FREE PAINTING CONTRACTOR TOOL

Cabinet Painting Cost Calculator

Estimate cabinet painting prices from doors, drawers, boxes, finish quality, prep, and labor rate.

Set up your calculation

Doors

Drawers

Cabinet boxes

Finish type

Changing finish loads editable starting hours in the assumptions below.

Prep level

Light ×0.85, standard ×1, heavy ×1.35. Adjusts preparation hours; gallons stay the same.

Make the numbers yours

Labor cost per painter-hour

Wage plus payroll burden. Overhead and profit are added separately below. ($ / hr)

Material cost

(USD)

Job overhead allocation

Allocate insurance, vehicle, office, and other overhead. Zero excludes these costs. (USD)

Target margin after overhead

The share of your selling price remaining after the costs you enter. (%)

Advanced assumptions

Editable starting values. Match production rates to your process and check the products you will use.

Finishing hours per door

Both sides, all finish coats. Adjust for your process. (hr)

Finishing hours per drawer front

Front only, all finish coats. (hr)

Finishing hours per box

Exposed faces; interiors require additional time. (hr)

Prep, setup + reinstallation

Base hours for cleaning, sanding, masking, removal, and refitting. The prep factor applies here. (painter-hours)

USD · square feet · US gallons

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YOUR RESULTLive calculation

Your cost-based bid

$7,154

Based on your inputs and assumptions

Painter-hours: 57 hr
Labor cost: $4,275.00
Materials + equipment: $375.00
Allocated overhead: $0.00
Total job cost: $4,650.00
Profit after overhead · base: $2,503.85

Show the calculation

Finishing hours: 18 doors × 1.5 + 8 drawer fronts × 1 + 10 boxes × 1.8.
Prep/setup: 4 base hours × 1. Door hours cover both faces; boxes cover exposed faces. Include all finish coats in your per-item hours.
Price = entered costs ÷ (1 − 35% margin).

Cost-based planning estimate in USD. Check scope and your production history before quoting. Sales tax is excluded. Overhead is currently $0; add your allocation to include it.

FROM ESTIMATE TO ACTUAL

Put your numbers to work.

Bring estimates, jobs, and invoices together with Painters Log.

See Painters Log

Your result$7,154View breakdown

KNOW THE MATH

A number you can explain.

Hours = doors × hours per door + drawer fronts × hours per front + boxes × hours per box + preparation/setup. Price = total entered costs ÷ (1 − target margin).

Our methodology & assumptions

WORKED STARTING EXAMPLE

$7,154

Painter-hours: 57 hr
Labor cost: $4,275.00
Materials + equipment: $375.00
Allocated overhead: $0.00
Total job cost: $4,650.00
Profit after overhead · base: $2,503.85

Finishing hours: 18 doors × 1.5 + 8 drawer fronts × 1 + 10 boxes × 1.8.
Prep/setup: 4 base hours × 1. Door hours cover both faces; boxes cover exposed faces. Include all finish coats in your per-item hours.
Price = entered costs ÷ (1 − 35% margin).

Before you quote

What does each cabinet count include?

Doors include both painted faces, drawers mean drawer fronts, and boxes mean exposed faces. Add labor for interiors, repairs, unusual profiles, and other work outside that scope.

Are the finish presets industry standards?

They are editable starting examples. Changing the finish loads per-item hours in Advanced assumptions. Replace them with your own all-coats finishing time; include cleaning, sanding, masking, removal, and reinstallation in prep/setup.

Does this predict the project schedule?

It estimates total painter-hours. Drying, curing, travel, shop capacity, and crew coordination affect elapsed time. Plan those separately before promising a completion date.

Estimating framework: Painting Contractors Association. This tool's starting values are editable examples, not rates published by PCA.

Cabinet Painting Cost Calculator

Set up your calculation

Make the numbers yours

A number you can explain.

Before you quote

Another tool for the job.

Markup & profit

Paint coverage

Interior painting