Kitchen Cabinets Replacement Cost
Estimate the cost to replace your kitchen cabinets by linear foot and cabinet type (stock, semi-custom, custom) — and see how refacing or refinishing your existing cabinets compares, so you can decide whether to replace or keep the boxes.
What will new kitchen cabinets cost? Pick your kitchen size and cabinet type to estimate the installed price — then see how refacing or refinishing your existing cabinets compares, so you can decide whether to replace or keep the boxes.
Kitchen size
Sets a typical run of cabinets in linear feet (you can adjust it below). A 10×10 kitchen is the industry benchmark at about 20 linear feet.
Linear feet of cabinets
The total run of base and wall cabinets along the walls, in feet. Picking a size above fills in a typical number — measure along your cabinet walls and adjust if you can.
Cabinet type
The biggest cost driver. Stock = pre-made stock sizes; semi-custom = stock lines with more sizes, finishes, and options; custom = built to order, any size/material/finish.
New Cabinets — Installed
$3,000–$13,000
semi-custom · 20 linear ft · $150–$650/lf
Replace vs. reface vs. refinish — your 20-linear-ft kitchen
Keeping the boxes can save a lot
If your cabinet boxes are structurally sound and the layout works, refacing (new doors, fronts, and veneer) runs about 56% less than new semi-custom cabinets, and refinishing (paint or stain) about 83% less. Replacement is worth it when boxes are damaged or water-stained, the layout needs to change, or you want different sizes or materials.
Cabinets are priced by the linear foot of cabinet run. Installed ranges (2025–2026 market estimates): replacement — stock $100–$300, semi-custom $150–$650, custom $500–$1,200 per linear foot; refacing $100–$250; refinishing $40–$100. A 10×10 kitchen is about 20 linear feet. Reface and refinish keep your existing boxes, so they're independent of cabinet tier. Prices vary by material, door style, finish, and region — get local quotes.
💡About this calculator▼
Cabinets are the single biggest line item in most kitchen remodels — typically a third to a half of the whole budget — so getting a realistic number before you start is worth a lot. This calculator estimates what new cabinets will cost for your kitchen, and just as importantly, shows you whether replacing them is even the right move.
The pricing follows how the trade actually quotes cabinets: by the linear foot of cabinet run, with the construction tier (stock, semi-custom, or custom) doing most of the work. Stock cabinets come in fixed sizes off the shelf; semi-custom lines add more sizes, finishes, and options; custom cabinets are built to order in any size and material. The jump from one tier to the next can multiply the price several times over for the same kitchen.
But "replace" isn't your only option, and that's the real value here. If your cabinet boxes are structurally sound, you can reface them — new doors, drawer fronts, and a matching veneer over the existing boxes — for roughly half to three-quarters less than full replacement, or simply refinish them with paint or stain for less still. The calculator prices all three approaches for your kitchen side by side, so you can see exactly what you'd save by keeping the boxes versus tearing them out.
The estimate is built on one number — the linear feet of cabinets in your kitchen — and the cabinet tier you choose.
Linear feet is the combined run of your base and wall cabinets measured along the walls. You don't measure each cabinet or the square footage; you measure the length of the runs. A standard "10×10" kitchen — the industry's benchmark — works out to about 20 linear feet. Picking a kitchen size in the calculator fills in a typical figure, which you can refine if you've measured.
Cabinet type sets the per-linear-foot rate, installed. Stock cabinets are the most affordable, semi-custom is the broad middle, and custom is the most expensive. The calculator multiplies your linear feet by the installed rate for the tier you pick to get the replacement estimate, and shows the per-linear-foot figure so you can sanity-check a contractor's quote.
Then it prices the two alternatives that keep your existing boxes: refacing (new doors and drawer fronts plus a veneer skin, so everything looks new) and refinishing (sanding and repainting or restaining the existing doors). Because both reuse the cabinet boxes, their cost doesn't depend on which new-cabinet tier you were considering — which is why refacing saves a lot compared to custom cabinets but very little compared to cheap stock. The comparison makes that trade-off obvious for your specific kitchen.
📐How it's calculated▼
Cabinets are priced per linear foot of cabinet run.
The model: Cost = linear feet × installed cost per linear foot
Installed cost per linear foot (2025–2026 market ranges): Replace — Stock $100–$300 · Semi-custom $150–$650 · Custom $500–$1,200 Reface (new doors + veneer) — $100–$250 Refinish (paint / stain) — $40–$100
Typical kitchen size: A 10×10 kitchen ≈ 20 linear feet (small ≈ 12, large ≈ 30)
Example: A medium kitchen (20 linear feet) with semi-custom cabinets →
→ Replace: 20 × $150–$650 = about $3,000–$13,000
→ Reface: 20 × $100–$250 = about $2,000–$5,000
→ Refinish: 20 × $40–$100 = about $800–$2,000
So refacing those same cabinets runs roughly half the cost of replacing them with semi-custom, and refinishing is cheaper still — the savings grow the higher-end the cabinets you were comparing against.
📎Sources:DuPont Design Center — Kitchen Cabinet Cost (stock/semi-custom/custom per linear foot),Modernize — Cabinet Refacing Cost (per linear foot, savings vs replacement),AllBright Painting — Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing Cost
🔍Finding your inputs▼
Kitchen size: Pick the closest match to set a typical linear-foot run. Small is a galley or apartment kitchen (~12 linear feet), Medium is the standard 10×10 (~20 linear feet), and Large is a big or U-shaped kitchen (~30 linear feet). It's a starting point — adjust the linear feet below if you know your actual run.
Linear feet of cabinets: The total length of your cabinet runs along the walls, in feet — base and wall cabinets counted along the same wall length. To measure, run a tape along the bottom of your cabinets and add up each wall's run (skip gaps for the range, fridge, or open walls). Don't worry about exact cabinet counts or square footage; linear feet is the unit cabinets are sold and installed by.
Cabinet type: The biggest driver of cost. Stock cabinets come pre-built in fixed sizes and finishes — the budget option, available off the shelf. Semi-custom starts from stock lines but offers more sizes, door styles, finishes, and modifications — the most popular middle ground. Custom cabinets are built to order in any dimension, wood, and finish, by a cabinetmaker — the most expensive, for unusual layouts or a specific look. If you're getting standard cabinets from a home center or kitchen dealer, you're usually in stock or semi-custom territory.
⚠️Special situations▼
How do I measure the linear feet of my cabinets?
Run a tape measure along the wall at the cabinets and total the length of each run in feet — that's your linear footage. You count the wall length once even though there are both base and wall cabinets stacked along it (the per-linear-foot price assumes both). Skip the gaps for appliances like the range and refrigerator, since there are no cabinets there. For an L- or U-shaped kitchen, measure each leg and add them up. A typical 10×10 kitchen comes out to about 20 linear feet, which is the benchmark most cabinet pricing is built around.
Should I replace, reface, or just refinish my cabinets?
It comes down to the condition of the boxes and what you want to change. Refinish (sand and repaint or restain) if the cabinets are solid and well-built and you just want a different color — it's the cheapest by far. Reface (new doors, drawer fronts, and veneer over the boxes) if the boxes are sound but the doors are dated or worn and you want a true style change without the cost of replacement. Replace if the boxes are damaged, water-stained, or cheap particleboard that's failing, if you need to change the layout, or if you want different sizes or more storage. Refacing and refinishing only work when the underlying boxes are in good shape.
Is refacing actually worth it, or should I just replace?
Refacing is worth it when you'd otherwise be buying mid-range or high-end cabinets: it typically costs 50–78% less than replacement while giving you new-looking doors and fronts, and it's faster and less disruptive. It's not worth much if your alternative is cheap stock cabinets — at that point refacing can cost nearly as much as just replacing, and replacement gets you brand-new boxes and the option to change the layout. The other limitation: refacing keeps your existing footprint and box sizes, so if the layout doesn't work for you, replacement is the only fix. The comparison above shows the actual savings for the tier you're considering.
Does this include countertops, appliances, or installation?
It includes the cabinets and their installation (the per-linear-foot figures are installed prices), but not countertops, appliances, sinks, faucets, backsplash, flooring, or plumbing and electrical work — those are separate line items in a kitchen remodel and are often as expensive as the cabinets themselves. Countertops in particular are usually quoted by the square foot of surface, not by linear cabinet feet. If you're budgeting a full kitchen, treat this as the cabinet portion and add the other categories separately. Demolition and haul-away of old cabinets may or may not be included in a given contractor's cabinet quote, so ask.
What's the difference between stock, semi-custom, and custom cabinets?
Stock cabinets are mass-produced in standard sizes (usually 3-inch increments) and a limited set of finishes; they're the most affordable and available immediately, but you fit your kitchen to the sizes that exist. Semi-custom cabinets start from stock lines but let you modify sizes, door styles, finishes, and add features — the most popular choice, balancing cost and flexibility. Custom cabinets are built from scratch by a cabinetmaker to any dimension, wood species, and finish, ideal for odd layouts, special storage, or a specific design, but the most expensive and the longest lead time. Most home-center and dealer cabinets are stock or semi-custom; true custom comes from a local shop.
❓Common questions▼
How much does it cost to replace kitchen cabinets?
Cabinets are priced by the linear foot, installed: stock runs about $100–$300 per linear foot, semi-custom $150–$650, and custom $500–$1,200. A typical 10×10 kitchen is around 20 linear feet, so new cabinets commonly land anywhere from about $2,000 for basic stock to $15,000–$35,000+ for custom in a larger kitchen. The cabinet tier is the biggest factor, followed by your kitchen's size. Enter your kitchen size and cabinet type in the calculator above for a tailored range, plus a comparison against refacing and refinishing.
Is it cheaper to reface or replace kitchen cabinets?
Refacing is cheaper than replacing — typically 50% to as much as 78% less — because you keep the existing cabinet boxes and only replace the doors, drawer fronts, and exposed surfaces. Refacing runs about $100–$250 per linear foot versus $150–$650+ for new semi-custom or custom cabinets. The savings are largest when you'd otherwise buy mid- or high-end cabinets; if your alternative is cheap stock, refacing saves little and replacement may be the better value. Refacing only works if your boxes are structurally sound and you're keeping the same layout.
How much does it cost to reface kitchen cabinets?
Cabinet refacing typically costs $100 to $250 per linear foot, or roughly $4,000 to $9,500 for an average kitchen. That covers new doors and drawer fronts plus a veneer or laminate skin applied over your existing cabinet boxes, so everything matches and looks new. The price varies with the facing material — laminate is cheapest, wood veneer is mid-range, and solid wood is the most expensive — and with the number of doors and drawers. It's a strong middle option: far less than new cabinets, but a bigger visual change than just repainting.
How much does it cost to repaint or refinish cabinets?
Refinishing — sanding and repainting or restaining your existing cabinets — is the cheapest way to change their look, typically $40 to $100 per linear foot, or roughly $1,500 to $5,000 for a professional job on an average kitchen. It keeps your existing doors and boxes and just changes the color or finish, so it's ideal when the cabinets are solid and you simply want them to look different. It's cheaper than refacing because nothing is replaced, but it can't change the door style or hide damage the way refacing or replacement can.
How much of a kitchen remodel budget is cabinets?
Cabinets are usually the largest single category in a kitchen remodel, commonly around a third to a half of the total budget, depending on the tier you choose. That's why the replace-versus-reface decision matters so much: choosing to reface or refinish instead of replacing can cut the biggest line item dramatically. Remember that cabinets are just one part of a full kitchen — countertops, appliances, flooring, backsplash, lighting, and plumbing/electrical are all separate costs — so the cabinet estimate here is the cabinet portion, not the whole project.
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