How Much Does It Cost: Painting Kitchen Cabinets & Cabinet Painting

Recently, more of our clients have asked about painting their kitchen cabinets. It makes sense, since painting them is one of the few kitchen updates that changes the whole room without doing a full renovation, and the price tag proves it. So how much does it actually cost to paint kitchen cabinets in King and Snohomish counties in 2026? I'm Serjay Kravchuk, Client Relations Manager at New Day Construction, and here's the real cost, based on current national pricing data and local market context for King and Snohomish counties. Quick takeaways:

• For a typical kitchen cabinet repaint, our projects usually run about $12,000 to $18,000
• Painters price the job per linear foot of cabinetry, per cabinet door, or per square foot, so ask which method a quote is using before comparing
• A full repaint gets you a new look for a fraction of what full cabinet replacement or refacing costs

What Is the Average Cabinet Painting Cost in 2026

Cabinet painting costs depend mostly on the size of the kitchen, the number of cabinets, the condition of the existing finish, and whether the job is sprayed or painted by hand. National cabinet painting prices vary widely, but locally, the numbers can be much higher. At New Day Construction, repainting the cabinets in a regular-size kitchen typically costs about $12,000 to $18,000, depending on the cabinet count, condition, prep work, and finish.

National Professional vs DIY Cost Ranges

Kitchen cabinet painting cost varies depending on project scope, desired finish, and whom you hire. As of May 2026, Angi lists single-room cabinet painting by professionals costing 425-1,466 (with an average of ~$942). Note that a single room has a smaller scope than painting an entire kitchen. Painting an entire kitchen of cabinets, industry-wide, has average pricing in May 2026 of 2к-7k total. Those figures are useful as a national benchmark, but they are not representative of what we typically see for a professionally repainted kitchen in the Puget Sound market. For a regular-size kitchen, our cabinet repainting projects usually fall between $12,000 and $18,000. According to Homewyse's cost calculator, the labor + materials for a kitchen cabinet paint job is 5.40-10.79 per sq ft, but actual costs may vary a lot depending on the site and desired finish level. DIY usually reduces cost (just 200-600 for paints + primers), but then you need to spend about 20-40 hours of work without professional assistance. The cost of painting your kitchen cabinets is largely split between labor and materials.

Cost Per Square Foot, Linear Foot, Door or Drawer

Cabinet painting quotes are based on different pricing models, and you need to determine which model each quote is based on so you can compare them properly. Per square foot, Homewyse lists $5.40 to $10.79, whereas the price per linear foot of cabinetry and brush-and-roll goes for $30-60. In the meantime, paint sprayer pricing reaches $70-125 per door. Angi's numbers put per-cabinet-door pricing at roughly $100 to $250 per piece, which is easier to compare cabinet painting quotes based on door pricing than the non-specific "per project" pricing.

Cost by Kitchen Size (Small, Medium, Large)

Kitchen size

Cost Per Hour

And it's not just the raw amount of paint used, but also the labor involved, which is usually 70-80% of the cost. According to Angi, professionals charge 20-60/hour, and that includes not only spraying the paint on but also the prep/primer/paint.

What Factors Impact the Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets

A handful of decisions affect the cost to paint cabinets, and most of them are things you actually control:

• Cabinet surface and material. Solid wood is paint-friendly, but laminate and thermofoil require bonding primer, which increases labor and cost.
• Old paint and prep work. If there is peeling, cracked/yellowed paint, or buildup of grease near the stove, it will require more prep work. It could take an hour or two to remove years of kitchen grease from the range hood cabinet.
• Door style can change the speed and cost of work. Shaker and slab doors are faster than raised-panel or detailed ones, and there is less surface to cut in around.
• Number of coats and primer. Most jobs need one coat of primer and two coats of paint. Changing to darker colors or making a big color change can require a third coat, adding labor time and one gallon or more of extra paint.
• Hardware. New hinges, pulls, and soft-close hardware add to the bill fast if you're upgrading everything at once.
• Cost of living in your area. Puget Sound labor rates are higher than the national figures Angi cites (same for most skilled trades here).

Kitchen Cabinet Painting Options

Not every cabinet painting project looks the same, and the method matters almost as much as the color. Spray application creates a smooth, factory-like finish with no visible brush marks, which is why most professional painters use a paint sprayer for cabinet doors and drawer fronts pulled off-site. It costs more than brush-and-roll because it requires more masking, more setup, and usually a dedicated spray booth or well-ventilated garage. Brush and roller work costs less and can happen in place, doors and all, but it takes a steady hand to avoid visible brush strokes on cabinet boxes and frames. Cabinet refacing is a step up from paint: new veneer or laminate goes over the existing boxes and you get brand-new doors and drawer fronts, all without a full cabinet replacement. The cost of refacing generally runs well above a repaint but well below new cabinets. Spray application offers a very smooth, factory-quality finish without brush marks. Professional painters remove doors/drawers and use paint sprayers to complete projects away from the installation site. The downside is that it costs more due to the amount of masking and prep work required, as well as a dedicated booth or well-ventilated garage for spraying. Brush and roller work will be more economical and can take place on-site, including doors. Still, it needs steady application to avoid brush strokes on boxes/frames. Refacing is more of an upgrade than paint and involves applying new veneer or laminate to existing cabinet boxes and installing new doors and drawers to avoid full cabinet replacement. The cost of it is more than a repaint but significantly less than new cabinets. Whichever method you pick, quality paint made for cabinetry and a real bonding primer make the difference between a finish that holds up and one that chips at the corners within a year.

Is Cabinet Painting Worth It?

For most kitchens, yes, if the actual cabinet boxes are still in good shape. To be clear, if you want new-looking cabinets but the boxes are still solid, refacing the cabinets with a new finish is a lot cheaper than replacing the actual ones. If they're still square, the hinges are holding, and the layout is still functional, a fresh coat of paint can make them look new at a fraction of the cost. Often it's considered one of the highest value-for-money upgrades to a kitchen, beating new countertops or backsplashes. If the cabinets have water damage, warped doors, or if the layout is no longer working (either due to adding an island, knocking down a wall, or reconfiguring for more storage), it might be better to opt for a full renovation instead of just refinishing since they might be getting replaced in a few years anyway.

How To Save Money On Cabinet Painting Cost

It's important to remember when budgeting for a kitchen cabinet painting project that it's all about smart practical decisions:

• Get quotes from 3+ local cabinet painters, and you'll have a clearer view on pricing to separate fair rates from outliers.
• Some of the prep work can be done by yourself without jeopardizing quality (clear the kitchen, remove hardware, and do a first-pass cleaning before the crew arrives).
• Homeowners should choose a standard paint color instead of a custom-mixed or specialty finish.
• Stick to your existing layout and door style rather than going to a new, fancier profile mid-project.
• Bundling cabinet painting with a countertop/backsplash refresh may allow the contractor to quote the full job together vs. separate crews.
• Check with your painter if spray vs. brush-and-roll is better for your budget (usually brush work is cheaper).

See a Complete Kitchen Transformation in Snohomish

Sometimes paint isn't the right choice, and that's worth showing too. In Snohomish, WA 98290, our client had dreamed of a new kitchen for years. The project ultimately required new wall openings to improve the flow, along with plumbing and electrical changes before we rebuilt the kitchen around the new layout. Eventually, this kitchen needed a whole new layout! We had to cut new wall openings to improve flow, reorganize the plumbing and electrical for the whole house, and then rebuild the kitchen around a better design. It's a good example of the other end of the spectrum from a weekend repaint and a reminder that the right answer depends on what your cabinets are actually working with. See the full project and photos →

Ready to Refresh Your Kitchen?

If you're trying to figure out whether your kitchen needs paint, refacing, or a full remodel, that's the kind of question my team and I like to answer in person rather than by phone. We serve in King and Snohomish counties, including Bellevue, Kirkland, Everett, Lake Stevens, Snohomish, and Marysville. All quotes are written and itemized so you have an idea of cost and work upfront. Reach out through our kitchen remodeling page or call us at (425) 584-2936, and we'll take a look at your cabinets together.

FAQ

Why Is It So Expensive to Repaint Kitchen Cabinets?

Most of the cost is labor. Each door and drawer has to come off, get cleaned, sanded, primed, painted, and rehung, and a rushed prep job is exactly what leads to peeling paint a year later. Painters price that time into the job.

How Did We Get Our Kitchen Cabinet Painting Cost Data?

We pulled national pricing from Homewyse and Angi, using their current 2026 cost data as a general benchmark.

Labor Costs and Regional Price Differences

Labor runs 70 to 80 percent of your total cost to paint kitchen cabinets nationally, and it costs more here than the national average because of Puget Sound's cost of living and steady demand for licensed painting companies.

Average Cost of Professionally Painting Kitchen Cabinets

National pricing guides put cabinet painting considerably lower, but our real-world pricing in King and Snohomish counties is different. For a regular-size kitchen, we usually charge about $12,000 to $18,000 for a professional cabinet repaint. The final price depends on cabinet count, prep requirements, existing condition, and the finish you choose.

Cost to Reface Kitchen Cabinets

Refacing costs more than paint since it includes new doors, drawer fronts, and veneer over the existing boxes, but it's still cheaper than a full cabinet replacement, and it solves cosmetic damage paint can't hide.

How Kitchen Size and Cabinet Count Affect the Cost

A regular-size kitchen repaint typically runs about $12,000 to $18,000 with us. A smaller, straightforward kitchen may cost less, while a large kitchen with more doors, detailed cabinetry, or heavier prep can cost more. More doors and drawers mean more cleaning, sanding, priming, spraying, and finishing time.

What Affects the Cost of Painting Kitchen Cabinets?

Cabinet surface material, the amount of scrubbing and sanding needed to get old finish off, door style, number of coats, hardware upgrades, and local labor rates all move the number. Determine the cost for your specific kitchen by getting an itemized quote rather than relying on a national average alone.