How much does Cabinetry cost?

The wide array of available kitchen cabinet styles, and designs can improve the functionality of working in your kitchen and make powerful statements about your style. Kitchen cabinets are available at a wide range of price points. Learning cabinet terminology and what it means in terms of costs will enable you to choose the best cabinetry for your kitchen design, needs, tastes, and budget.

Choosing cabinetry for a kitchen renovation involves a number of decisions, including how customized you want the cabinets to be in terms of add-ons like pull-out shelves, lazy Susans,  door styles, and the like, as well as the material the cabinets are made from. Each decision affects the total cost of the kitchen cabinet installation. 

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The cost of new cabinets for an average 10- x 10-foot kitchen with 25 linear feet of cabinetry ranges from $1,500–30,000 for the cabinets and installation costs. On average, homeowners spend about $7,000 for new cabinets in a kitchen remodel. 

Kitchen cabinet prices fall into four ranges based on the way the cabinets are manufactured and sold. The ranges are defined by the degree of customization offered within each category. 

Custom cabinetry, $500–1,200 per linear foot, are built to exact specifications for materials, sizes, design features, storage accessories, and hardware. Custom kitchen cabinets must be ordered in advance and can be tailored to the buyer’s needs and preferences. While some large, national cabinet manufacturers build and ship custom kitchen cabinets, most are made by professional cabinet makers in smaller, local shops.

Semi-custom cabinets, $100–650 per linear foot, are mostly built by larger manufacturers that have the resources to produce high-quality cabinetry in a wide array of designs in standard sizes. Semi-custom cabinets must be ordered ahead of time through kitchen and bath retailers and home center stores. The homeowner chooses from a variety of design options for materials, finishes, storage accessories, and hardware at a lower price point than fully custom cabinets.

Stock cabinets, $60–200 per linear foot, are made and fully assembled for off-the-shelf purchase through home center retail stores. A limited number of standard designs and sizes are available. 

Ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets, $100–200 per linear foot, are available in many designs and sizes. They can be bought unassembled off the shelf through home center retailers or shipped in pieces in flat-packed kits. Many high-quality RTA brands are available online and through home center retailers. 

The average kitchen has two types of cabinets: base cabinets and wall cabinets. Both come in standard sizes. Base cabinets are sold without tops, so kitchen cabinet installations usually include new countertops for the base cabinets. There are also pantry cabinets that are 84, 90, and 96 inches tall. 

Kitchen cabinets are either framed or frameless cabinets. Framed have have 1½-wide solid wood face frames reinforcing the front edges of cabinet boxes. Frameless cabinets, sometimes called Eurostyle, don’t have face frames.

Most kitchen cabinets are made of wood in one form or another. Cabinet box sides are typically made from engineered wood—particleboard, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), or plywood. Particleboard cabinets are usually at the low end cost wise. Plywood cabinets, regarded as higher quality, fall at the high end of the cost range.

Solid wood cabinets, $400–1,200 per linear foot. Doors, drawer fronts, exposed sides, and face frames are the only parts of “solid wood cabinets” that are actually solid wood. The wood species, color, and grain pattern are the main determinants of cost in cabinets with solid wood fronts.

Wood veneer cabinets, $150–650 per linear foot. Hardwood veneers in a variety of species are often applied to particleboard or MDF to produce cabinet fronts similar in appearance to solid wood cabinets. 

Laminate cabinets, $275–320 per linear foot. Thin plastic laminates are glued to particleboard or MDF to produce sleek, durable doors and cabinet interior surfaces in a wide variety of colors and finishes. High-end laminate cabinets use color-through materials, which eliminate dark edges where planes meet.

Acrylic cabinets, $300–700 per linear foot. Acrylic coatings are applied over MDF at the factory to produce a hard, glossy cabinet finish in a wide variety of colors.

Thermofoil cabinets, $300–350 per linear foot. Thermofoil is a plastic material that is bonded to an engineered-wood substrate at the factory to produce a shiny protective coating that conforms to shaped surfaces. Thermofoil is the most affordable cabinet finish.

Stainless steel, $350–1,000 per cabinet. The most expensive option among all kitchen cabinet materials, stainless steel is regarded as the most durable, germ-resistant, and easiest to clean.

Here are factors that can affect the price range of your cabinets.

Here are ways to save on a cabinet home improvement project.

How much should I budget for kitchen cabinets?

The average cost for cabinets is about $7,000 for an average 10- x 10-foot kitchen. But realize the price range can climb up to $30,000+ depending on the cabinet style you choose. 

How much does it cost to build kitchen cabinets?

Cabinet makers charge $500–1,200 per linear foot to build custom kitchen cabinets. Semi-custom cabinets where you select materials, door styles, add-on, etc., cost $100–650 per linear foot.

What are the least expensive kitchen cabinets?

Stock kitchen cabinets are less expensive per linear foot than semi-custom and custom cabinets. But if you want a DIY home improvement and you’re really looking to save money by assembling the cabinets yourself, consider RTA cabinets. You can save 30% or more on the cost of kitchen cabinets. 

Find cabinet professionals in your area.