Kitchen Cabinet Painting FAQs

Most Common Kitchen Cabinet Paint Questions

What Will It Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets?

This is usually the first matter on people’s minds when it comes to any residential interior painting project. And like any renovation, the answer can vary widely depending on factors like the number of cabinets in question and their current condition, the paint’s quality, the contractor’s skill and experience, etc. Generally speaking, smaller cabinet painting projects may land in the $1,200-2,000 range, while larger projects can get to $10,000 or more. Most people’s estimates wind up falling somewhere between these two extremes, around $3,000 to $7,000.

How Long Will Cabinet Painting Take?

This answer isn’t set in stone, but it’s worth noting that kitchen cabinet painting tends to take longer on average than most other interior painting projects (i.e. painting the walls of a given room) due to its additional preparatory steps, which we’ll discuss next. Even if you hire the fastest interior home painters in your area, the project may take several days to complete. Inexperienced painters may drag the project out for a week or longer. Of course, a longer duration isn’t necessarily a bad thing, either. After all, you want your cabinets to be properly prepared and evenly coated. Providing your cabinets with the attention and care they deserve can take some time. Ultimately, the answer here depends on the size and skill of the crew, the size of the project, the number of coats, your specific preferences and needs, and more. Most kitchen cabinet paint jobs take around 3-7 days.

What’s Involved in Kitchen Cabinet Painting?

If you’re wondering why it sometimes takes so long for interior house painting contractors to paint kitchen cabinets, it comes down to the proper process. To begin with, all cabinet doors, hinges, and hardware must be detached and moved to a remote location (either somewhere outdoors or a painting facility). Though this can take some time, doing so ultimately saves time and ensures greater coverage and accuracy since painters don’t have to make delicate maneuvers around hardware, inside doors, etc. To move the project along, painting services often break up their team into two divisions -- one for coating the detached doors and the other for painting the fixed boxes. Before this painting takes place, however, surface prep is required, which involves cleaning, sanding, priming, etc. The kitchen itself must also be prepared with drop cloths and coverings to minimize messes and keep paint off other surfaces. After all, coats have been applied to every cabinet component and dried, they can be gently reassembled.

What’s the Best Paint for Painting Kitchen Cabinets?

There is no shortage of paint types on the market, and some are better suited for specific applications. Kitchen cabinets must be able to withstand the regular fluctuations of temperature and humidity, so interior painting services will often use acrylic latex paints or alkyd paints for their overall durability and strong resistance to moisture and heat. Zero- and low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints are also recommended for kitchen cabinet painting to minimize potential health hazards inside the home.

When Will Painted Kitchen Cabinets Require Fresh Coatings?

Considering how costly and time-consuming a kitchen cabinet painting job can be, most homeowners want to know whether they’ll need to invest in new coatings relatively soon after completion. Fortunately, kitchen cabinet coatings can last a long time (a decade or longer) with proper maintenance. Going with quality coatings and a reliable painting provider in the first place also extends the lifespan of your coatings. Opting for the cheapest project and failing to perform routine maintenance can cost you big time in the long run, as you may need a fresh coat of paint within a few years.

How Does One Maintain Painted Kitchen Cabinets?

So, what does this routine maintenance entail? As is the case with caring for other painted interior surfaces, you’ll want to clean your cabinets regularly (i.e. dusting weekly, gentle scrubbing with soap and water once a month, etc.). Additionally, do your best to keep moisture, temperature, and sunlight levels down in your kitchen, as these factors can cause your painted cabinets to fade, peel, crack, etc. -- ensure proper ventilation and curtail the sun’s direct rays with shades when possible.

Is It Best to Hire a Professional or Do It Yourself?

There are undoubtedly some advantages to DIY projects, such as cutting costs and feeling a sense of accomplishment when all is said and done. That said, if you lack the proper experience, tools, and resources for kitchen cabinet painting, you may end up spending more time and money than you would have if you’d hired professional home interior painters instead. Indeed, going with the pros will likely provide better-looking and longer-lasting outcomes. Moreover, experienced painters can help you with other interior painting renovations and answer additional questions you have during the job. There’s no right answer to this question, but most people will be glad they hired professionals rather than attempted this tricky project themselves.

Have more pressing questions about kitchen cabinet painting? The experts at Endure Painting are here to help. For more information regarding our skills and services, call us at (510) 458-2120 or send us an email at hello@endurepainting.com.