How Much Does It Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets in Seattle, WA? [2026 Data]

The average cost to paint kitchen cabinets in Seattle, Washington, is $1,317, with most homeowners spending between $513 and $2,121, depending on the kitchen size and number of cabinets. Lighter paint tones like white or beige are popular in Seattle but may cost more if you’re painting over dark cabinets, while navy, another trending color in this coastal city, costs less to paint on lighter cabinets. Other factors, like paint type and hardware, will also influence the project total.

Kitchen Cabinet Painting Cost Factors 

Kitchen cabinet painting costs in Seattle, Washington, depend on how much and what type of paint you need for the type of cabinets you have. The larger your kitchen and the more cabinets you have, the higher the cost will be.

Kitchen Size

On average, painting kitchen cabinets costs between $3 and $14 per square foot, or between $30 and $60 per linear foot. This price includes all the supplies, materials, and labor you'll need to get the job done. Here’s a breakdown of the cost to paint cabinets based on kitchen size:

Cabinet Material

Kitchen cabinets come in a variety of materials, with some requiring a slightly different approach to achieve a smooth, uniform coat of paint. Here’s a look at the individual costs for each type of cabinet material:

Type of Paint

There are many different types of paint available, with per-gallon rates ranging anywhere from $15 to $80. A gallon of paint costs $15 to $60 for a standard brand or $50 to $100 for a designer brand. Each gallon covers between 350 and 400 square feet. There are slight cost differences between the different types of paint per gallon.

You can also choose between the different types of paint finishes, commonly known as sheens. The shinier the paint, the more you’ll pay. Pros recommend semi-gloss and high-gloss, the two highest sheens available, for kitchen cabinets since they’re the most durable options and the easiest to clean.

Painting Method

Even when you hire an interior painting pro to paint your kitchen cabinets, you’ll still have to account for how a chosen painting method will impact the cost. You can hire a pro to paint with a brush, roller, or sprayer.

Hiring a pro to brush paint can save you money on paint costs, but you’ll spend more on labor since brush painting takes more time and energy. On the other hand, spray painting can save you money on labor since it takes less time. However, you’ll likely end up spending more on high-quality paint. 

Paint Color

If you're planning to switch from a darker color to a lighter color for your kitchen cabinets, your best option is to sand or strip off the existing paint. However, if you're short on time or your cabinets are already in good condition, budgeting $45 per gallon for a good primer is essential to ensure proper coverage.

Kitchen Layout and Cabinet Composition 

Some contractors might charge a different way based on the specific sections of your cabinets. For example, you could expect to pay $100 per cabinet door. For drawers, it might be closer to $25 per drawer. And if you're looking to paint an entire cabinet, the cost can range from $75 to $150 per cabinet.

Your unique kitchen layout can also affect how much you pay to paint your kitchen cabinets. Complex kitchen layouts with tight, hard-to-reach spaces can make the job tedious, which can also raise the price. 

Prep

While you can do the following steps yourself, it can be a lot of work. If you’re willing to spend a bit more and hire a professional cabinet painter, you could save yourself some time and energy.

• Stripping: Sandpaper costs $5 to $10, and a chemical stripper ranges from $7 to $50

• Removing appliances, doors, and drawers: All you need is a screwdriver

• Site prep: Drop cloths and cleaning agents cost under $20

Repairs

While you’re refreshing the look of your kitchen cabinets, you’ll also want to budget for the cost of repairing the cabinets if needed, which falls between $140 and $500. This will cover basic repairs such as broken hardware, loose hinges, scratches, and peeling paint. 

Hardware

The cost to install new cabinet hardware is less than $100 in most cases, but costs can go as high as $1,000 or more for designer or antique varieties. If your hardware is in good shape, this isn’t a necessary cost.

However, selecting new cabinet hardware can modernize your cabinets and beautifully complement your new paint color, so it may be worth the extra investment if you’re going for a brand-new look.

Interior Painting Pro Costs

Of the total cost to paint kitchen cabinets, labor makes up 80%. Painting kitchen cabinets is more challenging and requires more patience and prep work compared to painting a bedroom, which is why the cost is higher.

Hiring a cabinet refinishing pro in Seattle, Washington, could save you 20 to 40 hours of time on this project, which requires a lot of patience to disassemble, prep, paint, and reassemble each cabinet. Not to mention the pros will save you the costs of making any mistakes, which would require you to start over or take a hit on your home’s value.

Labor

Seattle is a high-cost-of-living area, and labor rates here are higher than average. For interior painting, you may see quotes of $30 to $160 per hour, per worker. However, pros are more likely to charge by the square foot or by the number of cabinets, drawers, and doors.

Permits

Seattle doesn’t require a permit for painting your kitchen cabinets. In historical districts, Seattle requires permits for exterior updates or changes to the building use only. However, it’s always best to avoid potential penalties by double-checking with the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods on whether you’ll need official approval to start your project.

Additional Pros to Consider Hiring

Consider working with additional experts to complete your kitchen refresh, from hiring an interior designer to match new backsplash to the painted cabinets to a handyperson to install new drawer pulls and cabinet door knobs. Here’s how much to budget to hire these pros in Seattle:

• Interior designer cost: $1,290–$14,510

• Painter cost: $1,000–$4,200

• Handyperson cost: $220–$780

Does Painting Kitchen Cabinets Increase Home Value?

Refreshing the kitchen in your Seattle, Washington, home, including painting your kitchen cabinets, could offer a 60% to 80% return on your investment (but only when done properly).

Nicely finished cabinets offer the best ROI, but streaky finishes could ultimately hurt your resale value. If you’re stuck on what color to paint your cabinets, keep in mind that neutral tones like white, beige, and gray are popular in this market. Navy blue is also popular in this coastal city, and two-tone cabinets are also trending with Seattle homebuyers.

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We survey real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects. 

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