How Much Does It Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets in San Diego

If you are like many San Diego homeowners who are ready to update their kitchens, you are probably looking at your existing cabinets and wondering what to do with them. If you are thinking about painting your existing cabinets and wondering what it cost, I hope to shed some light on that in this blog post.

This is a question we get asked often. I'd like to answer it by talking about what it would cost if you hired a professional paint company to paint your kitchen cabinets, not doing it yourself. Also there are lots of painters who claim to paint kitchen cabinets for a "good price," but in the end, the cabinets turn out looking terrible. Painting is about 75-80% less expensive than refacing or replacing cabinets. So keep this in mind! Painting or finishing cabinets requires many years of experience, knowledge of woodwork, good preparation and even safety practices.

1. Good: Some companies will brush and roll your kitchen cabinets. They will not remove your doors, drawers or hardware but will paint your cabinets in place. If you have a rental property, this is probably your least expensive option. For a standard kitchen, prices could range from $1,800-2,500 for this type of work. This would typically require cleaning the woodwork, a primer and two coats of finish all done with a roller and brush. If the painters are clean and decent, some homeowners are perfectly happy with the look of this technique.
   
   
2. Better: Another option is a bit more thorough in the preparation and removal of doors, drawers and hardware/hinges. A paint company would spray the doors and drawers in a spray booth onsite or off-site. If it is onsite, a professional company will create a proper spraying area that will make the cabinets turn out beautifully. They will also use a stronger, more durable product such as a pre-catalyzed product (harder finish). Then to save a little on cost, they can carefully hand brush the kitchen frames and boxes. A painter that is good with a brush can make the cabinet frames look almost sprayed. This takes time to become good with a brush! It requires a lot less masking and preparation of the kitchen. The cost for this type of service can also range depending on colors selected and the size of one's kitchen. For a standard size kitchen again, lets say the price range might be more like $3,000-5,000.
   
   
3. Best: The best option is typically what most of our customers end up having our company do is spraying all the cabinetry: doors, drawers, boxes and frames. They will sometimes update the hinges and hardware while we are working there as well. This is a service we can provide too. This option is typically recommended when you have quality cabinets and you plan on updating other parts of the kitchen such as the countertops and appliances. The range for a standard kitchen for this level of prep and service could be $5,000-7,500. If the kitchen is quite large with an island, it could be more like $8,500-15,000+. The kitchens in San Diego are all very unique in size and style. Our team would carefully measure the areas that need to be painted including counting the doors and drawers to come up with an accurate price. One of the reasons the "best" option costs more is how it will look and feel when we are complete and put your kitchen back together. This is still 50 to 75% or more less expensive than replacing your kitchen cabinets, assuming you go with a high quality product. Our customers simple love the durability and final appearance - knowing their cabinets will look great and last for years. It is the best option for durability and longevity.

Answer a few quick questions, and we'll provide a good faith estimate for your project. Use this calculator to help budget for your next project.

You can also request a free "good faith" estimate by phone or by email in some cases. Then send some pictures to our estimator if you wish by email. This will save you time as well. If you were to select Chism Brothers to help with your next cabinet painting project, we would need to schedule an on-site visit first.

You might think that the better and best options are expense and that it is not worth the price. Our company has painted, stained, refinished and finished thousands of cabinets over the past 40+ years. We've also seen some botched up cabinet jobs from other painters in town and heard "horror" stories. Please don't go cheap on your cabinets. I once had a homeowner show me a sample board of a competitor. It was awful. My price was close to $4,500 and his was $800. I asked her if she really wanted her cabinets to look like that? I then showed her a sample cabinet door of what we could do. She saw and felt the difference . She quickly became a satisfied cabinet painting customer of Chism Brothers. Her kitchen had a new and amazing look to it, and she avoided a major renovation just by painting her kitchen cabinets.

Cabinet painting costs in San Diego depend on prep work, how many doors and drawers you have, and whether the finish is brushed or professionally sprayed. The biggest difference in how your cabinets look and hold up long term comes down to process, materials, and experience, not just price. Request a free estimate online and we’ll review your kitchen, talk through options, and help you choose colors and upgrades like glazing.