How Much Does It Cost to Install Kitchen Cabinets? (Price Guide)

Cabinets are usually the largest single line in a kitchen remodel budget. They set the layout, take up most of the visible surface, and have to be installed level and square before countertops can go on top. Their price depends on three things: how much cabinetry the room needs, how the cabinets are built, and how much labor the installation takes.

Cabinet makers and installers usually talk in linear feet, meaning the length of wall the cabinets run along. A galley kitchen with two short walls needs far fewer linear feet than an L-shaped or U-shaped kitchen with an island. The figures below come from This Old House and CostHelper and were checked on Oct 11, 2026.

The grade you choose matters more than any other decision. The table shows cost per linear foot for each grade.

Stock cabinets are built in advance in standard sizes and sold off the shelf or with short lead times. They cost the least, but the size, finish, and door style options are limited, and filler strips cover gaps where standard widths do not fit the wall exactly.

Semi-custom cabinets start from standard boxes but offer more sizes, finishes, door styles, and interior options such as pull-outs and organizers. The wide price range reflects how many upgrades you add.

Custom cabinets are built to measure for one kitchen. You choose the wood species, construction method, finish, and exact dimensions, and they fit odd spaces and ceiling heights that stock boxes cannot. Lead times are longer and the cost per foot is the highest.

A 10-by-12-foot kitchen is a common reference size for cabinet pricing. CostHelper's figures below cover the cabinets alone, without installation.

Price climbs steeply at each step up in grade. Construction details explain much of that: solid wood or plywood boxes versus particleboard, dovetailed drawers versus stapled ones, soft-close hinges and full-extension slides, and the quality of the finish. Ready-to-assemble cabinets, which you put together yourself, sit below the stock range.

Installation means hanging wall cabinets, setting and leveling base cabinets, fastening them to studs and to each other, and adding trim, fillers, and hardware. Installers either bill by the hour or price the job relative to the cabinet cost.

The percentage figure means installation can add 50% – 75% of the cabinet price on top of the cabinets themselves. On stock cabinets, that share may be a smaller dollar amount than the same share of a custom order, even though the work is similar. Ask each installer which method they use, and whether removing and disposing of the old cabinets is included.

Several related costs often show up on the same project:

• Removing old cabinets and patching walls behind them
• Moving plumbing for a relocated sink or dishwasher
• Electrical work for new lighting, outlets, or appliance circuits
• Countertops, which are templated after the base cabinets are installed
• Backsplash tile, crown molding, and under-cabinet lighting

Full replacement makes sense when the layout no longer works, the boxes are water-damaged, or you want a different cabinet arrangement. It is also the only route if you are changing the kitchen's footprint.

If the cabinet boxes are sturdy and the layout suits you, two cheaper options exist. Refacing keeps the existing boxes and covers them with new veneer while replacing doors, drawer fronts, and hardware. Painting or refinishing keeps everything and changes only the finish. Both cost less than full replacement and cause less disruption, but neither fixes a poor layout, damaged boxes, or worn drawer slides behind the new fronts.

The figure below spans a wide range because it covers every grade of cabinet in a small kitchen, from stock boxes to custom work.

A galley kitchen at the low end might use a short run of stock cabinets with basic hardware. At the high end, the same room might have custom cabinets to the ceiling, specialty storage, and premium finishes. Regional labor costs and the installer's pricing method add more spread. To narrow it down, measure your linear footage, pick a grade, and multiply by the per-foot rate before you collect quotes.

• Confirm the box material, drawer construction, hinges, and finish for each quote, not just the door style.
• Ask whether the price includes installation, delivery, removal of old cabinets, and hardware.
• Check the lead time, especially for semi-custom and custom orders.
• Get the warranty terms for both the cabinets and the installation work.
• Make sure the layout drawing matches your appliance sizes and clearances.