot installed as a ballpark. Filler strips hide the size compromises.
Semi-custom cabinets
Adjustable dimensions and wide finish choices, very roughly $150 to $650 per linear foot installed. The sweet spot for most full remodels.
Custom cabinets
Built to the room, any wood, any size, commonly $500 to $1,200 per linear foot installed. For odd spaces and forever homes.
What does it cost?
As broad ballparks: refacing a typical kitchen runs about $4,000 to $10,000, replacing with stock or semi-custom cabinets commonly runs $8,000 to $25,000 installed, and custom work climbs from there. A 10 by 12 foot kitchen has roughly 20 to 25 linear feet of cabinetry, which is how installers will measure yours.
What moves the number: box construction (plywood versus particleboard), door style, drawers versus doors (drawers cost more and work better), interior fittings, and finish. Delivery lead time is the schedule driver for the whole remodel, so order cabinets before demolition, not after.
Ballparks based on commonly published national averages, stated as assumptions, not measured local pricing. Your competing quotes set the real number for your home and ZIP.
How to hire for kitchen cabinets work
Who does the work
Cabinet installers and kitchen remodelers handle replacement; dedicated refacing companies and finish carpenters handle refacing. For full remodels the cabinet sub usually works under a general remodeler.
What pros will ask
Measurements of each wall, ceiling height, appliance sizes and locations, whether soffits stay, and photos. Refacing outfits will ask about box condition, so open a door and check for swollen particleboard or loose hinges first.
What to check before signing
Box material and warranty in writing, whether old cabinet removal and disposal is included, who patches walls and floors afterward, and a drawing you have approved. Compare bids per linear foot to spot the outlier.
Related searches homeowners make
Pulled from the same demand data behind our Kitchen Remodeling category.
Kitchen Cabinets questions, answered straight
Should I reface or replace my cabinets?
Reface when the layout works and the boxes are structurally sound; you get new doors, drawer fronts and veneer for roughly a third to half the cost of replacement. Replace when you want a different layout, the boxes are water damaged or failing, or you are already gutting the room.
What do new kitchen cabinets cost?
As published ballparks, stock cabinets run roughly $100 to $300 per installed linear foot, semi-custom about $150 to $650, and custom $500 to $1,200 or more. A typical kitchen carries 20 to 25 linear feet. Treat these as assumptions until an installer measures your room.
Are particleboard boxes a dealbreaker?
Not automatically. Quality furniture-board boxes with good edge banding hold up fine in dry conditions. Plywood boxes tolerate moisture and screw-holding better and are worth the upcharge around sinks and dishwashers or in humid climates.
How long do cabinets take to arrive?
Stock lines can ship in days to a couple of weeks. Semi-custom commonly runs 4 to 8 weeks and custom 8 to 16 or more. Smart remodels order cabinets first and schedule demolition around the confirmed delivery date.
Is painting cabinets a good budget option?
Yes, when the doors are sound and you like the layout. Painted finishes on busy kitchen doors take abuse, so surface prep and a sprayed finish from a pro make the difference between a five year finish and a five month one.
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Keep planning your kitchen
More guides from the Kitchen Remodeling hub.