Short answer
For a professional job on an average kitchen, cabinet refinishing (painting or spraying) often falls somewhere around $3,000 to $8,000 in the US. Large or high-end kitchens can go above $10,000. Estimates vary widely by region and by what is included, so get two or three local quotes before you decide.
Typical price ranges
These are rough US ranges. They vary strongly by region, kitchen size and finish, so treat them as estimates.
| Option | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Professional painting | About $3,000 to $8,000 for an average kitchen | Above $10,000 for large or high-end kitchens |
| Per door or drawer front, professional | About $75 to $200 each | Raised panels and profiles take longer |
| Professional restaining or clear refinishing | Similar to or above painting | Higher if the old finish has to be stripped |
| Refacing | About $5,000 to $15,000 or more | New doors and drawer fronts, with veneered boxes |
| New cabinets | About $8,000 to $30,000 or more | Stock to custom |
| DIY materials | About $200 to $600 | Primer, enamel, sandpaper, rollers, degreaser |
A typical kitchen has about 20 to 40 doors and drawer fronts.
Other sources give different figures. Some price guides put a typical professional job at $2,000 to $5,000, and some local painters quote from about $5,000 upward. Be cautious with any single “average”.
What drives the price
- Number of doors and drawers. This is the biggest factor.
- Door style. Raised panels and detailed profiles take longer than flat doors.
- Condition. Repairs, filling and removing old finish add time.
- Method. Spraying, and spraying doors off-site, cost differently from brushing in place.
- Extras. Glazing, two-tone finishes, cabinet interiors, island ends and new hardware all add cost. Hardware often runs from a few dollars to around $20 or more per pull.
Refinishing, refacing or new cabinets
- Refinishing keeps the existing doors and boxes and changes the finish by painting, staining or clear-coating.
- Refacing replaces the doors and drawer fronts and applies veneer to the cabinet boxes. It costs considerably more than refinishing.
- New cabinets cost the most, but they also let you change the layout and the interior.
If the cabinets are sound and you like the layout, refinishing is usually the least expensive of the three.
How long it takes
A professional job often takes about three to seven days, plus cure time. A DIY job can take one to two weeks of evenings and weekends.
DIY costs
Materials usually cost about $200 to $600. A sprayer adds to this, and so do any tools you need to buy. Redoing a failed job costs extra, so the savings are smaller than they first appear. For furniture rather than cabinets, see how much it costs to restore furniture. If you plan to spray the cabinets yourself, see how to spray kitchen cabinets.
What a quote should include
Ask whether the quote covers:
- Degreasing and preparation
- The primer type
- The number of topcoats
- Door removal, and whether the doors are sprayed
- Cabinet interiors
- Hardware
A quote that leaves out a bonding primer or degreasing may be cheaper, but the paint can then fail early.
Lead-safe work in older homes
Homes built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint. Professional contractors working on those homes must follow lead-safe practices under the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting rule. Ask any contractor how they will handle this. If you are doing the work yourself, test for lead before sanding.
Get two or three quotes
Local prices vary a lot. Get two or three quotes from local painters, using the same scope for each, so you can compare like with like. For the paint choice and what it adds to the job, see the best paint for kitchen cabinets.