How Much Does Cabinet Painting Cost in NYC? (2026 Prices)

Kitchens are the first three rows of the table; the lowest figures in the guide belong to a single vanity or one small furniture piece, not a kitchen. Every tier includes removing and labeling the doors and hardware, degreasing, sanding, a bonding primer, two coats of cabinet-grade paint and reinstallation with the hinges adjusted. Paint, primer and new hardware are extra unless you ask us to supply them.

Same ranges as the cabinet painting page calculator.

Cabinet painting prices in NYC: from $1,200 for kitchen cabinets

Across the jobs in this guide, labor runs $275 – $5,500 — the low end is a single small job, the high end the largest scope in the tables (a whole apartment or a multi-room project where the guide covers one). Every figure is from the current price catalog (calc-2026-09-01), floored at the $150 work minimum; the exact quote is confirmed from your photos before booking, and NYC sales tax is added separately where applicable.

Cabinet painting

Job	Size / scope	Typical NYC price (labor)
Kitchen cabinets	Up to 15 doors + drawer fronts (galley / small kitchen)	$1,200 – $2,000
Kitchen cabinets	16–30 doors + drawer fronts	$2,485 – $4,420
Kitchen cabinets	31+ doors + drawer fronts (large kitchen)	$3,455 – $5,500
Bathroom vanity	Single vanity (2–4 doors / drawers)	$275 – $475
Bathroom vanity	Large vanity (5–8) or two vanities	$475 – $800
Bathroom vanity	Vanity + linen or medicine cabinet	$750 – $1,250
Island or one cabinet run	Island only (up to 6 doors / drawers)	$500 – $835
Island or one cabinet run	One run, 7–14 doors / drawers	$835 – $1,415
Island or one cabinet run	Island + run, 15+ doors / drawers	$1,370 – $2,200
Built-ins / bookcases / closet doors	1 unit (up to 4 doors) or open shelving	$500 – $800
Built-ins / bookcases / closet doors	2–3 units (5–12 doors)	$800 – $1,365
Built-ins / bookcases / closet doors	Wall-to-wall built-ins (13+ doors)	$1,365 – $2,200
Freestanding furniture piece	1 small piece (nightstand, small cabinet)	$275 – $360
Freestanding furniture piece	1 large piece (dresser, hutch, sideboard)	$360 – $470
Freestanding furniture piece	2+ pieces or a matching set	$460 – $600

What drives the price

Doors and drawer fronts: the count sets the tier — up to 15 fronts for a galley kitchen, 16–30, or 31 and more for a large kitchen.
Boxes and frames: say whether the face frames and exposed box sides should be painted with the doors; that, and any interiors or shelves, is confirmed in the quote from your photos.
Grease and old finish: degreasing and a bonding primer are in every tier, but glossy factory finishes, laminate and dark-to-light color changes may need extra prep or primer.
Sprayed or brushed: spraying gives the smoothest finish where the space can be masked and ventilated and the building allows it; otherwise the paint is brushed and rolled.
Condition: peeling veneer, swollen MDF, water damage or failing hinges are flagged before paint.
Pre-1978 buildings: suspected lead paint on original millwork or old painted doors is flagged before any sanding.

What's included

Doors, drawer fronts and hardware removed and labeled
Degreasing and sanding
Bonding primer and two coats of cabinet-grade paint
Reinstallation with hinges adjusted

What's quoted separately

Paint, primer and new hardware, unless you ask us to supply them
Cabinet interiors and shelves, when you want them painted too
Filling old hardware holes and drilling new ones for different pulls — a cabinet hardware line

When it's not a handyman job

Peeling veneer, swollen MDF and water-damaged boxes are not fixed by paint — when refacing or replacement is the honest answer, we say so instead of painting over it.
In pre-1978 buildings we stop and flag suspected lead paint before sanding original millwork, built-ins or old painted doors; lead abatement is a licensed abatement contractor's job.

How the assessment visit and the work minimum are priced

Photo and text estimates are free — send photos and you get a real range. If the job needs eyes on site first, the assessment visit is $99 and is credited toward the work if you hire us. Actual work starts at the $150 minimum. Repair ASAP LLC is a NYC DCWP-licensed home improvement contractor (License No. 2137199-DCWP) and carries general liability insurance with COI support for co-ops and condos.

Frequently asked questions

Is cabinet painting priced per door?

By the count of doors and drawer fronts together — that is the axis the table and the calculator use. A galley kitchen with up to 15 fronts is the small tier, 16–30 the middle one, and 31 or more a large kitchen. Count every door and drawer front, including the small ones over the fridge and the range hood, and send that number with wide photos of each wall of cabinets.

Do you paint the cabinet boxes or only the doors?

The doors and drawer fronts set the tier. Whether the face frames and exposed box sides are painted along with them, so the kitchen reads as one finish, is confirmed in your quote. Cabinet interiors and shelves are not assumed; say which you want when you send photos.

Why does degreasing matter so much?

Kitchen cabinets, especially near the range, carry a film of cooking grease that paint will not bond to, and paint over grease is the most common reason painted cabinets chip and peel. Every tier includes degreasing, sanding and a bonding primer before the two coats. Glossy factory finishes, laminate and dark-to-light color changes may need extra prep or primer, which is called out before the work starts.

Sprayed or brushed: which finish will I get?

Spraying gives the smoothest finish and is used when it is possible: the area has to be masked and ventilated, and the building has to allow it. Where spraying is not practical, the doors and frames are brushed and rolled with the same cabinet-grade paint. Both get the same prep, primer and two coats; which one fits your kitchen is confirmed before the visit.

How long will my kitchen be out of use?

A full kitchen typically runs 3–5 days, because cabinet paint needs cure time before the doors go back on and get handled. The kitchen stays partly usable throughout: the work can be phased so some cabinets stay in service while doors and drawer fronts dry.

Can I change the cabinet hardware at the same time?

Yes. The hardware comes off anyway, so new knobs or pulls go on at reinstallation. If the new pulls need different hole spacing, filling the old holes and drilling new ones is priced as a cabinet hardware line — mention it with your photos so it is done before the paint goes on.