Kitchen Cabinet Installation Cost Calculator

Kitchen cabinet installation typically costs $150 to $650 per linear foot installed, including the cabinets and labor. A typical 25-foot kitchen runs about $4,000–$16,000 depending on the cabinet grade, and high-end custom kitchens can top $20,000. Stock or ready-to-assemble cabinets are the most affordable, semi-custom is the popular mid-range, and custom cabinetry is the priciest. Labor alone runs roughly $100–$300 per linear foot, with the rest being the cabinets themselves. Removing old cabinets, adding tall/pantry units, crown molding, and an island all raise the total. Use the calculator above to price your kitchen by linear feet, grade, configuration, and removal.

Cabinets are priced by the linear foot — the horizontal length of the cabinet run measured along the wall. A wall with 10 feet of base cabinets is '10 linear feet.' Importantly, the standard linear-foot price usually accounts for both the base cabinets and the wall (upper) cabinets above them as a set, since they run the same length. So a kitchen with 25 linear feet of base cabinets and matching uppers is quoted as 25 linear feet — not 50. Tall pantry units and islands are typically priced separately or with a multiplier. Measure your wall runs and add them up to get the linear footage this calculator uses.

These are the three main tiers, and the grade is the single biggest cost factor. Stock cabinets are pre-manufactured in standard sizes and finishes (including ready-to-assemble/RTA) — the most affordable and available immediately, but limited in size and style. Semi-custom cabinets are also factory-made but offer far more sizes, door styles, finishes, and modifications, balancing choice and cost — the most popular pick. Custom cabinets are built to your exact specs by a cabinetmaker in any size, material, and finish, giving full design freedom and the highest quality, at the highest price and longest lead time. Match the grade to your budget and how long you'll keep the kitchen.

Not always — it depends on the quote. Many installers price the new installation separately from demolition, charging extra to tear out and dispose of your existing cabinets. Removal typically runs $50–$100 per linear foot, depending on how the old cabinets are attached and how much disposal is involved (this calculator uses about $60/lf, selectable as 'Remove Old Cabinets'). For a brand-new kitchen or new construction with no existing cabinets, removal isn't needed. Always confirm whether demolition and haul-away are included in an installer's quote, since a bare 'installation' price can look cheaper until removal is added.

No — countertops are a separate line item and usually a separate trade. Cabinet installation covers setting, leveling, and securing the base and wall cabinets to the wall studs, plus fillers, trim, and hardware. The countertop is templated and installed afterward, often by a different fabricator, once the base cabinets are in place. This calculator estimates cabinet installation only. For a full kitchen, budget separately for countertops (quartz, granite, etc.), a backsplash, sink, appliances, and any plumbing or electrical work. Sequencing matters: cabinets go in first, then the countertop is measured to the installed cabinets and fabricated to fit.

Installing cabinets in a typical kitchen takes about 2–4 days for a professional crew — setting and leveling base and wall cabinets, securing them to studs, and adding fillers, trim, and hardware. Removing old cabinets first adds time, as do crown molding, complex layouts, and islands. But the bigger timeline is the whole kitchen sequence: cabinets must be ordered and delivered (semi-custom and custom have lead times of several weeks to a few months), installed, and only then can the countertop be templated and installed. So even though the cabinet install itself is quick, the full kitchen project often spans several weeks — plan around the cabinet lead time.

It's possible for a confident DIYer, especially with stock or RTA cabinets, and it saves the labor cost. But cabinet installation is precision work: cabinets must be perfectly level and plumb (an out-of-level run causes gaps, misaligned doors, and countertop problems), securely anchored to wall studs to bear weight, and scribed to walls that are rarely straight. Heavy wall cabinets are awkward and risky to hang solo, and mistakes are costly given what cabinets cost. Small, simple installs are reasonable DIY; full kitchens, custom cabinetry, islands, and crown molding are usually best left to a pro for a level, durable, professional-looking result and to protect an expensive investment.

Several upgrades add to the base. Crown molding along the tops of wall cabinets adds a finished look and labor (about $15/linear foot). Soft-close hinges and drawer slides (about $25/linear foot) are a popular comfort upgrade. Decorative knobs and pulls add per-foot hardware cost (about $10/linear foot). A kitchen island brings its own cabinetry (about $1,500), and a tall pantry cabinet is priced as an added unit (about $800). Under-cabinet LED lighting is around $400. Pull-out organizers, lazy Susans, glass-front doors, and specialty inserts also raise the total. Choosing a higher cabinet grade multiplies all of this, so grade plus add-ons together drive the final number.

It depends on the condition of the cabinet boxes and how much you want to change. Refacing keeps your existing cabinet boxes and replaces just the doors, drawer fronts, and visible surfaces — much cheaper and faster than replacement, and a good fit when the boxes are structurally sound and the layout works. Full replacement (what this calculator prices) makes sense when the boxes are damaged, water-swollen, or poorly built, when you want to change the layout, add or remove cabinets, or upgrade to soft-close, dovetail construction, or a different configuration. As a rule: reface for a cosmetic refresh with a solid layout; replace when the boxes are failing or the layout needs to change. We have a separate refacing calculator to compare.

Measure the length of each wall run where cabinets go, in feet, then add them up for your total linear footage — remember that base and matching upper cabinets on the same wall count once, not twice. Note the ceiling height (for whether tall units or stacked uppers fit), the locations of windows, doors, appliances, and the sink, and any soffits or obstructions. A rough sketch with these measurements is enough for an initial estimate. For the final order, the installer or designer will take precise measurements, since cabinets come in fixed increments and fillers bridge the gaps to the walls. Accurate linear footage is what makes this calculator's estimate — and any real quote — reliable.