New cabinets transform a kitchen more than any other single upgrade, but the price tag ranges wildly depending on the boxes you choose and who hangs them. The cost to install kitchen cabinets typically runs $150 to $500 per linear foot installed, which puts a standard 25-linear-foot kitchen somewhere between $4,000 and $13,000 all in. That spread comes down to cabinet quality, material, and labor rates in your area. This guide breaks the numbers apart so you know exactly what you are paying for and where you can trim without regret.
Part of our Kitchen Remodeling guide — explore the full guide →
Average Price Per Linear Foot
Cabinets are priced by the linear foot, measured along the wall at the base and again at the uppers. That linear-foot figure bundles both the cabinets themselves and, when quoted installed, the labor to hang them. Here is the typical range by tier:
- Stock cabinets — $100 to $300 per linear foot installed; off-the-shelf sizes from home centers
- Semi-custom cabinets — $150 to $650 per linear foot installed; more sizes, finishes, and door styles
- Custom cabinets — $500 to $1,200+ per linear foot installed; built to your exact dimensions
A typical mid-size kitchen has 20 to 30 linear feet of cabinetry combining base and wall units. At a mid-range $250 per linear foot installed, 25 feet lands around $6,250 for cabinets and installation together.
Total Project Cost by Kitchen Size
Scaling those per-foot numbers to real kitchens gives a clearer picture. Expect roughly:
- Small kitchen (10-15 linear feet) — $2,000 to $8,000 installed
- Medium kitchen (20-30 linear feet) — $5,000 to $15,000 installed
- Large kitchen (30-40+ linear feet) — $10,000 to $25,000+ installed
These figures cover cabinets and their installation only. Countertops, backsplash, appliances, plumbing, and electrical are separate line items that can easily double a full kitchen remodel.
Labor vs. Materials Breakdown
On a typical cabinet job, the split between materials and labor is roughly 70 to 80 percent cabinets and 20 to 30 percent installation labor. Understanding that division helps you see where the money goes.
Labor Costs
Professional installers charge either by the linear foot or by the hour. Expect $50 to $120 per linear foot for installation labor alone, or $35 to $100 per hour for a carpenter. A standard 25-foot kitchen takes a two-person crew one to three days to hang, translating to roughly $1,500 to $3,500 in labor for a straightforward install.
Labor climbs when the job gets complicated. Crooked walls that need shimming, crown molding, under-cabinet lighting cutouts, filler strips, and toe-kick scribing all add hours. Removing and hauling old cabinets, if that is part of the scope, adds another $300 to $700.
Material Costs
The cabinets themselves are the bulk of the budget. Beyond the boxes, plan for hardware (hinges, pulls, and knobs at $2 to $20 each), soft-close upgrades, crown molding, and toe-kick and filler pieces. These small add-ons total a few hundred dollars but are easy to overlook when comparing quotes.
What Drives the Price Up or Down
Several factors swing your final number:
- Material — solid wood and plywood boxes cost more than particleboard or MDF, but last far longer
- Door style — flat-panel and shaker are affordable; intricate raised-panel and glass fronts cost more
- Finish — painted cabinets typically run 10 to 15 percent more than stained
- Layout complexity — corner units, islands, and specialty pull-outs raise both material and labor
- Region — labor rates in major metros run 20 to 40 percent above rural areas
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro
Installing your own cabinets can save the $1,500 to $3,500 labor portion, and a confident DIYer with a helper, a good level, a stud finder, and a drill can do it over a long weekend. Base cabinets need to be leveled and shimmed to a dead-flat plane, and uppers must be screwed into studs to carry the weight of loaded shelves, so precision matters.
That said, mistakes are costly. A base run that is out of level throws off the countertop, and uppers that are not perfectly aligned show every gap. If your walls are far from square or the layout includes crown molding and finish carpentry, the pro’s fee buys a result that looks built-in rather than bolted on. For frameless European-style cabinets in particular, professional installation is worth it.
Ways to Save Without Cutting Corners
You can trim the total intelligently. Choose stock cabinets in standard sizes and dress them up with upgraded hardware, which delivers a custom look for far less. Keep the existing kitchen layout so you avoid moving plumbing and electrical. Order ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets and assemble the boxes yourself, then hire out only the hanging. And install the cabinets yourself if the walls are reasonably square while leaving countertops to the pros.
Buying during seasonal sales at major retailers, or timing a semi-custom order around a promotion, can shave 10 to 20 percent. Just never sacrifice box construction, since a plywood carcass with solid joinery outlives a cheap particleboard box by decades.
Timeline: How Long Installation Takes
Knowing the schedule helps you plan around a kitchen that is temporarily out of commission. For a standard 25-linear-foot kitchen, a two-person crew typically hangs the cabinets in one to three days. Base cabinets go in first, leveled and shimmed to a dead-flat plane, followed by wall cabinets screwed into studs, then fillers, crown molding, toe kicks, and hardware.
The cabinet install is only one phase of the larger remodel, though. If you are also replacing countertops, the fabricator usually templates only after the base cabinets are set and level, then returns 1 to 2 weeks later to install stone tops. Backsplash, plumbing hookups, and appliance installation follow. Budget for the kitchen being partly unusable for two to four weeks on a full remodel, even though the cabinet hanging itself is quick.
Questions to Ask Your Installer
Before you sign a contract, get clear answers so there are no surprises on the invoice. A few questions separate a solid quote from a vague one:
- Is installation priced by the linear foot or hourly, and what does that include?
- Does the quote cover crown molding, light rails, fillers, and toe kicks, or are those extra?
- Who handles disposal of packaging and any old cabinetry?
- What happens if walls are out of plumb and need extra shimming or scribing?
- Is there a warranty on the installation labor, separate from the cabinet warranty?
Getting these details in writing on three competing bids lets you compare apples to apples, because the cheapest headline number often excludes finish work that the pricier quote already includes.
Budgeting the Whole Project
The cost to install kitchen cabinets is the single biggest line in most kitchen remodels, but plan for the extras that ride alongside it. Between cabinets, countertops, hardware, and finish work, a mid-range kitchen commonly lands at $10,000 to $20,000. Get three itemized quotes, confirm whether each includes removal of old cabinets, and set aside a 10 to 15 percent contingency for the crooked walls and surprises that always turn up once the old cabinets come down. Go in with clear numbers and your new kitchen will come in on budget rather than blowing past it. Decide honestly whether your walls are square enough to hang cabinets yourself or whether a pro’s finish is worth the labor fee. Choose the cabinet tier that fits both your budget and how long you plan to stay, since a plywood box you keep for twenty years is cheaper per year than a particleboard one you replace in eight. Nail down the scope, the extras, and the contingency up front, and the biggest line in your remodel becomes the one you worry about least.
