How Much Paint for Kitchen Cabinets?
Most kitchens: 1 gallon for two coats. The number of doors and drawers matters far more than the size of the room.
Most kitchens need 1 gallon of cabinet paint for two coats, plus primer. A typical kitchen with 20 doors and 10 drawers has about 100 square feet of cabinet front surface, which two coats covers with a single gallon. If you are painting the cabinet boxes as well as the doors, double it.
Estimates only. Textured walls, high ceilings, sprayers and major colour changes can all increase the amount you need. Always buy slightly more than the calculation suggests.
Paint needed by kitchen size
| Room / surface | Surface | Coats | Paint | Paint cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small kitchen, 10 doors + 5 drawers | 50 sq ft | 2 | 1 gal | $55 |
| Small kitchen, one coat | 50 sq ft | 1 | 1 gal | $55 |
| Standard kitchen, 20 doors + 10 drawers | 100 sq ft | 2 | 1 gal | $55 |
| Standard kitchen, one coat | 100 sq ft | 1 | 1 gal | $55 |
| Large kitchen, 30 doors + 15 drawers | 150 sq ft | 2 | 1 gal | $55 |
| Standard kitchen, doors and boxes | 220 sq ft | 2 | 2 gal | $110 |
Cabinet fronts only — doors and drawer fronts, both faces plus edges. Assumes about 4 sq ft per door and 2 sq ft per drawer front.
How to estimate your cabinet surface area
Cabinet fronts are counted per unit, not measured wall by wall. Use these practical averages:
- Cabinet door: about 2 sq ft of face, or roughly 4 sq ft once you count both faces and the edges.
- Drawer front: about 1.5 sq ft of face, or roughly 2 sq ft counting both sides and edges.
So a standard kitchen with 20 doors and 10 drawers is 20 × 4 + 10 × 2 = 100 square feet per coat. Two coats is 200 square feet — well under one gallon at 350 square feet per gallon.
If you are painting the cabinet boxes and shelves as well, add roughly 100 to 150 square feet for a standard kitchen. That is what pushes you from 1 gallon to 2.
Cabinet paint is a different product, and it costs more
Do not use wall paint on kitchen cabinets. It does not harden enough to survive daily handling, and it will show fingerprints and chip at the edges within a year.
You want a cabinet-specific paint — usually a waterborne alkyd or a urethane-enriched acrylic, in a satin or semi-gloss finish. Expect to pay $50 to $80 a gallon rather than $35, which is why the calculator above is set to $55.
The cost is worth it. A $200 cabinet repaint that lasts ten years beats a $70 one that looks tired in twelve months. And it is still a fraction of the $5,000 or more that replacement cabinets cost.
The preparation is 80 % of the result
Cabinet painting fails for one reason in almost every case: insufficient preparation. The paint is rarely the problem.
- Remove the doors and drawers. Label every door with its position — hinges are not interchangeable and you will not remember.
- Degrease everything. Kitchen cabinets carry a film of cooking grease that no paint will adhere to. Use a degreaser, then wipe with clean water.
- Sand. Scuff every surface with 220-grit. You are not removing the old finish, you are giving the new one something to grip.
- Prime with a bonding primer. This is the step people skip. A bonding primer on a glossy or previously varnished cabinet is what prevents peeling.
- Two thin coats, not one thick one. Thick coats sag, stay soft and show brush marks.
- Let them cure before reassembling. Waterborne alkyds feel dry in hours but need several days to harden. Rehanging doors the same evening is how edges get chipped.
Frequently asked questions
How much paint do I need to paint my kitchen cabinets?
Usually 1 gallon for two coats on the fronts of a standard kitchen. Add a second gallon if you are painting the boxes, shelves and the inside of the cabinets.
How many coats of paint do kitchen cabinets need?
Two coats of cabinet paint over one coat of bonding primer is the standard. Three coats if you are going from a dark colour to a light one.
Can I use regular wall paint on kitchen cabinets?
You can, but you should not. Wall paint is not hard enough for cabinet surfaces and will chip and show fingerprints. Use a cabinet, furniture or trim enamel instead.
Is it cheaper to paint cabinets or replace them?
Painting is dramatically cheaper — typically a few hundred dollars in materials against several thousand for replacement cabinets, even accounting for new hardware.