Cabinet Painting › Cost
Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets per Door
The cost to paint kitchen cabinets per door is $80 with Proper Reglazing, and drawer fronts are $50 each. Cabinet frames, end panels and trim are priced on top, so most Bay Area kitchens end up between $2,000 for a small kitchen and $4,500 or more for a large one.
Knowing the cost to paint kitchen cabinets per door is the easiest way to sanity check a quote. Once you know your count, you can estimate your own number in a few minutes and spot a quote that is far off in either direction.
This guide covers what each piece costs, how to count without missing anything, what gets priced separately, and why two painters can quote the same kitchen so differently.
Per-door price ranges
Our cabinet painting price per door is simple:
- Doors: $80 each.
- Drawer fronts: $50 each.
- Cabinet frames, end panels and trim: priced on top, based on how much there is.
Each piece gets the full process: removal and labeling, degreasing, scuff-sanding, a bonding primer and two sprayed finish coats. For context, whole-kitchen prices fall into three bands. Small kitchens under 20 pieces start at $2,000. Average kitchens with 20–35 pieces run $2,500–$4,500. Large kitchens with 35 or more run $4,500 and up. The per-piece math plus frames is how a quote lands inside those bands.
How to count your doors and drawers
Walk the kitchen with a notes app open and keep two columns: doors and drawer fronts.
- Count every door separately. A double-door sink base is two doors.
- Count each drawer front you can see. A stack of three drawers is three drawer fronts.
- Note false fronts, the fixed panels in front of a sink. They still need paint.
- Include the island, the pantry, and the cabinets over the fridge and range hood.
- Add any bar, laundry or desk cabinets you want done in the same color.
Take one photo of each wall while you are at it. Those photos and your two counts are all we need to price the job.
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 quoteBoxes, end panels and crown molding
Doors and drawers are only part of what you see. The cabinet boxes, especially the face frames around each opening, show every time the doors are closed. New paint on the doors next to old frames would look unfinished, so frames are almost always part of the job.
End panels are the flat sides at the end of a cabinet run, plus the decorative panels on an island. Crown molding, light rail and toe kicks count as trim. All of these are painted in place, which means more masking around walls, counters and ceilings. That is why they are priced on top of the per-door rate instead of folded into it. A kitchen with cabinets to the ceiling and crown molding will cost more than one with the same door count and plain tops.
Example: a 30-door kitchen
When people say they have a 30-door kitchen, they are often counting drawers too. Here is how the cost to paint kitchen cabinets per door and drawer works out if yours has 22 doors and 8 drawer fronts:
- 22 doors at $80 = $1,760
- 8 drawer fronts at $50 = $400
- Pieces subtotal: $2,160
Add the frames, end panels and island panels, and a kitchen like this typically lands in our $2,500–$4,500 average range.
If you really have 30 doors plus 10 drawer fronts, the pieces come to $2,400 plus $500, or $2,900. At 40 pieces, that is a large kitchen, which runs $4,500 and up once frames and trim are included.
Why per-door quotes differ
Cabinet painting cost per door varies between companies for a few reasons:
- What is included. Some quotes fold frames into the door rate. Others, like ours, list them separately. Compare totals, not only the per-door figure.
- Prep. Degreasing and scuff-sanding every surface takes real time. A very low per-door price can mean prep is getting skipped.
- Primer. A bonding primer is what lets paint grip stained, lacquered, laminate and previously painted surfaces.
- Spray vs brush. A sprayed finish has no brush marks. Brushing is cheaper to do, and it shows.
- Warranty. Ours is 2 years on cabinet painting. Ask every bidder what theirs is.
Also confirm the painter's CSLB license at cslb.ca.gov. For whole-kitchen pricing, see our cabinet painting cost guide, and for scheduling, read how long it takes to paint kitchen cabinets. To get your own number, start on the cabinet painting page.
Common questions
How much does it cost to paint one cabinet door?
We charge $80 per door and $50 per drawer front. Cabinet frames, end panels and trim are priced on top.
Do drawer fronts cost the same as doors?
No. Drawer fronts are smaller and are $50 each, compared with $80 for a door.
Does a per-door price include the cabinet boxes?
Not with us. Frames, end panels and trim are priced separately, so ask other painters whether their per-door rate includes them before you compare.
What does a small kitchen cost to paint?
Kitchens with fewer than 20 doors and drawer fronts start at $2,000 once frames and panels are included.