Kitchen Cabinet Cost by Tier
Cabinet cost is almost always the single largest line item in a kitchen remodel — typically 30–40% of the total budget. The price you pay per linear foot depends on three things: whether the cabinets are stock, semi-custom, or fully custom; the box construction material; and whether your walls are CBS or wood-frame, which changes installation labor.
| Tier | Cost Installed (per linear ft) | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Stock Cabinets | $150–$350 | Pre-built standard sizes, limited finish/color options, particleboard or thin plywood boxes, 2–3 week lead time |
| Semi-Custom Cabinets | $350–$700 | Standard box sizes with custom finishes, sizing modifications, soft-close hardware standard, plywood box construction, 4–8 week lead time |
| Full Custom Cabinets | $700–$1,200+ | Built to exact kitchen dimensions, hardwood or premium plywood boxes, unlimited finish and configuration options, 8–12 week lead time |
Total Cost by Kitchen Size
Linear footage is measured along the base and upper cabinet run. A typical Florida kitchen runs 20–35 linear feet of cabinetry.
| Kitchen Layout | Approx. Linear Ft | Stock Total | Semi-Custom Total | Full Custom Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small / galley | 15–20 ft | $2,250–$7,000 | $5,250–$14,000 | $10,500–$24,000 |
| Standard | 20–28 ft | $3,000–$9,800 | $7,000–$19,600 | $14,000–$33,600 |
| Large / open concept | 28–40 ft | $4,200–$14,000 | $9,800–$28,000 | $19,600–$48,000 |
Why CBS Construction Adds Cost
Most Florida homes built after 1970 have concrete block (CBS) exterior and often interior load-bearing walls. Upper cabinets need to hold significant weight — dishes, cookware, small appliances — and the toggle bolts or drywall anchors that work in wood-framed homes won't hold that load in a CBS wall covered in furring strips and drywall. Installers have to locate and drill into the block itself, using masonry anchors rated for the cabinet load. That's slower work requiring different tools and expertise, and it typically adds 15–25% to installation labor compared to a wood-frame kitchen of the same size.
Plywood vs. Particleboard: The Box Construction Question
The cabinet door and finish are what you see in a showroom, but the box behind the door — what holds the cabinet together and bears the weight — is what determines how the cabinet holds up in Florida's humidity over time.
- Particleboard boxes: Compressed wood fiber and resin. Cheapest option, used in most stock and budget cabinet lines. Absorbs moisture readily — a sink-base cabinet with a slow leak can swell and delaminate within months in Florida's humidity, especially without proper melamine sealing on all interior surfaces.
- Plywood boxes: Layered wood veneer, significantly more moisture-resistant and structurally stable. Standard in semi-custom and custom lines. Costs roughly 20–30% more than particleboard-box cabinets of the same style, but holds up dramatically better in a humid, coastal climate.
For sink base cabinets and any cabinet near a dishwasher or refrigerator water line, plywood construction is worth the added cost regardless of tier — this is where moisture exposure risk is highest.
Showroom floor samples almost never show you the box construction — you're looking at the door finish and hardware, which tells you nothing about what's holding the cabinet together. Before you sign for any cabinet order, ask the supplier directly: "What is the box material — particleboard, MDF, or plywood — and is it the same for every cabinet in the order, or just the display model?" Some cabinet lines use plywood for the display unit shown in the showroom but ship particleboard boxes as the production standard unless you specifically upgrade. That's a real cost difference buried in fine print most homeowners never ask about.
Hardware and Soft-Close Cost
Soft-close hinges and drawer slides are now close to standard in semi-custom and custom lines, but stock cabinets often list them as an upgrade.
| Hardware Feature | Added Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Soft-close hinges | $8–$15 per door | Standard on semi-custom/custom; upgrade on stock |
| Soft-close drawer slides | $25–$60 per drawer | Full-extension ball-bearing slides recommended for humidity durability |
| Cabinet pulls / knobs | $4–$40 per piece | Wide range based on finish; budget $150–$600 total for a standard kitchen |
Installation Labor: What's Included
Cabinet installation labor covers layout and leveling, wall anchoring (masonry or stud-based), scribing to walls and floors that are rarely perfectly square, door and drawer alignment, and hardware installation. In a CBS home, budget $60–$110 per linear foot for installation labor alone. In a wood-frame home, that runs $50–$85 per linear foot. These figures are separate from the cabinet cost itself and are sometimes bundled into "installed" pricing quotes — always ask your contractor to break out material and labor separately so you can compare quotes apples-to-apples.
Getting an Accurate Cabinet Quote
A firm cabinet quote requires an accurate kitchen measurement, confirmation of your wall type (CBS or wood-frame), and a decision on box construction material. Photos and rough measurements produce estimates with a 20–30% margin of error. D&Co measures every kitchen on-site and provides a written, line-item cabinet and installation quote broken out by material and labor — so you know exactly what you're paying for before you commit.