Kitchen Cabinet Installation Cost (2026): Per Linear Foot Pricing Guide
By Fabio Freire, Founder & General Contractor at EZ-Estimates. Published 2026-05-01.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation Cost (2026): Per Linear Foot Pricing Guide
Cabinets are the single biggest line item in a kitchen remodel. They are also the most variable. The same 25-foot kitchen can be priced anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000 depending on cabinet tier. Pricing it wrong loses jobs or loses margin.
Here are the 2026 cabinet rates by tier, per linear foot installed.
How Cabinets Are Priced
Cabinets are priced per linear foot of cabinet run, separated by uppers and lowers:
- Lower cabinets: 24 inches deep, typically 34-36 inches tall (with countertop)
- Upper cabinets: 12-13 inches deep, 30-42 inches tall
A linear foot of cabinets means 12 inches of run regardless of stack. A 24-inch base cabinet with a 24-inch upper cabinet above counts as 2 linear feet (1 LF lower + 1 LF upper).
Per linear foot installed (2026):
- Stock (RTA, Home Depot, Lowes): $100-300/LF (lowers + uppers combined)
- Semi-custom (KraftMaid Vantage, Schuler): $300-600/LF
- Semi-custom premium (Fieldstone, Decora): $500-900/LF
- Custom (local cabinet shop): $600-1,500/LF
- Custom luxury (Wood-Mode, Christopher Peacock): $1,000-3,000/LF
These ranges include cabinets, hardware, and installation labor. Countertops, appliances, and tile backsplash are separate.
Cabinet Material Costs (2026)
Stock cabinets:
- RTA (Ready-to-Assemble) base 30 inch: $100-200 each
- Home Depot in-stock base: $150-300 each
- Stock upper 30 inch: $80-200 each
- Tall pantry cabinet (84 inch): $300-700 each
Semi-custom (KraftMaid, Schuler, Aristokraft):
- Base 30 inch (shaker, white): $400-700 each
- Base 36 inch with drawers: $600-1,000 each
- Upper 30 inch: $300-500 each
- Tall pantry (84 inch): $800-1,500 each
- Add 15-25% for premium finishes (matte black, navy blue)
- Add 30-50% for soft-close doors and full-extension drawers
Premium semi-custom (Fieldstone, Decora):
- Base 30 inch: $700-1,200 each
- Upper 30 inch: $500-900 each
- Soft-close + full-extension included
- Multiple finish options
Custom (local cabinet shop):
- Base 30 inch: $800-1,800 each
- Upper 30 inch: $600-1,200 each
- Full custom build, any size or finish
- 8-14 week lead time typical
Hardware (per cabinet):
- Standard knobs: $4-12 each
- Premium knobs (Top Knobs, Schaub): $15-50 each
- Pulls: $5-25 each (standard), $30-80 each (premium)
- Hinges (already included most cabinets): N/A
- Drawer slides (full extension upgrade): $30-80 per drawer
- Soft-close door upgrades: $5-20 per door
Accessories:
- Lazy Susan: $200-500
- Pull-out trash: $150-400
- Spice rack pull-out: $100-300
- Drawer organizers: $50-200 per drawer
- Crown molding: $4-15/LF
- Light rail: $4-10/LF
- Filler strips: $40-100 each
Cabinet Labor Costs
Per linear foot labor only:
- Stock cabinets (simple install): $50-100/LF
- Semi-custom: $80-150/LF
- Custom or complex layout: $150-300/LF
- Tall cabinets (pantry, fridge surround): +$50-100 per cabinet
- Crown molding install: $5-12/LF
- Filler strip install: $20-40 each
Crew rates:
- Lead cabinet installer: $35-55/hour wage
- Helper: $20-30/hour wage
- Typical kitchen install: 2-3 days for a 20-25 LF kitchen with a 2-person crew
Site Conditions That Change Pricing
- Out-of-level floors: +1-3 hours for shimming
- Out-of-square walls: +2-4 hours for scribing and adjustment
- Removal of existing cabinets: $300-800 for typical kitchen
- Disposal fees: $200-500
- Plumbing or electrical relocation needed: subcontractor cost
- Custom cabinet template/scribe: +$500-1,500
- Tile or stone backsplash that conflicts with cabinet height: precise measure required
- Pre-finished cabinets (factory finish): no painting cost
- Site-finished cabinets: +$30-80/LF for prime + paint or stain
Markup and Margin
Standard markup on residential cabinets: 25-50%. Cabinets are a markup-friendly category because the customer expects cabinets to be expensive and the markup is buried in the per-cabinet price.
Most contractors run a healthy 30-40% markup on cabinets. Calculate your right number with the free markup calculator.
Common Mistakes That Kill Margin
1. Underbidding the trim package. Crown molding, light rail, scribe molding, filler strips, and toe-kick trim are easy to forget. A typical 25 LF kitchen needs $400-1,200 in trim materials and 4-8 hours of labor.
2. Forgetting hardware. Knobs and pulls add up. 25 cabinets x 1.5 average pulls per cabinet = 38 pulls at $15-50 each = $570-1,900. Always specify what level of hardware and bill accordingly.
3. Free upgrades to soft-close. Customer asks "are these soft-close?" If you bid base cabinets and they expect upgrade, you eat $200-500 in upgrade costs. Soft-close adds $5-20 per door + $30-80 per drawer.
4. Missing pull-outs and accessories. Lazy Susans, pull-out trash, drawer organizers. Each adds $100-500. Budget for them or write them out as upgrades in the proposal.
5. Underbidding the demo. Cabinet removal looks fast. Reality: 4-8 hours for a typical kitchen, plus disposal cost ($200-500), plus drywall repair behind ($100-400).
Sample Estimate: 25 LF Semi-Custom Kitchen (KraftMaid Shaker White)
| Item |
Qty |
Unit |
Unit Cost |
Total |
| Base cabinets (12 LF) |
12 |
LF |
$400 |
$4,800 |
| Upper cabinets (10 LF) |
10 |
LF |
$250 |
$2,500 |
| Tall pantry (3 LF) |
1 |
each |
$1,100 |
$1,100 |
| Crown molding |
30 |
LF |
$12 |
$360 |
| Light rail |
10 |
LF |
$8 |
$80 |
| Filler strips |
4 |
each |
$80 |
$320 |
| Toe-kick trim |
25 |
LF |
$4 |
$100 |
| Knobs and pulls |
35 |
each |
$25 |
$875 |
| Soft-close upgrade (doors + drawers) |
1 |
lot |
$500 |
$500 |
| Lazy Susan |
1 |
each |
$300 |
$300 |
| Pull-out trash |
1 |
each |
$250 |
$250 |
| Demo existing cabinets |
1 |
lot |
$500 |
$500 |
| Disposal |
1 |
lot |
$300 |
$300 |
| Labor (install 25 LF) |
25 |
LF |
$120 |
$3,000 |
| Subtotal cost |
|
|
|
$14,985 |
| Markup (35%) |
|
|
|
$5,245 |
| Total bid |
|
|
|
$20,230 |
| Per LF (avg) |
|
|
|
$809 |
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