Why a cabinet quote isn't a wall quote
Census QuickFacts counts Columbus, IN households, 2020-2024, at 21,726, with 2.34 persons per household. In most homes, the kitchen cabinets are the most handled painted surface in the house: doors swing open and shut many times a day, and drawer fronts get bumped by hips and knees. That use is why painting cabinets is priced and done more like furniture finishing than like painting a wall. This guide explains what moves the price up or down. It quotes no prices.
The count: doors, drawers, boxes and panels
Many painters price cabinets by the piece. A proposal might count:
- Each door, front and back.
- Each drawer front.
- The face frames of the boxes.
- Exposed end panels and the visible sides of an island.
- Open shelves, valances, crown molding and light rail.
A raised-panel door with deep grooves takes longer than a flat slab. Glass-front doors need masking. Ask for the count in writing so two quotes can be compared on the same kitchen.
Taking it apart
Doors and drawer fronts are usually removed, labeled and finished somewhere else: a garage, a shop or a protected corner of the house. The boxes are painted in place. Removal adds labor but gives a smoother finish on the pieces you see most. Rehanging and adjusting the doors at the end is part of the job, and it takes time to get every gap even.
The cleaning nobody sees
Kitchen cabinets carry a layer of cooking grease and hand oil, often heaviest near the range and around handles. Paint won't hold on it. Expect a thorough degreasing and rinse before anything else. Skipping it is one of the most common reasons painted cabinets chip.
Sanding, filling and the grain question
After cleaning, the old finish is scuff-sanded so primer can grip. Dents and gouges are filled. Then comes a choice that affects the price: open-grain woods such as oak show their grain pattern through paint. If you want a smooth, furniture-like look, the grain has to be filled, which adds several steps. If you're happy to see the texture, it doesn't. Tell the painter which you want before they price it.
Primer and the finish coat
Cabinets usually get a bonding primer, then two coats of a hard, self-leveling enamel made for cabinets and trim. Those products cost more than wall paint and need more careful application. A cheaper wall paint on cabinets tends to stay soft and stick to itself where doors touch the frame. See paint sheens and finishes for how sheen affects wipe-ability and how much it shows brush marks.
Spray, brush or roll
Spraying gives the smoothest finish but needs masking, a ventilated space and more setup. Brushing and rolling cost less in setup and leave a faint texture. Many painters spray doors off-site and brush or roll the boxes in place. Each method has a different labor profile, which is one reason quotes vary.
Cure time and the empty kitchen
Cabinet enamel can be dry to the touch quickly and still take much longer to harden fully. During that time, doors need gentle handling. Ask how many days your kitchen will be without doors, and when you can use the cabinets normally.
Hardware and hinges
Switching to new pulls with different spacing means filling old holes and drilling new ones. Replacing hinges, or adding soft-close hardware, is extra. Ask whether hardware removal and reinstallation is included, and who supplies new pieces.
Old finishes and older houses
Under EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, anyone paid to do work that disturbs paint in homes, childcare facilities and preschools built before 1978 must hold RRP certification, firms included, even sole proprietorships, and their workers must be trained in lead-safe work practices. Sanding painted cabinets disturbs paint. If your house was built before 1978 and the cabinets have been painted before, the containment and cleanup the rule calls for are part of the job, and part of the price. You can ask whether the firm holds RRP certification.
What makes two cabinet quotes differ
- The number of pieces counted.
- Off-site spraying or in-place brushing.
- Grain filling or not.
- Primer and enamel product class.
- Repairs to doors, drawers and boxes.
- Hardware work.
Our cabinet painting and refinishing page explains the full process, and the pricing guide covers how painting prices are built.