Kitchen Cabinet Installation Cost in 2026
Kitchen cabinet installation cost runs $69 to $500 per linear foot in 2026, or about $486 to $736 per cabinet for labor alone (Homewyse, Cost to Install Kitchen Cabinets, 2026). For a full kitchen, most homeowners pay $4,000 to $13,000 for installation, with the average landing near $6,500 to $7,500 (Modernize, Cabinet Installation Costs, 2026). The range is that wide because installers quote three different ways — per linear foot, per cabinet box, or per hour — and each one answers a different question.
Cabinets are the single largest material line in a kitchen, at 25 to 35 percent of the budget. Installation is the line right behind it, and it is the one homeowners consistently underestimate. This guide breaks the number down by pricing method, shows what pushes it up, and covers what the work actually costs here in Broward County.
Pricing a Broward kitchen? Get the kitchen cabinet installation cost quoted separately from the boxes themselves.
What Is the Average Kitchen Cabinet Installation Cost in 2026?
The average kitchen cabinet installation cost for a standard kitchen is $6,500 to $7,500 in labor, inside a typical range of $4,000 to $13,000 (Modernize, Cabinet Installation Costs, 2026). Retail programs price it tighter: Home Depot quotes $69 to $119 per linear foot to install or replace kitchen cabinets, while independent and specialty installers run $150 to $500 per linear foot installed (Builders Surplus, Kitchen Cabinet Installation Cost, 2026).
Those two numbers are not in conflict. The low end is labor only, on stock cabinets, in a kitchen where nothing has to be modified. The high end bundles the cabinets themselves, filler and trim work, and the extra hours a real kitchen demands. When you compare quotes, the first thing to establish is which of the two you are looking at.
A useful sanity check: for a typical 10×10 kitchen with roughly 20 linear feet of cabinetry, labor-only cabinet installation cost lands between about $1,400 and $2,400 at retail rates, and $3,000 to $10,000 when a full-service remodeler handles demo, modification, and finish carpentry.
Why does the same kitchen come back with quotes $6,000 apart? Almost always because one bid is labor-only on stock boxes and the other includes tear-out, disposal, shimming an out-of-level wall, filler panels, crown, toe kick, and hardware. Neither installer is wrong. They are pricing different scopes. Ask every bidder to list what is and is not in the number before you compare them.
How Is Kitchen Cabinet Installation Cost Calculated?
There are three ways installers price the job, and knowing which one you are being quoted is the difference between a fair comparison and a guess.
- Per linear foot. The most common method for full kitchens. Kitchen cabinet cost per linear foot is measured along the wall, counting base and wall runs. Retail programs sit at $69 to $119; full-service installs run $150 to $500 installed with materials.
- Per cabinet box. Better for partial jobs and islands. The basic cost to install kitchen cabinets is $486 to $736 per cabinet as of 2026 (Homewyse, 2026). Contractor forums put installer-side pricing closer to $60 to $100 per box, which is labor before overhead and profit.
- Per hour. Used for small jobs and add-ons. Handymen typically bill $50 to $120 an hour, and a two-cabinet install is usually quoted this way rather than by the foot.
Kitchen cabinet installation cost per linear foot is the method to insist on for a whole-kitchen quote, because it scales with your actual layout instead of a generic room size. If a bidder will only hand you a lump sum, ask them to show the linear-foot math behind it.
| Pricing method | Typical range | Best for | What it usually excludes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per linear foot, retail install | $69 to $119 per LF | Stock cabinets, straightforward layout | Tear-out, disposal, modifications, hardware |
| Per linear foot, full service | $150 to $500 per LF | Whole kitchens, semi-custom boxes | Countertops, plumbing and electrical moves |
| Per cabinet box | $486 to $736 per cabinet | Partial jobs, islands, add-ons | Fillers, crown and toe kick on long runs |
| Per hour | $50 to $120 per hour | One or two cabinets, repairs | Anything unpredictable behind the drywall |
| Hardware only | $2 to $10 per knob or pull | A refresh without new boxes | Drilling templates on custom doors |
Sources: Homewyse (2026), Home Depot (2026), Builders Surplus (2026), Taskrabbit (2026). Ranges are national; South Florida sits in the upper half.
What Pushes Kitchen Cabinet Installation Cost Up?
Five things move kitchen cabinet installation cost, and only one of them is the cabinets themselves.
- Walls and floors that are out of level. Older Broward homes rarely have square corners. Every shim, scribe, and filler panel is billable time, and this is the most common reason a job runs long.
- Tear-out and disposal. Removing and hauling old cabinets typically adds $300 to $1,000, and it is frequently quoted separately.
- Cabinet type. Stock boxes arrive assembled and go in fast. Ready-to-assemble cabinets have to be built first, and ikea kitchen cabinet installation cost reflects that, since assembly labor is a real line item before anything gets hung.
- Finish carpentry. Crown molding, light rails, toe kick, panel ends, and filler strips are what separate a professional install from a visibly amateur one. They also add hours.
- Hardware. Kitchen cabinet hardware installation cost runs $2 to $10 per knob or pull. On a 40-piece kitchen that is a few hundred dollars, and it is worth paying for a drilling template instead of a freehand job.
Do I need a permit just to install cabinets? Usually not. Swapping cabinets inside the same footprint is generally cosmetic work. But the moment the job moves plumbing for a sink base, adds circuits for under-cabinet lighting, or relocates a range, it needs a full kitchen remodel permit. In Broward that runs through the Broward County Building Code Division, and a contractor who tells you otherwise is a contractor to skip.
How Much Does Kitchen Cabinet Installation Cost Compared to Refacing?
If your cabinet boxes are still solid, you may not need new cabinets at all. Refacing runs about $4,000 to $9,500, roughly $100 to $250 per linear foot, which lands 50 to 70 percent under what replacement runs. That comparison is the biggest single lever on your budget, and our guide to cabinet refacing cost versus replacing walks the decision box by box.
The test is simple. If the boxes are structurally sound, under about 20 years old, and the layout works, refacing wins on money almost every time. If the boxes are water damaged, sagging, or the floor plan has to change, you are replacing — and then how much does kitchen cabinet installation cost becomes the right question to be asking.
Is a cabinet cost calculator accurate? A kitchen cabinet installation cost calculator gives you a decent starting range and a poor final number. Calculators price a generic kitchen. They cannot see your out-of-level wall, your soffit, or the plumbing behind the sink base, which is exactly where estimates move. Use one to set expectations, then get a walk-through estimate before you order anything.
Counters follow the same logic: they cannot be templated until the boxes are set and level. If you are pricing stone at the same time, quartz vs granite countertops covers how the two materials compare, and kitchen remodel cost broken down by size shows where cabinets and installation sit inside the total.
What Does Kitchen Cabinet Installation Cost in Fort Lauderdale?
In Fort Lauderdale and across Broward County, kitchen cabinet installation cost tends to land in the upper half of the national ranges, generally $150 to $400 per linear foot installed for a mid-range job. South Florida labor demand is high, and the local housing stock adds work that a newer market does not.
Three local factors show up on almost every Broward quote. First, humidity: cabinet boxes and doors move here, so quality plywood boxes and proper sealing at the sink base are not an upgrade in South Florida, they are the baseline. Second, older construction: concrete block walls and settled floors mean more shimming and more anchoring work than a builder-grade install allows for. Third, lead times: semi-custom cabinet orders can stretch weeks, and scheduling the installer before the boxes land is how a two-week kitchen turns into a two-month kitchen.
For lower-budget paths, kitchen remodel ideas for every budget covers what changes a kitchen without new boxes at all.
NJL General Services has been installing kitchen cabinets across Broward County for more than 15 years. Every estimate we hand you breaks out boxes, labor, tear-out, trim, and hardware as separate lines, so you can see exactly what you are paying for.
Get an itemized cabinet installation estimate
NJL General Services · Serving Fort Lauderdale & Broward County
3370 Beau Rivage Dr, Pompano Beach, FL 33064
Call: (754) 610-8806 · (561) 207-0354 · (754) 333-9107
The Bottom Line on Kitchen Cabinet Installation Cost
Kitchen cabinet installation cost comes down to three questions: how many linear feet, what condition the walls are in, and what is actually included in the number. Budget $69 to $119 per linear foot for a straightforward retail install, $150 to $500 per linear foot for full-service work with materials, or $486 to $736 per cabinet if you are pricing box by box.
The mistake that costs the most is comparing two quotes that are not measuring the same job. Ask every bidder to separate labor, tear-out, trim, and hardware. Choosing well matters as much as pricing well, and how to find a good general contractor covers what to verify before you sign anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Home Depot charge to install kitchen cabinets?
Home Depot’s installation program prices kitchen cabinet installation at roughly $69 to $119 per linear foot, and the figure varies by location within the United States. That price covers labor to install or replace cabinets; tear-out, disposal, and finish carpentry are commonly quoted as separate line items.
How much does it cost to install 25 linear feet of cabinets?
At retail rates of $69 to $119 per linear foot, 25 linear feet works out to roughly $1,725 to $2,975 in labor. Through a full-service remodeler at $150 to $500 per linear foot installed with materials, the same run lands between about $3,750 and $12,500 depending on cabinet grade.
What is the average kitchen cabinet installation cost per cabinet?
The basic cost to install kitchen cabinets is $486 to $736 per cabinet in 2026, according to Homewyse. Installers quoting labor only, before overhead and profit, often work closer to $60 to $100 per box, which is why per-cabinet numbers vary so widely between a contractor bid and a trade rate.
Why is installing kitchen cabinets so expensive?
Because almost none of the kitchen cabinet installation cost is time spent hanging boxes. It goes into leveling, shimming, and scribing cabinets to walls and floors that are never perfectly square, then into filler panels, crown, toe kick, and door alignment. Those hours are what separate a clean install from doors that never quite line up.
Does kitchen cabinet installation cost include removing the old cabinets?
Often not. Tear-out and disposal typically add $300 to $1,000 and are frequently quoted separately from the install itself. Always confirm in writing whether demo, haul-away, and dump fees are inside the number before you compare two bids.
How long does kitchen cabinet installation take?
A standard kitchen usually takes two to four days for the install itself, plus a day for tear-out, and kitchen cabinet installation cost is quoted for that whole window. Ready-to-assemble cabinets add assembly time, and countertops cannot be templated until the boxes are set and level, which is what drives the rest of the schedule.
Do I need a permit to install kitchen cabinets in Broward County?
Not for a straight cabinet swap inside the same footprint, which is generally treated as cosmetic work. You do need one once the job moves plumbing, adds electrical circuits, or relocates appliances. Broward County Building Code Division is the authority on which side of that line your project falls.
Is it cheaper to reface cabinets than to install new ones?
Yes, when the boxes are sound. Refacing runs about $4,000 to $9,500, or $100 to $250 per linear foot, landing 50 to 70 percent under a full replacement. It stops being the cheaper path once the boxes themselves are shot, or once the floor plan has to move.
Planning a kitchen in Fort Lauderdale?
Get an honest, no-pressure estimate from a local team with 15+ years across Broward County — with the cabinets, the labor and the trim priced as separate lines. For whole-house projects, see home remodeling in Fort Lauderdale.
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Pompano Beach, FL 33064
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