Cabinet Painting › Cost
Cabinet Painting Cost in the Bay Area (2026)
Cabinet painting cost in the Bay Area runs $2,500–$4,500 for an average kitchen with 20–35 doors and drawers, from $2,000 for a small kitchen with fewer than 20 pieces, and $4,500 and up for a large kitchen with 35 or more. Our per-piece rate is $80 per door and $50 per drawer front, with cabinet frames, end panels and trim priced on top. The work takes 3–4 days and carries a 2-year warranty.
If you are pricing out a kitchen refresh, cabinet painting cost is usually the first number you want. It is also the number that varies most between quotes, because painters count, prep and finish cabinets in different ways.
Below are the real prices we use at Proper Reglazing, a licensed contractor based in Palo Alto, plus what moves a price up or down and how painting compares with your other options.
Quick answer: what most Bay Area kitchens cost
The average cost to paint kitchen cabinets in a typical Bay Area home falls in our middle band: $2,500–$4,500. That band covers kitchens with 20–35 doors and drawer fronts, which describes most single-family kitchens and plenty of larger condos.
The price covers the full process: protecting the kitchen, removing and labeling doors, degreasing and sanding every surface, a bonding primer, two sprayed finish coats, then reinstalling and adjusting hinges. Where your kitchen lands inside the range depends mostly on how many pieces there are and how much frame and trim surface needs paint.
Cost by kitchen size
| Kitchen size | Doors and drawer fronts | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Under 20 | From $2,000 |
| Average | 20–35 | $2,500–$4,500 |
| Large | 35+ | $4,500+ |
A galley kitchen in an older condo usually sits in the small band. A kitchen with an island, a pantry wall and uppers that run to the ceiling can pass 35 pieces quickly. Count your pieces before you call and you will know roughly where you stand.
Get your cabinet price
$2,500–$4,500 for an average kitchen, 3–4 days, 2-year warranty. Send photos and we reply the same day.
Get a free quoteCost per door and drawer
For a closer number, use our per-piece cabinet painting price: $80 per door and $50 per drawer front. Cabinet frames (the face frames you see when the doors are closed), end panels and trim are priced on top, because they are painted in place and need careful masking.
A quick example: 14 doors and 5 drawer fronts comes to $1,120 plus $250, or $1,370 for the pieces alone. Add the frames and panels and you can see why a small kitchen starts at $2,000. For a full counting walkthrough, see cost to paint kitchen cabinets per door.
What raises or lowers the price
- Piece count. The biggest factor by far. Fewer doors and drawers means a lower price.
- Tall and oversized doors. Pantry and full-height doors have far more surface than a standard upper.
- Exposed frames, end panels and crown molding. More visible surface means more prep and masking.
- Condition. Heavy grease, peeling old paint or water damage near the sink adds prep time. Swollen particleboard may need repair before paint makes sense at all.
- Glass-front doors and open shelving. These need extra masking or have more surfaces to coat.
- Surface type. Wood, MDF, laminate and previously painted cabinets all take paint over a bonding primer. Thermofoil depends on its condition. If it is peeling, it cannot just be painted over.
Painting vs refinishing vs refacing vs replacing
- Painting puts a new solid color on your existing cabinets. From $2,000, done in 3–4 days.
- Refinishing (restaining) strips the old finish and applies new stain and a clear coat on real wood. We charge $80 per door, with drawer fronts quoted per job, and the kitchen is out of use for 5–7 days.
- Refacing replaces doors and drawer fronts and covers the boxes in new veneer. It usually costs more than painting. We do not offer refacing.
- Replacing means new cabinets, often with new counters and plumbing work along with them. It usually costs many times more than painting.
If your cabinet boxes are solid and the layout works, painting is usually the best value. For the full math on new cabinets, read painting vs replacing kitchen cabinets.
DIY vs professional cost
DIY looks cheaper because you only buy materials: degreaser, sandpaper, a bonding primer, a cabinet-grade enamel, tape, plastic sheeting, and brushes, rollers or a sprayer. The real cost is time. Removing, prepping, priming and coating both sides of every door, with drying time between coats, often stretches across several weekends while the kitchen sits half apart.
The other cost is doing it twice. Skipped degreasing or sanding is a common reason DIY cabinet paint peels or chips early. A professional job gives you a sprayed finish with no brush marks and, with us, a 2-year warranty.
How to get an accurate quote
A search for cabinet painting cost near me turns up a wide spread of prices. To compare them fairly, give every painter the same information:
- Take a photo of each wall of cabinets, plus the island if you have one.
- Count doors and drawer fronts separately.
- Note anything unusual: peeling, water damage under the sink, glass doors, crown molding.
- Say what color or look you want.
Send those to Proper Reglazing at (650) 660-3050 and we reply with a price, usually the same day. Whoever you hire, confirm their CSLB license at cslb.ca.gov. Service details and photos of the process are on our cabinet painting page.
Common questions
How much does it cost to paint kitchen cabinets in the Bay Area?
Most average kitchens with 20–35 doors and drawers cost $2,500–$4,500. Small kitchens with under 20 pieces start at $2,000, and large kitchens with 35 or more run $4,500 and up.
Is painting cabinets cheaper than replacing them?
Yes. New cabinets usually cost many times more than painting, and replacement often pulls in countertop, plumbing and backsplash work too.
How long does cabinet painting take?
Painting takes 3–4 days, including protecting the kitchen, prep, a bonding primer, two sprayed coats and reinstalling the doors.
Do cabinet frames cost extra?
Yes. Doors are $80 and drawer fronts $50 each, and cabinet frames, end panels and trim are priced on top based on how much surface there is.