Kitchen Cabinet Cost 2026

CostMyProject Research Team Prices checked October 2026

Cabinets are roughly 30% of a kitchen remodel budget — the biggest single line item, and the one with the widest price spread. This guide prices all four options (reface, stock, semi-custom, custom) per linear foot, with installation, hardware, and a worked 10×10 example. All figures are October 2026 US planning estimates. Get your exact number with the kitchen remodel cost calculator.

Cabinet cost per linear foot (installed, 2026)

"Per linear foot" counts the run of base + wall cabinets along the wall — a 10×10 kitchen typically has about 25 linear feet. Installation is usually bundled in these ranges; materials-only quotes run 15–25% less. Always ask which you're getting.

Refacing vs. replacing: the honest comparison

Refacing gets a bad reputation it doesn't deserve — done well (new doors, drawer fronts, veneer, soft-close hinges), it looks like new cabinets at 40–60% of the replacement cost. Its real limitation is that it can't fix a bad layout or add storage. If your kitchen's problem is where things are rather than how they look, refacing won't help.

What the tiers actually buy you

Stock cabinets ($100–$200/lf)

Mass-produced in fixed 3-inch width increments, limited finishes. Quality has improved a lot — big-box stock lines now include soft-close options and plywood (not particleboard) boxes if you read the spec sheet. The catch: fixed sizes mean filler strips in odd spaces, and you get what you get on interior fittings. Best for rentals, flips, and tight budgets.

Semi-custom cabinets ($200–$400/lf)

Factory-built but made to order: more sizes, finishes, and options (roll-out trays, lazy Susans, finished ends). This is the sweet spot for most owner-occupied kitchens — roughly double the stock price for a meaningfully better fit and finish. Most "nice" kitchens you admire are semi-custom, not custom.

Custom cabinets ($400–$800/lf)

Built by a cabinet shop to your exact dimensions, any wood, any finish, any interior. Worth it for unusual layouts (angled walls, very tall ceilings, integrated appliances) or when you want furniture-grade detail. Not worth it as a status purchase in a standard rectangular kitchen — appraisers and buyers won't pay you back for it.

Hardware, installation, and the hidden add-ons

• Hardware: knobs and pulls run $3–$15 each; a 25-lf kitchen needs 30–50 pieces ($150–$600 total). It's the cheapest visual upgrade in the kitchen — new hardware on old cabinets reads as a mini-remodel.
• Soft-close hinges and slides: $5–$15 per door/drawer as an upgrade; ~$200–$400 for a full kitchen. The single best longevity-per-dollar spend.
• Installation: $150–$350 per linear foot for labor if quoted separately; often bundled. Includes leveling, scribing to uneven walls, and trim.
• Extras that add up: crown molding ($200–$600), light rail and under-cabinet lighting ($300–$800), pull-out organizers ($75–$200 each), and a tall pantry unit ($800–$2,000).
• Demo and disposal: $500–$1,500 to remove old cabinets — or $0 if you do it yourself and donate them (Habitat ReStores take them).

Worked example: 10×10 kitchen

25 linear feet, installed, October 2026 planning prices:

Add ~$400 for hardware and soft-close upgrades, and $500–$1,500 for demo if you're not DIYing it. The jump from stock to custom on the same 100 sq ft is $11,000+ — that's a whole appliance suite.

How to choose (decision guide)

1. Boxes sound + layout works + budget tight? Reface. Bank the savings for counters or appliances.
2. Rental, flip, or under $10k total cabinet budget? Stock — but check the box material (plywood beats particleboard) and add soft-close.
3. Your own kitchen, standard layout, $7k–$12k budget? Semi-custom. This is where most happy homeowners land.
4. Weird layout, tall ceilings, or integrated appliances? Custom — it's the only tier that truly fits.

Whatever you choose, order before demo: stock ships in 1–2 weeks, semi-custom takes 4–8, custom 8–14. Cabinets on backorder are the #1 reason kitchen timelines slip. And keep one spare door front and a small can of touch-up finish after installation — five years from now, when a hinge-side edge chips, you'll be glad you did.

Cabinet box construction: what you're actually paying for

The doors get all the attention, but the box determines how long cabinets last:

• Particleboard boxes (common in budget stock): fine until they get wet — then they swell irreversibly. Keep the sink cabinet dry and they'll last 15+ years.
• Plywood boxes (most semi-custom, better stock): stronger, hold screws better, survive a leak. Worth the upcharge — often just $500–$1,000 more for a full kitchen.
• Framed vs. frameless: framed (American traditional) has a face frame; frameless (European) gives slightly more interior space and a cleaner look. Frameless costs a bit more and demands precise installation.
• Drawer boxes: dovetail solid-wood drawers are the durability tell. Stapled particleboard drawers are the first thing to fail in cheap cabinets.

When comparing quotes, ask "plywood or particleboard boxes?" and "dovetail or stapled drawers?" — two questions that separate a $150/lf stock line from a $300/lf semi-custom line faster than any brochure.

One more durability note: the finish matters as much as the box. Factory catalyzed-conversion-varnish finishes (standard on semi-custom and up) resist moisture and chipping far better than site-painted finishes. If you're painting existing cabinets, a cabinet-grade enamel with bonding primer is the only DIY finish that approaches factory durability.

The $2,000 alternative: painting existing cabinets

If the boxes and layout are fine but the finish is dated, professional cabinet painting runs $3,000–$7,000 for a typical kitchen (DIY: $500–$1,000 in paint and supplies). Done right — degrease, sand, prime with bonding primer, 2–3 coats of cabinet-grade enamel — it lasts 8–10 years. Done wrong (latex wall paint, no prep), it chips in a year. It's the highest-ROI cosmetic move in the kitchen: a $5,000 paint job reads like a $15,000 cabinet job to buyers. Timing matters too: cabinet enamel cures best between 50–85°F with moderate humidity, and most enamels need a full 2–3 weeks to reach maximum hardness — so treat freshly painted cabinets gently at first and keep windows open for ventilation during the multi-day process.