A small room with a lot of surfaces
Painting kitchen cabinets looks like a weekend job and prices like a much bigger one. The reason is surface count. A modest kitchen can have dozens of doors and drawer fronts, each with two faces and four edges, plus the face frames, end panels, toe kicks and sometimes the insides. Every one of those needs cleaning, sanding, priming and at least two finish coats, and the finish has to be smooth enough to look good at arm's length. This guide explains what moves the price of that work in a Lafayette kitchen. It quotes no figures; ask painters for written proposals.
The count is the starting point
Most painters build a cabinet price from a count, not from the kitchen's floor area:
- doors, split by size and style, since a raised-panel door takes longer than a flat slab;
- drawer fronts;
- face frames and end panels in linear feet;
- any glass-front doors, open shelves or crown molding;
- whether the insides of the boxes and the backs of the doors are included.
Have the count ready when you call, and ask the painter to list it in the proposal so you're comparing the same job.
Grease is the first enemy
Cabinet paint fails most often because of what was on the surface underneath it. Kitchen cabinets carry a film of cooking grease, hand oils and cleaner residue, especially near the stove and around handles. A thorough degreasing, rinsing and drying comes first, then sanding to scuff the old finish so the primer can grip. This is slow, careful labor and a large share of the price. A bid that skips it can look attractive and peel within months.
Spraying, brushing or both
- Spraying the doors and drawer fronts, usually off site or in a set-up area, gives the smoothest finish. It means removing, labeling and rehanging every door and masking the kitchen heavily.
- Brushing and rolling in place costs less in setup and masking but leaves more texture.
- A mix, with doors sprayed and frames brushed, is common.
Each method changes the labor, the setup and how long your kitchen is out of action.
Primer and the finish coat
Cabinets usually need a bonding primer over the old finish, and a stain-blocking one over wood with tannin bleed or knots. The finish coat is usually a hard-curing enamel made for cabinetry and trim, often in satin or semi-gloss. Those products cost more than wall paint and take longer to cure. Our cabinet painting and refinishing page explains the options.
Drying and curing at the Lafayette station's numbers
At Lafayette, NOAA counts about 2,531 hours in an average year with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 4,176 hours above 67°F. Those are hours of warm, moisture-laden air. Enamels dry more slowly in damp air, and doors can't be stacked or rehung until the finish is hard enough not to stick or mark. A painter may run dehumidifiers or air conditioning in the spray area or plan extra days between coats. That time shows up in the schedule and sometimes in the price.
When the cabinets are old
If the house was built before 1978, the existing cabinet finish may contain lead, and sanding it creates dust. EPA's rule, shown on the card here, applies to paid work that disturbs paint in homes built before 1978: the firm needs RRP certification and workers need training in lead-safe work practices. You can ask whether the painter's firm holds RRP certification and how sanding dust will be contained in a room where you prepare food.
Hardware, hinges and repairs
Ask whether the proposal includes:
- removing and replacing hardware, or fitting new pulls and hinges you supply;
- filling old hardware holes if the new pulls don't line up;
- repairing chipped edges, loose veneer or water-damaged panels under the sink;
- adjusting doors so they close evenly after painting.
Living without a kitchen
Cabinet painting takes the kitchen out of use for days. Ask how long the counters will be covered, when you can use the sink and stove, and when doors will go back on. A painter who removes doors to a shop may leave you with open boxes for several days; one who sprays in place may need the room sealed.
Reading the proposal
A clear Lafayette cabinet proposal names the count, the cleaning and sanding method, the primer, the finish product and sheen, the number of coats, the cure time before rehanging, and what's excluded. The pricing guide explains how condition and scope shape a quote.