Painting kitchen cabinets costs $30 to $60 per linear foot or $3 to $10 per square foot.1,3,4,5 Dataset averages for a full professional job range from $775 to $4,000. Prices below are national averages* for 2026.
*National averages, not local quotes. Your price depends on door count, cabinet material, prep work, paint quality, and local labor rates.
$30 – $60
per linear foot (four sources)
$3 – $10
per square foot (all five sources)
$942
average pro job (Angi)
$200 – $600
DIY materials (three sources)
What sources say
| Source | Figure | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Angi | $425 – $1,466; average $942 | 13,847 verified projects |
| Thumbtack | $1,390 – $3,353; most pay $2,164 | Marketplace project data; $683 low, $6,053 high |
| Forbes Home | $775 average; $200 – $2,500 | Cost guide |
| The Spruce | $919 average; $423 – $1,441 | Cost guide |
| Fixr | $2,500 – $6,500; average $4,000 | Cost guide estimate |
The averages span $775 to $4,000, and even the two marketplaces reporting real project totals disagree: $942 at Angi against $2,164 at Thumbtack.1,4 For estimating your own kitchen, the unit pricing below is more useful than any single average, because all five sources land within $30 to $70 per linear foot and $3 to $10 per square foot.
Unit pricing
| Pricing basis | Cost | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Per linear foot | $30 – $60; Fixr $30 – $70 | Angi, The Spruce, Forbes, Thumbtack, Fixr |
| Per square foot | $3 – $10 | all five sources |
| Per door | $100 – $250 (Angi); $70 – $125 (Fixr) | two sources |
| Per drawer front | $30 – $110 | Fixr |
| Per cabinet box | $75 – $150 | Fixr |
| Per hour | $20 – $60 (Angi); $20 – $50 (Forbes); $45 – $55 (Thumbtack) | three sources |
Worked examples from Forbes: a kitchen with 20 linear feet of cabinetry runs $600 to $1,200 at these rates, and a full professional paint job in an average 175-square-foot kitchen runs $525 to $1,750.5
Paint and materials
| Paint type | Cost per gallon |
|---|---|
| Latex | $12 – $25 (Fixr); $15 – $50 (The Spruce) |
| Acrylic | $15 – $25 (Fixr); $15 – $50 (The Spruce) |
| Alkyd | $20 – $55 (Fixr) |
| Oil-based | $20 – $65 (Fixr); $20 – $80 (The Spruce) |
Cabinet-specific paint runs $30 to $100 per gallon, and one gallon covers roughly 350 to 400 square feet in a single coat; most cabinets need two or more coats plus primer.5
Labor vs materials
Labor is 70 to 85 percent of a professional quote: Angi puts it at 70 to 80 percent, while The Spruce and Fixr estimate about 85 percent.1,2,3 That split is why DIY materials for an average kitchen cost only $200 to $600, against 20 to 40 hours of prep, painting, and reassembly time.1,5
Add-ons
| Item | Cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| New hardware (hinges, pulls) | $100 – $1,000+ (Fixr); $50 – $500+ (Forbes) | two sources |
| Cabinet repairs before painting | $150 – $500 | Fixr |
| Touch-up supplies, ongoing | under $50 per year | Angi |
DIY or hire
Cabinet painting is one of the more realistic DIY projects in this cost library: materials run $200 to $600 against a $775-and-up professional quote, and the work needs patience more than specialized tools.1,5 The prep is what decides the finish: doors and drawers come off, surfaces get cleaned, sanded, and primed, and each coat needs full drying time. Angi notes that mistakes can mean a costly redo, so detailed or damaged cabinets are worth a pro.1 If you do it yourself, the Home Depot cabinet paint category shows current paint and primer pricing.
Related guides
Bathroom Painting Cost
Kitchen Painting Cost
Ceiling Painting Cost
Cabinet Refinishing Cost
Interior Painting Cost
Kitchen Cabinet Installation Cost
Kitchen Remodel Cost
All cost guides
Sources
1. Angi — How Much Does It Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets?
2. Fixr — Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets
3. The Spruce — How Much Does It Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets?
4. Thumbtack — Kitchen Cabinet Painting Costs
5. Forbes Home — Kitchen Cabinet Painting Cost