How Much Do Kitchen Cabinets Cost per Linear Foot?
Expect to pay between $100 and $1,200 per linear foot of kitchen cabinetry. Angi customers who had kitchen cabinets installed reported spending an average of about $5,580, with a range of roughly $1,866 to $9,439.
How Much Do Kitchen Cabinets Cost Near You?
The expense will vary throughout the country. Here’s a look at the average price of kitchen cabinets in 10 U.S. cities.
| City | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Atlanta | $4,520 |
| Austin, TX | $6,240 |
| Boston | $6,030 |
| Charlotte, NC | $3,960 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $2,780 |
| Lansing, MI | $9,715 |
| Lincoln, NE | $3,000 |
| Los Angeles | $6,625 |
| Tampa, FL | $5,560 |
| Washington, D.C. | $7,945 |
What Can I Get on My Budget?
Here’s what you can expect at different price points.
Under $5,000: You can buy stock framed cabinets for a small kitchen.
Under $10,000: You can buy semi-custom framed cabinets for a small-to-average kitchen.
Under $20,000: You can outfit an average-sized kitchen with semi-custom frameless cabinets.
Under $25,000: You can purchase semi-custom frameless cabinets for a large kitchen.
$30,000 or more: You can work with a local cabinet contractor or kitchen remodeler to outfit a large kitchen with custom inset cabinets.
Cost to Install Kitchen Cabinets Yourself vs. Hiring a Contractor
Installing kitchen cabinets is complicated and challenging—which is why it’s worth hiring an experienced cabinetry pro. Ideally, have the same company take measurements and design, make, and install your cabinets.
The average cabinet installation runs about $130 to $200 per cabinet or $50 to $450 per linear foot, but prices vary among installers. This adds up to an average of about $11,100. Expect to spend more for extensive installation, as with large kitchens. Overall, cabinets can end up being a large percentage of your total kitchen remodeling cost.
How Much Do Kitchen Cabinets Cost by Type?
Cabinets come in stock, semi-custom, and custom, in order from the least to most pricey. Here’s a breakdown of these options.
Stock
Stock cabinets are premade in a factory and ready to ship upon ordering. They're typically the most affordable kitchen cabinet type because they're mass produced in standard sizes and don't require the service and labor fees associated with custom cabinets.
These cabinets cost $100 to $300 per linear foot installed or $50 to $100 per linear foot for the cabinets alone. Just know that you’ll have fewer design options, the quality will be lower, and there could be measurement issues. To avoid this common problem, measure carefully before making any purchases or hire a cabinet maker to handle this task.
Semi-Custom
Like stock cabinets, semi-custom cabinets come in standard sizes and shapes, but they offer more customization options. You can often pick the finish, hardware, and paint color of semi-custom cabinets, so they're a great option if you want a more custom look but don't want to pay full price for 100% custom cabinets.
These slightly more custom cabinets run $150 to $650 per linear foot installed or $75 to $400 per linear foot for materials alone. The per unit price is about $150 or more.
Custom
Custom cabinets allow you to customize every element, from the dimensions to the finish, hardware, and paint color. Due to the extra labor involved, custom cabinetry is usually the most expensive, but they're ideal for oddly-shaped kitchens or specific design and functionality needs.
Custom cabinets cost $500 to $1,200 per linear foot installed or $300 to $750 per linear foot for the materials alone. Expect to pay $13,000 to $30,000 for high-end custom cabinets.
How Much Do Kitchen Cabinets Cost by Style?
Whether you opt for a framed, frameless, or inset design will affect the price of your cabinets, regardless of material.
Framed Cabinets
Framed cabinets incorporate a structural frame and are more traditional in design. They cost $5,000 to $20,000 or more.
Frameless Cabinets
Frameless cabinets are more contemporary in design and require a heavier box. They cost an average of 15% more, running about $6,000 to $30,000.
Inset Cabinets
With inset or flush cabinets, doors and drawers sit within the cabinet frames and fit flush with the cabinet faces when closed. They cost about 20% more than framed or frameless cabinets, coming to $150 to $1,200 per linear foot.
What Other Factors Influence the Cost of Kitchen Cabinets?
Other factors impacting the total cost include labor and installation fees and how many cabinets you're installing.
Labor and Installation
If you hire a pro to install your cabinets, you can expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $450 per linear foot for installation. Installing stock cabinets will likely fall closer to the lower end of that spectrum, while custom cabinet installation will fall near the top.
Paint, Stain, and Finish
Painting, staining, and finishing your cabinets can drive up costs. Similar to the cabinets themselves, custom paints and stains usually cost more than stock paint and stain colors. However, stock cabinetry often comes stained and painted, so you can save money on these costs by opting for pre-painted or pre-stained cabinets. Expect to pay about $700 for the cost to paint kitchen cabinets, but you can reduce this cost if you paint them yourself.
Cabinet Size
Since cabinet prices depend on the size and number of cabinets, expect to pay more for bigger cabinets.
Material
The material you choose for your cabinets also affects cost. Wood cabinets can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000 or more, depending on the wood species you choose. Meanwhile, wood veneer, laminate, and acrylic cabinets range from $2,000 to $20,000 or more, while stainless steel cabinets usually cost $25,000 to $38,000.
Number of Cabinets
The smaller your kitchen, the fewer cabinets you’ll need, meaning the less you’ll pay. If your kitchen is oddly shaped, you may need to spring for custom cabinets, which increases the cost. Here’s a breakdown of average kitchen cabinet costs for stock or semi-custom cabinets, regardless of materials.
70-square-foot or smaller kitchen: $1,700 to $11,000 or more
120-square-foot kitchen: $2,200 to $14,000 or more
200-square-foot kitchen: $4,000 to $26,000 or more
Other Costs to Consider When Replacing Kitchen Cabinets
Several other factors can affect your total cost when choosing kitchen cabinets, including measuring and planning for the project and moving appliances.
Old cabinet removal and disposal: Removing and disposing of existing cabinets requires additional time and labor, which will drive up costs if you hire a pro. Pros typically charge $300 to $500 to remove old cabinets.
Moving appliances: Similarly, moving appliances requires time you’ll need to pay for if you ask a pro to do it. However, you can save money by moving your appliances yourself.
Refacing or replacing: If your existing cabinets are in good structural shape but you want to update their appearance, you can often save money by refacing them rather than replacing them. The price to reface cabinets is typically 30% to 50% more affordable than the cost to replace kitchen cabinets.
Measuring and planning for the job: Since pros typically charge by the hour, you can reduce the cost of installing kitchen cabinets by taking thorough measurements and planning for the project yourself. However, cabinetry requires very precise measurements to install correctly, so it's a good idea to give this task to a pro.
How to Save Money When Installing Kitchen Cabinets
In addition to choosing relatively inexpensive materials for your kitchen cabinets, such as laminate, there are several other ways to save money on a kitchen cabinet installation.
Choose stock cabinets: Since they come premade, stock cabinets are typically the most affordable cabinet type.
Opt for frames: Traditional framed cabinets are often 15% cheaper than more contemporary frameless cabinets.
Cut back on drawers: Drawers are often more expensive to install than cabinets, so consider where you can substitute large drawer banks for cabinetry.
Obtain multiple quotes: Different pros charge different rates, so it's always a good idea to request quotes from at least three pros to find the best price for kitchen cabinet installation.
