Remodeling
Kitchen Cabinet Cost Calculator
Prices cabinets, where stock, semi-custom and custom differ in fit as much as in price.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Hours times crew times rate, plus materials and the call-out. Cabinets are normally priced by linear foot of run, and the three tiers are genuinely different products. Stock comes in fixed sizes and finishes, is cheapest and fastest, and leaves filler strips where the sizes do not match the room. Semi-custom offers size and finish variation within a system. Custom is built to the room, uses the space fully and costs most. Installation labour is similar across them; the material and the fit differ.
What moves the number
- Tier chosen, which drives both price and how well the run fits the room.
- Linear footage and whether there are awkward corners or appliance gaps.
- Box construction and hardware quality, which decide how the cabinets last.
- Whether walls and floors are square and level, since installation is shimming to compensate.
Where this one goes wrong
Hardware is where quality differences actually show up in daily use. Drawer slides and hinges are operated thousands of times, and soft-close full-extension slides on a well built box behave very differently from the cheapest alternative in the same looking cabinet. It is worth separating box construction and hardware from door style in a conversation, because clients tend to choose on the visible part. Installation on an old house also depends on how far out of square and level the room is: cabinets are installed plumb and level regardless of the room, and a badly out of true kitchen takes real shimming and scribing time.
Before you quote
- Discuss box construction and hardware separately from door style.
- Measure the room for square and level before promising a tight fit.
- Confirm filler and panel requirements on a stock cabinet layout.
Questions
About this calculator
Stock, semi-custom or custom cabinets?
Stock is cheapest and quickest but comes in fixed sizes, so the layout uses fillers where the room does not match. Semi-custom gives size and finish flexibility. Custom is built to the room and uses every inch, at the highest cost. In an awkward or older kitchen the fit difference is substantial.
What should I prioritise in cabinet quality?
Box construction and hardware over door style. Drawer slides and hinges are used thousands of times and are where cheap cabinets reveal themselves, while the door front is what gets chosen in a showroom. Full-extension soft-close hardware on a well built box makes a daily difference.
Why do cabinets need shimming?
Because cabinets are installed plumb and level while rooms frequently are not, especially in older houses. Walls bow, floors slope and corners are rarely square. Shimming and scribing to make the run true while fitting the room is a real part of the installation labour.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 160 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $88.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $11,000.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 160 h |
| People needed | 1 |
| Labour rate charged | $88 |
| Parts and materials | $11,000 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $25,175 |
| Labour | $14,080 |
| Before tax | $25,175 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $25,175: $14,080 of labour, $11,000 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $44 | $18,135 |
| $66 | $21,655 |
| $88 example above | $25,175 |
| $132 | $32,215 |
| $176 | $39,255 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 160 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $88.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $11,000.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.