Most homeowners spend roughly $8,000 to $20,000 on kitchen cabinets alone. Stock and ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets for a basic kitchen typically run $2,000 to $7,000, semi-custom cabinets about $8,000 to $15,000, and custom builds $15,000 to $40,000 or more. On a per-foot basis, that works out to roughly $100 to $300 per linear foot for stock, $150 to $650 for semi-custom, and $500 to $1,200 or more for custom work. Across the full market, spending stretches from about $2,000 for basic stock cabinetry to well over $50,000 for fully custom luxury cabinets.
These are approximate national ranges, not quotes. Regional labor rates, kitchen size, layout changes, material choices and market timing can move your actual number substantially in either direction. This guide explains what drives cabinet pricing in 2026 so you can set a realistic budget and compare contractor bids fairly.
The Three Cabinet Tiers: Cost and Trade-Offs
The manufacturing category you choose is the single biggest factor in your cabinet budget. Each tier balances price against flexibility, sizing options and lead time.
Stock and RTA Cabinets
Stock cabinets are mass-produced in standard sizes with a limited selection of finishes and styles, which keeps costs down. RTA cabinets are a related option: they ship flat-packed and you or your installer assemble them on site. RTA cabinets average about $75 to $200 per linear foot in 2026 depending on style, finish and construction quality. For a standard kitchen of roughly 25 to 30 linear feet, RTA cabinets cost about $2,500 to $6,000.
Stock and RTA cabinets work best in straightforward layouts where the existing footprint does not need to change.
Semi-Custom Cabinets
Semi-custom cabinets are still built in standard increments, but you get meaningful modifications: deeper or shallower boxes, different wood species, a wider range of door profiles and finishes. This tier is often the practical middle ground for homeowners who want a personalized look without paying for a full custom build. Semi-custom cabinet lead times are typically four to eight weeks, so plan your project timeline around that window rather than assuming cabinets arrive immediately.
Custom Cabinets
Custom cabinets are built from scratch to your exact measurements and design specifications. You pay for design services, non-standard sizing and bespoke details such as built-in organizers and specialized storage. This is the most expensive route and the least forgiving of mid-project changes.
What a Cabinet Budget Must Include
When you look at cabinet pricing, you are paying for three distinct things: the boxes, the doors and drawer fronts, and the installation labor. A complete budget also needs to capture the costs that sit outside the cabinet purchase itself.
| Line Item | Typical Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet boxes and fronts | Tier-dependent (see above) | The core product cost |
| Installation labor | $1,800–$4,500 install-only | Varies with kitchen size and complexity |
| Tear-out and disposal | $300–$800 | Often quoted separately |
| Countertops | Not in cabinet pricing | New cabinets usually require new counters |
| Hardware (hinges, slides, pulls) | Not in base cabinet pricing | Confirm whether quoted |
| Delivery or freight | Not in showroom price | Large orders often ship by freight |
| Filler strips and trim | Not in base cabinet pricing | Needed when walls are not plumb |
Installation Labor: Share of Budget and What Drives It
Professional installation labor generally accounts for 30% to 50% of the total installed project cost. Measured against the cabinet purchase alone, installation and old-cabinet removal run 15% to 35% of total cabinet cost.
Installer rates vary widely by region. Labor runs about $50 to $200 or more per hour depending on your market, and per-linear-foot installation pricing spans roughly $25 to $180 based on complexity, framing and whether face frames are used. Regional hourly bands follow the same pattern: higher on the West Coast, lower in the Midwest.
Substantial work shapes the total cost:
- Small room, many boxes. A small kitchen packed with drawers and pull-outs can cost as much as a larger kitchen with fewer, wider cabinets.
- Out-of-square walls and uneven floors. Correcting these takes extra time and trim.
- Inset doors. Inset cabinetry installation typically costs 20% to 30% more in labor than standard overlay because of the precision required.
- Layout changes. Keeping your existing layout can save roughly $2,000 to $8,000 by avoiding plumbing and electrical relocation.
Most homeowners spend $5,000 to $12,000 for a complete install of stock or semi-custom cabinets in a standard kitchen. Cabinets typically make up 35% to 45% of a total kitchen remodel budget, with one estimate putting the figure at 35% to 40%. Treat that as a planning range rather than a fixed rule, since it depends on how much of the remodel you are doing.
Worked Example: A 10×10 Kitchen, Installed
The industry-standard 10×10 kitchen (about 20 linear feet of cabinets, installed) gives a useful baseline:
- Stock/RTA: $2,000 to $5,500
- Semi-custom: $3,000 to $11,000
- Full custom: $11,000 to $21,000
Note that these installed totals are lower than the whole-kitchen figures at the top of this guide because a 10×10 kitchen covers a smaller cabinet footprint. Use the 10×10 range to sanity-check a quote for a similarly sized kitchen, and the larger figures for a full standard or larger kitchen.
Assembly and Finish Options
The way cabinets are delivered and finished changes both the price and your installation workload.
Fully assembled cabinets cost roughly 15% to 30% more than equivalent RTA cabinets. You are paying for factory assembly and the convenience of unpacking rather than building. If you have the time and basic tools, RTA can meaningfully reduce the cabinet line in your budget. If you are hiring an installer, ask whether assembly is included in the labor quote or billed separately.
Finish choices also matter. Factory-applied finishes generally cost more than a basic stained option, and complex paint or glazing work adds labor hours. The exact upcharge depends on the manufacturer and the finish, so ask for the finish line item to be stated explicitly on the quote.
Regional Differences and Market Timing
Where you live plays a large role in what you pay. Labor is more expensive in high-density urban areas than in rural towns, and shipping costs for heavy cabinet units vary with distance from the manufacturing facility. Supply chain pressure on specific hardwood species or hardware components can also shift pricing between quotes.
The practical response to regional and timing variation is the same: get three separate quotes from different contractors or cabinet dealers, each for the identical scope of work. That gives you a realistic read on current local rates rather than a national average.
Refacing Versus Replacement
Refacing replaces the doors and drawer fronts and applies a new veneer to the visible box faces, keeping the existing cabinet boxes. It typically costs about $120 to $250 per linear foot, compared with $500 to $1,200 per linear foot for custom replacement. As a whole-project comparison, new kitchen cabinets can run from about $6,000 for stock boxes to more than $60,000 for fully custom work, while refacing typically costs $4,000 to $13,000.
The decision rule is conditional:
- Reface when the existing boxes are structurally sound, well-aligned and the layout already works for you. You are paying for a new look, not new storage.
- Replace when the boxes are damaged, made of low-grade materials, poorly sized, or when you want a layout change. Refacing cannot fix a bad footprint or failing construction.
Refacing figures come from a limited set of sources, so treat the per-foot range as approximate and confirm against local quotes for your specific cabinet condition.
DIY Versus Professional Installation
DIY installation is the biggest potential saving in a cabinet project, but it carries real risk. If you have woodworking experience, precise measuring habits and the right tools, you may be able to handle a straightforward stock or RTA install. For most homeowners, though, cabinets are not a good first DIY project: a single misdrilled hole into a water line or a cabinet run that is not perfectly level can cost more to repair than professional labor would have cost up front.
Prerequisites Before You Attempt DIY
- The room is level and the walls are plumb, or you are comfortable building out shims and filler.
- You have a laser level, a stud finder and a saw capable of clean cuts.
- You have confirmed the cabinet layout against appliance and plumbing locations.
- You have a plan for removing and disposing of the old cabinets.
Stop Conditions: Hire a Professional
- Any wall or floor is significantly out of level or out of square.
- The layout involves moving a sink, dishwasher or range.
- The cabinets are inset, custom or otherwise non-standard.
- You cannot confirm the location of water lines and electrical runs behind the wall.
Comparing Quotes Line by Line
Headline prices are hard to compare because contractors bundle different inclusions. Ask every bidder for an itemized quote and check that each of the following appears on it:
- Cabinet boxes and fronts, with the tier and finish stated
- Assembly, if RTA cabinets are specified
- Hardware: hinges, drawer slides and pulls
- Delivery or freight charges
- Tear-out and disposal of the old cabinets
- Filler strips and trim
- Installation labor, with the hourly rate or per-box rate shown
- Countertop allowance or exclusion
- Permits, if any are required
If one quote comes in far below the others, ask specifically what it excludes. The missing item is often trim, hardware, disposal or assembly, and the gap usually closes once it is added back.
Setting a Contingency
Plan a contingency rather than budgeting every dollar to the quoted total. For a kitchen with no layout change in a recent home, a contingency of about 10% of total project cost is a common planning figure, rising to roughly 12% to 15% for jobs that move walls or mechanicals. General residential construction budgeting often uses a 5% to 15% contingency range depending on complexity and market volatility. These figures come from general construction budgeting practice rather than cabinet-specific data, so use them as a planning guide and adjust for the condition of your home.
Final Decision Framework
Your cabinet budget should match how long you plan to stay and what you want from the kitchen.
- Staying ten or more years: Invest in better hardware and construction, especially hinges and drawer slides, since those take the most daily wear. You can upgrade doors or hardware later, but replacing the boxes is a much larger job.
- Selling within a few years: Semi-custom cabinets are often the most practical balance of updated appearance and cost. Avoid paying custom premiums for a buyer who may not value them.
- On a tight budget with sound existing boxes: Refacing is worth pricing before you commit to replacement.
- Planning an open-ended remodel: Keep your existing layout if you can, set a contingency, and get three itemized quotes before you sign anything.
Cabinets are the largest single line in most kitchen renovation budgets. Getting that line right depends less on finding a lower headline price than on understanding exactly what is and is not included, and on matching the tier you buy to the life you plan to live in the room.
