Kitchen cabinet price guide
How Much Does It Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets?
There is no honest flat rate for painting kitchen cabinets, because the price depends on your kitchen: the number of doors and drawer fronts, what the units are made of, the colour and finish you want, and how much preparation is needed. That is why we give a firm written quote after seeing the kitchen, rather than a guess over the phone.
This guide explains exactly what we look at when we price a cabinet job, so you can judge any quote you receive, ours included.
Why the door count matters more than the kitchen size
Floor area tells you very little about a cabinet job. What takes the time is every individual face: each door and drawer front is removed, labelled, degreased, sanded, primed and given at least two finish coats, front and back where it shows. A compact kitchen crammed with narrow drawers can take longer than a bigger room with a few wide doors, so when we quote we count faces, not square metres.
Frames, end panels, plinths, cornice and an island all add to the count. If you only want the doors done and the carcasses left alone, say so, because that brings the figure down.
Other things that move the price
Beyond the door count, four factors change a quote:
- Cabinet material: solid timber, MDF and laminate each need different preparation, and laminate or foil faces need a specialist bonding primer before any paint will hold
- Colour change: going from a pale shade to a deep heritage colour, or the other way, can need an extra coat for even coverage
- Paint choice: trade cabinet paints cost less than premium ranges, and designer kitchen paints carry a noticeably higher price per tin
- Brush, roll or spray: a hand-painted finish and a sprayed finish are priced differently, and spraying needs far more masking and a clean area to work in
Hand painted or sprayed?
Both routes give a durable, good-looking finish when the preparation is right. Hand painting with a fine brush and foam roller suits shaker and period styles where a subtle texture looks natural. Spraying gives the flattest, most factory-like finish and suits slab and handleless doors. We will tell you which method we would use on your units and why, and price it accordingly.
How long it takes and what living with it is like
The first days are all preparation: removing doors and hardware, deep degreasing (years of cooking residue is the main reason DIY cabinet paint peels), then sanding to give the primer a key. We use dustless sanding equipment, so the rest of the house stays clean while the units are keyed.
Once the primer and finish coats are on, paint needs time to harden fully, so we ask you to treat the doors gently for the first couple of weeks. We work Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 6pm, and agree with you in advance which days the kitchen will be out of action.
Is painting cheaper than a new kitchen?
Usually by a wide margin. If the carcasses are sound and the layout works, painting the existing units keeps everything that already fits and changes only the colour and finish. New handles and a worktop refresh can be added separately. If doors are warped, swollen by water or delaminating, painting will not fix that, and we will say so before quoting rather than paint over a problem.
Getting a firm price
Send a few photos showing the full run of units, or book a visit, and we will come back with a free written quote listing the door count, the preparation, the primer and finish we plan to use and how many days the kitchen will be out of use. Our work is done by an NVQ Level 3 qualified decorator, and you can read what previous customers say on our Checkatrade reviews.
Common questions
How much does it cost to paint kitchen cabinets?
It depends mainly on the number of doors and drawer fronts, the cabinet material, the colour change and the finish you choose. We give a firm written quote after seeing the kitchen, so the figure is accurate rather than a guess.
How long does kitchen cabinet painting take?
It depends on the size of the kitchen and the finish chosen. The first days are spent removing doors, degreasing and sanding before any paint goes on, and we agree the schedule with you before starting.
Can laminate or foil kitchen doors be painted?
Often yes, as long as the surface is sound. Laminate needs a specialist bonding primer; peeling foil has to be dealt with first, and we will tell you honestly if a door is not worth painting.
Why does DIY cabinet paint chip?
Almost always because of grease left on the surface or the wrong primer. Thorough degreasing, sanding for a key and a bonding primer made for cabinets are what make the finish last.
Is spraying better than hand painting?
Neither is always better. Spraying gives the smoothest finish on flat doors; hand painting suits shaker and period styles. We recommend a method once we have seen the units.