Worked estimate example
Cabinet painting estimate example for a medium kitchen
Cabinet refinishing is detail-heavy work. A useful estimate counts parts, handling, surface preparation, drying, reinstalling, and customer finish expectations instead of forcing the job into a simple wall square-foot formula.
Kitchen scope
This sample kitchen includes 24 doors, 10 drawer fronts, 12 cabinet box sections, one island end panel, standard degreasing, sanding, adhesion primer, and two finish coats. The customer wants a color change from stained wood to a painted satin finish. Cabinet interiors, new hinges, and hardware replacement are excluded from the base estimate.
| Component | Quantity | Estimating note |
|---|---|---|
| Doors | 24 | Remove, label, clean, sand, prime, finish both sides, reinstall |
| Drawer fronts | 10 | Remove hardware, prep face and edges, finish exposed surfaces |
| Cabinet boxes | 12 sections | Mask kitchen, prep frames, finish face frames and exposed panels |
| Island/end panels | 1 allowance | Included inside box labor allowance |
| Prep level | Standard/heavy | Degreasing and adhesion prep required for stained cabinets |
Labor build-up
Start with handling and preparation. Doors may average 0.65 labor hours each when removal, cleaning, sanding, priming, coating, drying management, and reinstalling are considered. Drawer fronts may average 0.45 labor hours each. Cabinet boxes may average 1.15 labor hours per section because masking, working in place, edges, and customer protection slow the work.
Using those assumptions, doors require 15.6 hours, drawer fronts require 4.5 hours, and boxes require 13.8 hours. Add 8 hours for setup, labeling, shop/rack preparation, transport, final walkthrough, and touchups. The base labor estimate becomes 41.9 hours. Because the finish is a stain-to-paint conversion, a 20 percent risk factor is added for adhesion testing, extra sanding, and additional detail work. Final estimated labor is about 50 hours.
Cost and price example
Assume a loaded labor cost of $48 per hour. Labor cost is 50 hours multiplied by $48, or $2,400. Material allowance is $700 for primer, finish coating, abrasives, masking, caulk, filler, tack cloths, and cleanup supplies. Shop, delivery, and setup are budgeted at $400. Direct job cost is therefore $3,500.
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Labor cost | $2,400 |
| Material allowance | $700 |
| Shop, delivery, setup | $400 |
| Direct job cost | $3,500 |
| Overhead at 15% | $525 |
| Cost before profit | $4,025 |
| Suggested selling price at 25% margin | $5,367 |
Customer-facing scope notes
A cabinet proposal should define what surfaces are included. State whether interiors, shelves, underside panels, crown, toe kicks, glass doors, hardware, soft-close hinges, and repairs are included or excluded. List the coating system if known, and explain that existing wood grain, old damage, seams, and prior finish defects may remain visible depending on the selected finish standard.
Cabinet work also needs schedule notes. Doors and drawer fronts may be removed and finished off site or in a temporary spray area. Drying and curing time can limit daily progress even when spraying is fast. Reinstalling too early can damage the finish, so the proposal should separate working days from cure time.
Cabinet example FAQ
Questions before quoting cabinet work
Why not price cabinets by linear foot?
Linear-foot pricing can be a quick screen, but labor is driven by parts, profiles, condition, handling, and finish expectations. Two kitchens with the same length can require very different labor.
Should hardware be included?
Only include hardware if the scope says so. Reusing existing hardware, drilling for new pulls, replacing hinges, or adjusting doors can each change labor and material cost.
What is the biggest hidden risk?
Adhesion and contamination. Grease, silicone, furniture polish, old coatings, and unknown clear coats can create finish failures if prep is underestimated.