How Much Does It Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets? Experts Break It Down

Your cabinets are an integral part of the overall style and vibe of your kitchen. If you want to refresh your space (without doing a full renovation), updating your cabinets should be at the top of your list. You can either get completely new ones, or you can paint the cabinets you currently have. Obviously replacing your cabinets can be pricey — but how much does it cost to paint your cabinets? For the DIYers out there, I spoke to five kitchen renovation experts to determine the cost to paint kitchen cabinets — and what costs you might not expect. Here are the pros:

• Brandon Walker, construction manager at ASAP Restoration

• Michael Clarke, founder of Pulled

• Billie Asmus, founder of Repaint Studios

• Sharon Russell, owner of Russell Room Remodelers

• Ryan Parr, CEO of Nashville Painting Professionals

What’s the Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets Yourself?

If you’re painting your own kitchen cabinets, you can expect to spend between $200 and $600, experts say, with an average cost of about $500. That just accounts for the supplies you need. Parr breaks the expense down:

• Primer: $20 to $50 per gallon

• Paint: $40 to $70 per gallon (you’ll need two types: one for primer, one for the topcoat)

• Sandpaper: $5 to $10

• Brushes/rollers: $15 to $40

• Drop cloths/tape: $20 to $30

• New hardware (if needed): $100 to $300 depending on the style and quantity

Walker suggests you also get a paint spray gun to paint your cabinets. “If you really want your cabinets to look good after they’ve been painted, then the best approach for doing it yourself would be to rent a paint gun so that you can get a really consistent finish,” he says. “Brushes and rollers will leave dimples, streaks, and patches on something as flat as a cabinet surface, so you really need a spray gun rig to do it right.”

Then, of course, you’ll need to invest the time it takes to paint them yourself. The process can take a while, especially if it’s your first time doing it, so keep that in mind as you plan. Russell notes that the whole project can take about a week if you’re doing it yourself, because you need to allow ample time for the primer and each coat of paint to dry. You’ll also need to prep the cabinets before you paint them. “You need to sand the old cabinets,” she says, “and it’s best to remove the doors and paint separately, then de-gloss and clean with a product like liquid sand, a good quality bonding primer, and one or two coats of a quality paint.”

What’s the Cost for a Professional to Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets?

You can typically expect to spend between $2,000 and $7,000 to have a professional paint your cabinets, with an average cost of around $4,000. The cost will vary based on the size of your kitchen, number of cabinets, and layout. If you’ve got a lot of nooks and crannies and odd cabinet spaces that could also boost the price.

Professional painting companies generally price cabinet painting projects in one of two ways. Either you’re paying per cabinet door and drawer, which can cost between $75 and $250 each, or you’re going to pay per square foot of work, which runs about $10 to $12 per square foot. Asmus explains how those costs break down:

• Labor: $1,500 to $4,500, depending on the complexity of the job

• Paint and primer: $200 to $400 (professionals often use higher-end products)

• Materials (tape, sandpaper, rollers, drop cloths, etc.): $50 to $100

• Hardware replacement (optional): $100 to $300

You can likely save costs on labor and prep work if you thoroughly clean the cabinets yourself before having the pros come in. Keep in mind, though, that the process will take a lot of work. “While soap and water are pretty cheap, the amount of scrubbing and cleaning needed to get the cabinets and the frames to the level they need to be at to accept primer takes time, and time is money,” Walker says. “If you don’t do an extremely thorough job cleaning the cabinets first, the primer won’t adhere properly, and then the paint will just peel right off. Grease is the hardest battle because it is usually embedded in the cabinet quite a bit, but you have to get it out and off in order for the paint to cure well.”

Other Unexpected Cabinet Painting Costs

In addition to those nooks and crannies, additional costs to paint your kitchen cabinets might occur if the cabinets are dented, scratched, or damaged, which can lead to repair costs as well. “Other hidden costs might include needing to strip the existing cabinets of old paint, water and smoke damage, mold and mildew, broken hinges, or cabinets that can’t be repaired,” Asmus says.

If your cabinets are significantly damaged with something like wood rot or extensive water damage, all of the experts agree that it might be more worth it to get completely new cabinets. Some issues can’t be resolved with an updated paint job. If you want to change the layout of your cabinets, that’ll create additional steps, costs, and often requires brand-new cabinets.

Experts’ Favorite Products for Painting Kitchen Cabinets

If you want to paint your own cabinets but make it look professional, the experts recommended specific products as their go-tos. Walker suggests XIM Primer and Dunn Edwards Aristoshield modified acrylic paint. Asmus used Krud Kutter pre-paint cleaner when redoing her own kitchen, in addition to the Repaint Studios’ reusable paint tray liner and Benjamin Moore Advance paint. Russell also likes the Advance paint, as well as Sherwin Williams’ Emerald paint. Parr also recommends Emerald, and additionally uses Zinsser BIN Primer.

Is this about how much it cost you to paint your kitchen cabinets? Let us know in the comments below!

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