Kitchen Cabinet Costs: What Drives the Price and How to Choose
By Parham Shariat ·
Kitchen cabinets are usually the biggest single line in a remodel, and the price moves more than most people expect. Nationally, installed cabinets run from about $100 per linear foot for stock lines to $1,200 for custom work. Where you land in that range depends on how the cabinet is built, what it is made of and which door style you pick.
This guide walks through each of those. We use the lines we sell at US Floor Design Center in Rancho Santa Margarita, so you can see exactly what you are paying for. We have served Orange County for more than 20 years, and every line below is on display in our showroom.
In short:
- Installed kitchen cabinets cost about $100 to $300 per linear foot for stock, $200 to $650 for semi-custom and $500 to $1,200 for custom, per national cost guides.
- Three things set most of the price: how the cabinet is built, what the doors are made of, and how much cabinet your kitchen needs.
- Installation is a separate line, at about $50 to $250 per hour.
- US Floor Design Center carries three door styles in seventeen colors: European (5), Shaker (8) and Double Slim (4).
What drives the cost of kitchen cabinets
Three things set most of the price: how the cabinet is built, what the doors are made of, and how much cabinet your kitchen needs.
How the cabinet is built
Two cabinets can look the same from across the room and be built very differently inside. These are the parts to ask about, with what we use in our Shaker, Double Slim and High Glossy lines:
- Face frame: solid wood
- Center panel: MDF
- Cabinet box: 1/2 inch plywood
- Drawer boxes: solid wood with dovetail joints
- Slides: under mount, soft close
- Hinges: soft close
- Shelves: adjustable 3/4 inch plywood (Shaker)
Plywood boxes and dovetail drawers cost more to make than thin particle board and stapled drawers. They are also the parts you open and close every day, so they are where quality shows over time.
What the doors are made of
Our European Walnut, Rustic Oak and Dark Gray doors are 3/4 inch (18mm) MFC board with melamine laminate on both sides and matching PVC banding on every edge. That is a different build from a solid wood frame door, and it is a big part of why the wood-grain flat slab looks so clean and holds its color. National guides rank materials the same way: MDF and particle board sit at the low end, veneer in the middle, and solid wood at the top.
How much cabinet you need
Cabinets are priced by the linear foot, so a bigger kitchen costs more. Islands, floor-to-ceiling units and corner cabinets add to the count. Installation is a separate line. National guides put typical labor at $50 to $250 per hour, depending on the job and the area.
The costs people forget
Demolition and haul-away, wall repair, plumbing or electrical changes, and leveling the floor all come before the first cabinet goes up. Larger remodels may also need a permit. Ask for these in writing before you compare quotes, because a low cabinet price can hide a high prep bill.
Three door styles, seventeen colors
Our cabinet range is three door styles. Picking the style is the biggest design choice you will make, and it also sets the build of the door.
| Style | Colors | Door build | The look |
|---|---|---|---|
| European | 5 | Walnut, Rustic Oak and Dark Gray: 3/4 inch MFC board. High Glossy: solid wood face frame, plywood box | Flat slab, no frame, no groove. One clean surface in high gloss or wood grain |
| Shaker | 8 | Solid wood face frame and rails, MDF center panel, plywood box | Flat center panel in a square frame. Fits a classic kitchen as easily as a modern one |
| Double Slim | 4 | Solid wood face frame, MDF center panel, plywood box | Thinner frame with a second fine step around the panel. All four colors are oak, so the grain shows |
European comes in Walnut, Rustic Oak, Dark Gray, High Glossy White and High Glossy Grey. The doors are fade resistant, with vivid color.
Shaker has the widest range: White, Gray, Misty Grey, Black, Blue, Olive Green, Espresso and White Oak. It is the safest pick if you are not sure, because it works in almost any kitchen.
Double Slim comes in Oak Natural, Oak Ivory, Oak Mocha and Oak Charcoal. It is a lighter, more tailored take on the frame and panel idea.
Ways to manage the cost
You do not need to give up good construction to keep a budget in check. These are the moves that work.
- Measure first. Cabinets are priced by the linear foot, so an accurate layout is the base of any honest quote. Bring your measurements and we will price it from there.
- Choose the style, not the upgrade. On our Shaker, Double Slim and High Glossy lines, the solid wood frame, plywood box, dovetail drawers and soft close hardware are the build, not add-ons. Your choice is mostly style and color.
- Use one line across the house. The same cabinets work outside the kitchen. We show Black Shaker for a home bar, Espresso Shaker for a coffee station, Blue Shaker for a bathroom vanity and Olive Green Shaker for a laundry room. Matching rooms look planned and make the order simpler.
- Pick a flat slab where you want a modern look. European doors have no frame and no groove, and they work in commercial rooms too. Our catalog shows European High Glossy White in a dental office.
- Compare installed prices. Get the same scope in writing from each contractor, including demolition, prep and disposal. National guides list installed ranges of $100 to $300 per linear foot for stock, $200 to $650 for semi-custom and $500 to $1,200 for custom.
- See the samples in person. Color on a screen is never the color on a door. Holding a sample next to your floor and counter saves expensive second guesses.
Common questions
How much do kitchen cabinets cost per linear foot?
National installed ranges are about $100 to $300 for stock, $200 to $650 for semi-custom and $500 to $1,200 for custom. Your own number depends on your layout, door style and installation, so we quote from your measurements.
How many colors can I choose from?
Seventeen: five European, eight Shaker and four Double Slim.
What is the difference between Shaker and Double Slim?
Both are a center panel inside a frame. Double Slim uses a thinner frame with a second fine step around the panel, and all four of its colors are oak with visible grain. Shaker has a square frame and a wider color range.
Are the doors solid wood?
Shaker, Double Slim and High Glossy doors have solid wood face frames, with MDF center panels on the framed styles and plywood boxes. The European Walnut, Rustic Oak and Dark Gray doors are 3/4 inch MFC board with matching PVC edge banding.
Can I use these cabinets outside the kitchen?
Yes. They work for home bars, coffee bars, bathroom vanities and laundry rooms.
See them in person
Every line in this guide is on display at US Floor Design Center, 30092 Santa Margarita Pkwy, Suite G, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688. Bring your measurements and we will bring the samples. Call (949) 589-9226 or email info@usfloordesign.com.
Hours: Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Sunday 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Sources
- US Floor Design Center Product Catalog (cabinet specifications and colors)