Kitchen Cabinet Cost Guide

Why cabinet cost is hard to estimate from a photo

Two kitchens with nearly identical square footage can land at very different totals once cabinetry is priced out. A gallery photo shows the finished look, not the number of drawer boxes behind the doors, the box material, or how many cabinets were fully custom-built to fit an odd wall. Understanding the individual cost drivers below will make any estimate — including our calculator — much more meaningful for your specific kitchen.

Linear feet: the starting point, not the whole story

Most cabinetry is estimated first by linear foot of cabinetry along the wall (and island, if applicable). This gives a rough scale for the project, but a 20-linear-foot run of tall pantry cabinets with roll-out shelving costs meaningfully more than 20 feet of simple base cabinets with a shelf behind each door. Linear footage tells you the size of the job; the remaining factors tell you where in the range that job will land.

Cabinet construction and box material

Framed cabinets use a face frame across the front of the box; frameless (often called full-access or European-style) cabinets skip the frame for a slightly larger opening. Box material — plywood versus particleboard, for example — also affects cost and expected durability, particularly in humid South Florida homes where moisture resistance matters more than in drier climates.

Stock, semi-custom or custom

This is usually the single largest driver of total cabinet cost. Stock cabinetry ships in standard sizes and a limited set of finishes; semi-custom allows more sizing, finish and storage options within a manufacturer's system; fully custom cabinetry is built to the exact dimensions, finish and configuration you specify. Each level has a legitimate place depending on your layout, timeline and how unusual your kitchen's dimensions are.

These figures are early planning ranges only, gathered for general orientation — not a quote for any specific kitchen. Your actual price depends on the factors covered throughout this page and requires a layout review and material selection to firm up.

Door style and finish

A simple slab or Shaker door in a standard paint or laminate finish generally costs less than a raised-panel door, a heavily detailed profile, or a hand-applied glaze. Solid wood doors, painted finishes with multiple coats, and specialty finishes like high-gloss lacquer or textured laminates all shift price within a given cabinet level.

Tall pantry cabinets and islands

Tall pantry cabinets often include more internal shelving, sometimes pull-out trays, and taller door fronts, which add cost per unit compared with standard base or wall cabinets. Islands carry their own pricing logic: finished panels on exposed sides, waterfall countertop returns, seating overhangs, integrated appliances or wine storage, and additional drawer banks are common on islands and each adds to the total.

Drawer count and internal organizers

Every drawer bank requires its own box, slides and front — kitchens designed with more drawers (rather than doors with shelves behind them) typically cost more per opening but often deliver better day-to-day storage. Internal organizers such as pull-out trash and recycling bins, spice pull-outs, cutlery dividers, and pot-and-pan dividers are usually priced as add-ons.

Decorative panels, crown molding and hardware

Finished end panels, furniture-style feet, corbels, crown molding along the top of upper cabinets, glass-front doors and open shelving are common upgrades that add visual interest and cost. Hardware — knobs, pulls and hinges — ranges from basic builder-grade options to designer lines, and is sometimes priced separately from the cabinets themselves.

Removal of existing cabinets and installation complexity

If you are replacing cabinetry, removing and disposing of the old cabinets is typically a separate cost, with complexity depending on how they were installed and whether surrounding surfaces need protecting. Installation itself varies with ceiling height, soffits, out-of-level floors and walls (common in older Hollywood-area homes), and whether plumbing, electrical or gas lines need to be adjusted to fit the new layout.

Getting a number specific to your kitchen

Because so many variables affect the total, the most useful next step is usually to measure your kitchen's linear feet, decide roughly which cabinet level appeals to you, and run those numbers through our kitchen cabinet cost calculator for an early planning range. From there, a layout review and material selection will narrow things further.