Kitchen Cabinet Cost Per Linear Foot
Published cabinet-cost guides put installed stock or ready-to-assemble cabinets at roughly $100–$400 per linear foot, semi-custom at roughly $150–$700, and custom cabinets at roughly $500–$1,200+. Those ranges are useful for a quick budget check, but they're broad: sources don't always include the same things, and a foot of plain base and wall cabinets doesn't cost the same as a run with drawers, tall cabinets or a corner.
| Buying level | Published cost per linear foot (installed) | Best used for |
|---|---|---|
| Stock / RTA | ~$100–$400 | Rough budget |
| Semi-custom | ~$150–$700 | Rough budget |
| Custom | ~$500–$1,200+ | Rough budget |
Broad published installed-cost benchmarks, not KitchenFit estimates. Sources differ in what they include. Sources: HomeAdvisor and Lily Ann Cabinets.
Calculate my cabinet costsWhat 20 linear feet looks like with those numbers
Multiplying the published ranges by 20 feet gives a very early budget range. That is exactly what a linear-foot calculation is good for: quick orientation, not a quote.
| Buying level | Per linear foot | × 20 feet |
|---|---|---|
| Stock / RTA | ~$100–$400 | ~$2,000–$8,000 |
| Semi-custom | ~$150–$700 | ~$3,000–$14,000 |
| Custom | ~$500–$1,200+ | ~$10,000–$24,000+ |
So why are those ranges so wide?
Same 20 feet. Different cabinet lists. Different cost.
Here are two kitchens with 20 feet of cabinet wall and the same refrigerator, sink, dishwasher and range. KitchenFit generated a layout for each, turned it into a cabinet list, and priced that list.
The published benchmarks above generally include installation. KitchenFit's comparison below is cabinet-only, so use it to understand how the cabinet list changes the estimate—not to compare the dollar totals directly with the installed benchmarks.
- Drawer base cabinets36″, 30″
- Trash pull-out cabinet18″
- Base cabinets (narrow)15″ ×2
- Sink base cabinet36″
- Wall cabinets (wide)36″ ×5, 30″
- Trash pull-out cabinet18″
- Sink base cabinet36″
- Wall cabinets (wide)36″ ×2, 24″ ×2
- Tall / pantry cabinets24″
- Fillers3″ ×3
- Base corner units36″×36″
- Wall corner units27″×27″
Both kitchens have 20 feet of wall, but their cabinet lists differ (12 vs. 9 cabinets). In this example the L-shaped list prices lower on all three paths. That is not because L-shaped kitchens are cheaper: its corner unit and pantry cabinet take the place of several ordinary base and wall cabinets.
In the straight-wall kitchen, about 7½ of the 20 feet are appliances. A 20-foot multiplier doesn't know that. The point is not that one layout is cheaper—it's that linear footage alone can't tell you which cabinets fill those 20 feet.
What “per linear foot” means
A linear foot is one foot of cabinet run measured along the wall. Add up the length of each wall that gets cabinets and divide the inches by 12: a 12-foot wall and an 8-foot wall make 20 linear feet.
What a per-foot price covers varies by source. HomeAdvisor, for example, lists stock cabinets at $100–$300 per linear foot installed, but $50–$100 per linear foot for the cabinets alone. Seeing installed and cabinets-only numbers side by side online is one reason per-foot prices seem to disagree.
Why the range is so wide
Linear footage describes how long the run is, not which cabinets fill it. The same few feet can hold:
- a standard door base, or a drawer base
- a sink base, or a trash pull-out
- a tall pantry cabinet instead of a base and wall cabinet
- a corner unit where two runs meet
- an appliance opening with no cabinet at all
- finished end panels, fillers and accessories
The buying path matters too. See RTA vs. semi-custom vs. custom kitchen cabinets for what each one means.
What changes the cost of a cabinet run
- Appliance openings. Refrigerators, ranges and dishwashers take wall space without adding cabinet cost.
- Tall cabinets. A pantry cabinet replaces a base and a wall cabinet in one piece.
- Corners. A corner unit fills the space where two runs meet, in place of ordinary cabinets.
- Cabinet type. Drawer bases, sink bases and trash pull-outs are priced differently from plain door cabinets.
- What the price includes. Installation, panels, fillers and accessories may or may not be in a per-foot number.
From linear feet to an actual cabinet list
KitchenFit starts with your kitchen's dimensions, creates a starting cabinet layout, derives a cabinet list from it, and compares cabinet-only costs for that same list across ready-to-assemble, special-order / semi-custom, and custom cabinet shop.
One cabinet layout → one cabinet list → three buying paths.
It doesn't estimate the kitchen by multiplying its length by one price per foot. It's a starting layout and cost comparison, not a final design or quote. How KitchenFit calculates cabinet cost ranges
Calculate my cabinet costsFAQ
How much do kitchen cabinets cost per linear foot?
Published cost guides put installed stock or ready-to-assemble cabinets at roughly $100–$400 per linear foot, semi-custom at roughly $150–$700, and custom at roughly $500–$1,200 or more. Cabinets-only figures are lower. These are broad market benchmarks, not quotes.
What does cabinet cost per linear foot include?
It depends on the source. Some figures include installation; others cover the cabinets alone. HomeAdvisor, for example, lists stock cabinets at $100–$300 per linear foot installed and $50–$100 per linear foot for the cabinets alone. Countertops, appliances and other remodel costs are usually separate.
How do I calculate cabinet linear feet?
Measure each wall that will have cabinets, add the lengths together, and divide the total in inches by 12. A 12-foot wall plus an 8-foot wall is 20 linear feet. Sources differ on exactly how they count runs, so check what a per-foot price assumes.
Is price per linear foot accurate for kitchen cabinets?
It is useful for a quick, early budget range, but not for a specific kitchen. A per-foot price doesn't know which cabinets fill the run, how much of it appliances take up, or what the price includes. For a closer estimate, price the actual cabinet list.
Why can two kitchens with the same linear footage cost different amounts?
Because the same footage can hold different cabinets. Appliances take up wall space without adding cabinet cost, and drawer bases, sink bases, corner units and tall pantry cabinets are priced differently from ordinary cabinets. In the 20-foot comparison on this page, the two kitchens' cabinet lists price differently even though both have 20 feet of wall.