Comparisons
DIY Cabinet Painting vs. Hiring a Paint Contractor
David Cook
David Cook has run D'Franco Painting & Wallpaper in Huntley for 20+ years and has filmed more than a thousand videos on real jobs, so you can see the work before you pay for it.
Reviewed by David Cook · Last updated October 25, 2026 · 5 min read
On one kitchen of about 33 pieces, our estimate was $5,324 for all labor and materials and 4 days of work. The homeowners painted it themselves instead: 64 logged hours, from September 6 to October 12. In David's words, it comes down to $5,000 and 4 days for a professional, or about $1,000 and over a month to do it yourself.
The short version
- We get about 5 to 10 requests a week about the cost to paint cabinets.
- Most kitchens take about 3 to 5 days. We start at 90 minutes per door, on the low end.
- For this kitchen, materials came to about $810.
- The homeowners said they would hire someone next time.
We are not a fit for everyone
We get about 5 to 10 requests a week about the cost to paint cabinets, and our instant estimate now gives you a number right away. I recently gave a customer an estimate to paint their kitchen cabinets. They decided professional cabinet painting cost too much and did it themselves. We do not sell every job we go on.
When you do it yourself, we want you to be able to watch our YouTube videos or read our cabinet posts, so your process is like ours and your results are good.
How long will it take to have my kitchen cabinets painted?
Most kitchens take about 3 to 5 days. When we bid, we start at 90 minutes per door, on the low end, to clean, sand, prime and paint a cabinet door. A spray booth, sprayers and power sanders with dustless attachments help us work more efficiently.
For this kitchen, we estimated 4 days to remove the doors and drawers, clean the cabinets, mask the kitchen, sand, spray every piece and reinstall it all. There were about 33 pieces of different sizes.
How much does it cost to paint kitchen cabinets?
Staying with this one estimate, so you have a consistent reference: we estimated this kitchen at $5,324 for all labor and materials, for about 33 pieces.
How much are the materials to paint cabinets?
Here is our material list for this kitchen. Some items we buy in bulk, which saves money. Some are averaged into the cost over the life of a tool. Some, like primer and paint, are bought for each job. For this kitchen, materials came to about $810.
- Cleaner
- Rags
- Drop cloths
- Sprayer with a 5 and 3 needle set
- Strainer
- Masks
- Masking tape
- Marker to label each piece
- Exhaust fan
- Air cleaner and filter
- Razors and scrapers to remove old bumpers
- Wood filler for old handle holes and dowel rods
- Sandpaper, 320 and 220 grit
- Sanding blocks for hand sanded areas
- Power sander and vacuum
- 12 ft painter's plastic
- 6 extension poles to build a temporary wall
- Rosin paper to cover the floors
- Bonding paper
- Cabinet paint
How long it took the homeowners
The homeowners took a week off work to paint their cabinets. They are happy with the results. Here is the time it took them.
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Island, Sept 6 | 3.5 |
| Island, Sept 7 | 3 |
| Island, Sept 8 | 3 |
| Island, Sept 9 | 6 |
| Island, Sept 10 | 5 |
| Island, Sept 12 | 6.5 |
| Island total | 27 |
| Main cabinets, Sept 13 | 3 |
| Main cabinets, Sept 14 | 6 |
| Main cabinets, Sept 15 | 4 |
| Main cabinets, Sept 16 | 1 |
| Main cabinets, Sept 17 | 3 |
| Main cabinets, Sept 19 | 2 |
| Main cabinets, Sept 20 | 2 |
| Main cabinets, Sept 21 | 2 |
| Main cabinets, Sept 22 | 2 |
| Main cabinets, Sept 26 | 4 |
| Main cabinets, Sept 27 | 4 |
| Main cabinets, Sept 28 | 4 |
| Main cabinets total | 37 |
What the homeowners said
In their words: "I stopped keeping track. Started Sept 6th, finished Oct 12th. Took a lot longer to get technique and flow going, issues with daycare and when I could or could not do it due to family issues. Messed up a few pieces to redo. It was more tiring than I thought, the week was not long enough. Between work, family and keeping up with the house and everyone else, there just was not enough time. We would hire someone else next time."
The real cost of DIY cabinet painting
I do not have hard numbers for you on money saved. I have the cost we quoted and the time it takes us, above, against the time it took a homeowner.
For me, I am not having a kitchen torn up for over 5 weeks while it is painted. My wife would not be a fan. This is feedback from one person, and it does not mean you will have the same issues or take as long. So: $5,000 and 4 days for a professional, or $1,000 and over a month to do it yourself?
If you have questions about cabinet painting, ask us. Even if you paint your cabinets yourself, we want to help you love the space you are in.
Related: Get an instant estimate, What is the cost to paint cabinets yourself?.
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