Cabinet Installation Cost Calculator

Cabinet installation typically runs $120 to $400 per linear foot including cabinets and labor, depending on type, grade, and complexity. For an average 25-linear-foot kitchen, that's roughly $4,500 to $13,000 for stock-to-semi-custom cabinets, and more for custom. Labor alone (if you supply the cabinets) usually runs $50 to $120 per linear foot. The biggest drivers are the cabinet grade (stock is cheapest, semi-custom mid-range, custom the most — often double), the cabinet type/room (garage and storage cheapest, kitchen and bath vanities more), and the linear footage. Removing old cabinets and extras like crown molding, soft-close hardware, knobs/pulls, and under-cabinet lighting add to the total. Countertops, appliances, and plumbing are priced separately. Enter your run, type, grade, and removal in the calculator to anchor the estimate.

Three grades of increasing customization, quality, and cost. Stock cabinets are pre-manufactured in standard sizes and a limited range of styles and finishes — the most affordable, readily available (often in stock at home centers), and quick to install, but you're limited to standard dimensions. Semi-custom cabinets are based on standard lines but offer more flexibility — a wider range of sizes (often in small increments), more door styles, finishes, and modifications — for a more tailored look at about 40% more than stock. Custom cabinets are built to order to your exact specs — any size, style, material, and feature — ideal for unusual layouts or a specific vision, but the most expensive (roughly double stock) with a longer lead time. For budget projects or standard layouts, stock is great value; semi-custom is the popular middle; custom suits one-of-a-kind results or tricky spaces. The calculator prices all three — and grade is the single biggest cost lever.

No — countertops are almost always priced and installed separately, and this calculator estimates cabinets and their installation only. They're two distinct phases: the cabinets (boxes, doors, drawers) go in first, leveled and secured to the walls, then the countertops are templated to the installed cabinets and fabricated and installed afterward, often by a different specialist (especially for stone like granite or quartz, which needs precise templating). Countertop cost depends heavily on the material and is priced per square foot. Appliances, sinks, faucets, plumbing, and backsplashes are also separate line items. When budgeting a full kitchen, add countertops (a significant cost), appliances, and any plumbing/electrical on top of the cabinet estimate. Keeping cabinets and countertops separate is standard industry practice — and it's why this calculator focuses on getting the cabinet number right.

It's a moderately advanced DIY that handy homeowners can tackle, but professional installation ensures a level, secure, properly-aligned result — which matters a lot for both function and looks. The hard parts: getting everything perfectly level and plumb (walls and floors are rarely straight, so cabinets must be shimmed precisely, and any unevenness shows where countertops sit), securely fastening to wall studs so cabinets bear weight safely, aligning doors and drawers for even gaps, scribing fillers against walls, and lifting heavy upper cabinets (a two-person job). Mistakes lead to crooked cabinets, misaligned doors, or unsafe mounting. Stock cabinets in a simple layout are the most DIY-friendly; complex layouts, custom cabinets, and anything touching plumbing or electrical are better for pros. Many homeowners DIY the demolition and hire the install. The calculator estimates professional installation; a labor-only line covers supplying your own cabinets.

Yes, which is why the calculator lets you pick the type. Garage and storage cabinets are the most economical per linear foot — utilitarian, function-first, and without the detailed fitting of kitchen work. Laundry and office built-ins are a step up. Kitchen cabinets are the benchmark — the widest range of styles and quality, heavy daily use, and careful installation around appliances and countertops. Bathroom vanities often cost a bit more per linear foot because they're short runs (fixed costs spread over fewer feet), built for a humid environment, and involve plumbing for the sink. Beyond the room, the grade (stock/semi-custom/custom) and material drive cost more than the room type itself — so a stock garage run is far cheaper than a custom kitchen, with a semi-custom vanity in between. The calculator accounts for both type and grade.

Generally yes — soft-close hardware is popular for the noticeable jump in feel, quietness, and longevity. A damper catches doors and drawers so they shut gently and quietly every time, which feels high-end, reduces wear, and is great in homes with kids. Many quality cabinets include it as standard, but on stock or budget lines it's an upgrade (an add-on here). Other worthwhile upgrades: quality knobs and pulls (hardware strongly affects the look and is cheap to upgrade), under-cabinet lighting (excellent kitchen task lighting), crown molding atop wall cabinets (a finished, custom look), toe-kick and filler finishing (a clean fit to the walls and floor), and pull-out shelves. These add cost but enhance daily use and appearance — and they're far easier and cheaper to include during installation than to add later. Soft-close and good hardware are the most popular for the value they add.

Linear feet is the standard way cabinets are measured and priced — simply the total length, measured horizontally along the run of cabinets against the wall. To measure, use a tape to find the total length of all cabinet runs in inches, then divide by 12. For example, 15 feet along one wall plus 9 feet along another is 24 linear feet. The convention typically counts base (lower) and wall (upper) cabinets together by their shared length — a 10-foot run with both base and uppers is 10 linear feet, not 20, with pricing accounting for both (some estimates separate them, so confirm with your supplier). Tall pantry cabinets and islands are often priced separately rather than counted in the run. For a quick estimate, measure the wall length your cabinets occupy. Enter your total linear feet in the calculator, and the type and grade set the cost basis.

It depends on size and complexity. A typical kitchen (20–30 linear feet) usually takes 2 to 4 days for the cabinets alone — removing old cabinets (if applicable), marking level lines, hanging uppers, setting and leveling bases, securing to studs, fitting fillers and trim, and adjusting doors and drawers. A single bathroom vanity might be a few hours to a day; a large kitchen with custom cabinets, islands, and detail can take a week or more. Remember cabinets are one phase of a larger project — afterward, countertops are templated and installed (often a separate visit a week or so later for stone), followed by backsplash, plumbing fixtures, and appliances, so the full job spans longer. Custom cabinets also have a lead time of several weeks to months to be built before install; stock is available quickly. The calculator estimates cost; your installer sets the schedule.

This calculator estimates the cabinets and their installation — the cabinet boxes, doors, and drawers for your chosen type and grade, plus the labor to set, level, and secure them — and lets you add old-cabinet removal, hardware, trim, lighting, and finishing. What's separate (and budgeted on its own): countertops (templated and installed after cabinets, priced per square foot by material), appliances, sinks and faucets, plumbing and electrical work, backsplash tile, and flooring. Islands and tall pantry units are sometimes priced separately too. For a full kitchen budget, take the cabinet number from here and add countertops (often a big line item), appliances, and any plumbing/electrical. Keeping cabinets separate from countertops and other trades is standard, and it's what makes the cabinet estimate accurate rather than a vague all-in figure.

Yes — it's common, and the calculator's labor-only range ($50–$120 per linear foot) reflects installation when you provide the cabinets (for example, ready-to-assemble or in-stock cabinets you buy yourself). It can save money if you're comfortable selecting and ordering the right sizes and configurations. A few things to get right: order accurate sizes and enough filler pieces (a mismeasure or missing filler stalls the install), have the cabinets on-site and unpacked before the installer arrives, and confirm the installer will install owner-supplied cabinets (some prefer to supply their own for warranty reasons). With ready-to-assemble cabinets, factor in assembly time or pay the installer to assemble. The trade-off is that you own the responsibility for the cabinets being correct and complete — but for a standard layout with stock cabinets, supply-your-own plus hired install is a popular money-saver.