Kitchen cabinets run $100 to $1,200 per linear foot depending on tier, which is $2,000 to $35,000 for a standard 10×10 kitchen. Installation adds $50 to $150 per linear foot on top, or roughly 20 to 35% of the cabinet price — and it is quoted separately, which is where most budgets go wrong. The tier that offers the best value barely appears in published price guides.
General cost information, not financial advice. Cabinet pricing moves with material and tariff conditions — get local quotes before budgeting.
How much are kitchen cabinets by tier?
Kitchen cabinets are priced per linear foot, and the 10×10 kitchen — roughly 20 linear feet in an L-shaped layout — is the industry benchmark for comparing quotes between suppliers.
| Tier | Cabinets per linear ft | Installed per linear ft | 10×10 kitchen |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTA (flat-packed) | $100–$300 | $250–$650 | $1,200–$6,000 |
| Stock (assembled) | $100–$400 | $250–$650 | $3,000–$9,000 |
| Pre-assembled value brands | — | $250–$650 | $4,000–$9,000 |
| Semi-custom | $150–$700 | $400–$850 | $10,000–$25,000 |
| Custom | $500–$1,200+ | $600–$1,200+ | $15,000–$35,000 installed |
Luxury custom goes further still — solid hardwood construction with hand-applied finishes and integrated lighting exceeds $1,500 per linear foot, which puts a large kitchen well past $50,000 in cabinets alone.
Regional labor rates move the installed figures more than cabinet prices do. Coastal metros sit at the top of every band.
The value tier that price guides skip
Most cost guides list three tiers: stock, semi-custom, custom. There is a fourth that sits between them and is where a large share of good kitchens actually come from.
Pre-assembled value brands — names like Fabuwood, Cubitac and Tribeca — ship factory-assembled plywood cabinets with premium hardware at $4,000 to $9,000 for a 10×10 kitchen. One cabinet retailer describes it plainly as semi-custom specification at RTA-adjacent money.
And here is the point that changes the decision: semi-custom’s premium buys flexibility, not better boxes. Depth modifications, extended finish palettes and specialty cabinets are what you are paying for. The construction can be identical to the value class.
Which means the real question is not “what quality can I afford?” but “do I need modifications?” Many kitchens that supposedly need custom actually need one or two modified cabinets, which semi-custom handles at a fraction of full-custom cost.
What actually determines quality
Price tier is a poor proxy for durability. Three things are better ones.
Box material. Plywood is more moisture-resistant and is what quality builders prefer. Particleboard and MDF are cheaper and take paint smoothly, but they are heavy, sag under load, and swell or disintegrate on contact with water. That last property matters under a sink.
Joinery and hardware. Dovetail drawer joints and undermount soft-close slides say more about a cabinet than whether it arrived flat-packed or assembled.
Expected life follows from both. Well-built plywood RTA cabinets last 20 to 30 years with normal use — comparable to semi-custom. Particleboard stock and budget RTA run 5 to 15 years.
The flat-pack stigma is out of date. RTA’s poor reputation — flimsy particleboard, peeling thermofoil — comes from the bargain end of the category. Premium RTA lines use Grade-A plywood boxes, solid wood doors, dovetail joints and soft-close European hinges. Longevity tracks materials and hardware, not packaging.
One specification worth checking if indoor air quality matters to you: EPA formaldehyde standards set emission limits for the composite wood used in stock cabinetry. Ask whether the product is CARB Phase 2 compliant.
The costs quoted separately
Cabinet price is the headline. These are the lines that arrive afterwards.
| Extra | Cost | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Installation labor | $50–$150 per linear foot, or 20–35% of cabinet price | Always, unless you fit them yourself |
| Demolition and disposal | $300–$1,500 | Replacing existing cabinets |
| Stain-grade finish | +$50–$200 per cabinet | Over base pricing |
| Painted finish | +$100–$400 per cabinet | Over base pricing |
| Soft-close hinges, upgraded pulls, door style | +10–20% of base cost | Almost every quote |
Installation is the big one. Labor alone for 25 linear feet runs $1,250 to $3,750 at $50 to $150 per linear foot. Published ranges go as high as $450 per linear foot for complex work, and one guide puts installation at 20 to 35% of the total cabinet purchase price.
Finish upcharges are per cabinet, and they add up quietly. A painted finish at $100 to $400 per cabinet across twenty cabinets is $2,000 to $8,000 that does not appear in a per-linear-foot headline.
How much are kitchen cabinets by kitchen size?
Linear footage, not square footage, is what drives cabinet cost.
- Galley or single-wall, 10–14 linear feet: $2,000–$7,500 in quality cabinets, $3,000–$10,500 installed
- Standard 10×10, around 20 linear feet: $3,000–$11,000 stock or semi-custom installed; $10,000–$26,500 custom installed
- 12×12, 20–25 linear feet: $5,000–$6,000 stock, $6,500–$9,000 semi-custom, $13,000–$20,000+ custom, all fully installed
- Medium, 20–30 linear feet: $3,000–$9,000 stock, $10,000–$25,000 semi-custom
- Large U-shaped with island and pantry: $25,000–$50,000+ in custom-grade cabinetry
Small kitchens reward spending per box. With only eight or ten cabinets, the gap between builder-grade and plywood with soft-close hardware is a few hundred dollars, not thousands. That is the one situation where upgrading the tier is close to free.
If the cabinet boxes and layout still work, compare cabinet refacing costs with the cost of painting kitchen cabinets before committing to replacement.
Lead times, which decide more than people expect
Three timelines, and they shape the project schedule as much as the budget.
- Stock and RTA: immediate pickup or fast shipping
- Semi-custom: 4 to 8 week lead times
- True custom: two to three months before installation even starts
You are also paying for skilled shop labor with custom, which is why the price runs four to five times RTA. If the appeal of custom is the look rather than genuinely odd architecture, semi-custom and premium value brands replicate most of the aesthetic at roughly half the number.
Where cabinets sit in the wider budget
How much are kitchen cabinets as a share of the job? They are the largest single line in almost every kitchen, and published shares differ slightly. The National Kitchen and Bath Association puts cabinetry at 25 to 35% of a full kitchen project, while one 2026 cost calculator puts it at 30 to 40%. Either way, it is the number to interrogate first.
Before replacing, check whether you need to. If the boxes are solid and the layout works, refacing — new doors, drawer fronts and veneer — costs a fraction of new cabinets. Replace when the boxes are water-damaged or failing, or when you are changing the layout.
Ask about the warranty and register it. Quality cabinets carry a limited lifetime box warranty, which is worthless if nobody registered it.
See our kitchen remodel cost guide for how cabinets fit the total budget, and our guide to modernizing oak cabinets if replacement is not the only option you are considering.
FAQ
How much do kitchen cabinets cost for a 10×10 kitchen?
$1,200 to $6,000 for RTA, $3,000 to $11,000 for stock or semi-custom installed, and $10,000 to $26,500 for custom fully installed. The 10×10 kitchen is roughly 20 linear feet and is the industry benchmark for comparing quotes across suppliers.
How much does cabinet installation cost?
$50 to $150 per linear foot for standard work, running to $450 for complex installations, or roughly 20 to 35% of the cabinet purchase price. Labor alone for 25 linear feet is $1,250 to $3,750. Budget an extra $300 to $1,500 for demolition and disposal of the old cabinets.
Are RTA cabinets worth it?
Quality RTA with plywood boxes, dovetail joints and soft-close hardware lasts 20 to 30 years, comparable to semi-custom, at 30 to 50% less than pre-assembled and 50 to 75% less than custom. The trade-off is your own assembly labor. Budget RTA in particleboard is a different product entirely.
What is the difference between semi-custom and custom cabinets?
Semi-custom starts from standard sizes and allows modifications — custom widths, depth reductions, expanded finishes — at $150 to $700 per linear foot with 4 to 8 week lead times. Custom is built to exact dimensions by a shop at $500 to $1,200+ per linear foot with two to three month lead times.
Is plywood better than particleboard for cabinets?
For durability, yes. Plywood resists moisture and is preferred by quality builders. Particleboard and MDF are cheaper and take paint well, but they sag under load and swell or disintegrate when they get wet — which is a real risk in the sink cabinet.
What percentage of a kitchen remodel is cabinets?
Between 25 and 40% depending on the source. The National Kitchen and Bath Association puts cabinetry at 25 to 35% of a full kitchen project, rising above 40% in higher-end remodels. It is consistently the largest single line item.
