Why cabinets are priced differently
Painting kitchen cabinets is closer to furniture finishing than to painting a wall. The surfaces are handled every day, they're splashed with grease and water, and every flaw sits at eye level. A good result depends on cleaning, sanding, priming and a hard finish applied in thin, even coats, with time to cure. That's why cabinet painting is often quoted per door and drawer front rather than by area. This guide lists what moves the price. It names no figures.
Counting the pieces
The main cost driver is the number of pieces:
- Doors, each with two faces and four edges;
- Drawer fronts;
- Face frames and end panels on the cabinet boxes;
- Extras such as open shelving, crown molding, a range hood surround or an island.
Raised-panel and detailed doors take longer to sand and coat than flat slab doors. Glass-front doors need masking. Ask each painter to count the pieces in writing so you can compare like with like.
What the cabinets are made of
- Solid wood and wood veneer sand and prime well.
- Painted cabinets need any loose paint removed and the old finish dulled.
- Laminate and thermofoil need specialist bonding primers, and some thermofoil isn't a good candidate for paint at all. A painter should look before quoting.
Degreasing and sanding
Kitchen grease is the enemy of adhesion. Every surface needs degreasing with a cleaner made for the job, then a scuff sand so the primer can grip. Skipping or rushing this step is the most common reason cabinet paint chips early. It's slow work, and a quote that includes it properly will reflect that.
Primer and finish
A bonding or stain-blocking primer usually goes on first, especially over oak, whose grain and tannins can show through. The finish is typically a hard enamel, often a waterborne alkyd or urethane-modified product, applied in more than one coat with light sanding between. Our sheens guide explains why a satin or semi-gloss finish is common on cabinets.
Sprayed off site or brushed in place
- Removing doors and drawer fronts to spray them in a shop or a set-up area gives the smoothest finish but means a longer job, transport and a period with open boxes.
- Spraying in place needs extensive masking of counters, walls, floors and appliances.
- Brushing and rolling is slower and leaves some texture, but needs less masking.
Ask which method is being quoted, and how long the kitchen will be out of use.
Hardware and hinges
Knobs, pulls and hinges come off, and doors and fronts are labelled so they go back in the right place. If you're changing hardware with a different hole spacing, filling and re-drilling holes adds time.
Older homes and old finishes
Under EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, since April 22, 2010 firms doing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes built before 1978 must hold EPA or state firm certification and use trained renovators who follow lead-safe work practices.
EPA runs the RRP program in states it has not authorized; Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin run their own EPA-authorized programs.
Sanding painted cabinets is a way of disturbing paint. If your home was built before 1978 and the cabinets have been painted before, ask how the painter will handle it: containment, dust collection, and careful cleanup in a room where food is prepared. That work adds time and belongs in the quote. You can ask whether the firm holds the firm certification the rule describes.
Cure time
Enamel feels dry quickly but takes much longer to harden fully. Ask how soon doors can be rehung and how gently the cabinets should be treated for the first weeks.
Comparing quotes
- How many doors, drawer fronts and other pieces are counted?
- How will the cabinets be degreased and sanded?
- Which primer and finish, and how many coats?
- Sprayed off site, sprayed in place, or brushed?
- Is hardware removal and reinstallation included?
- If the home predates 1978, what is the lead-safe plan?
Our cabinet painting and refinishing page explains the work in more detail, and the pricing guide covers general cost factors.