How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Kitchen?

Average Cost to Paint a Kitchen

Kitchen Painting Materials Prices

Painting Materials Price List

Kitchen Painting Labor Costs

On average, it will cost between $170 and $680 to hire a professional painter near you. There are several ways that your professional might calculate those labor costs: per square foot of coverage and hourly.

• Per square foot of coverage area: $1.50 to $4 per square foot for labor only, $2 to $6 per square foot for labor and materials. This is the most common method of calculating labor costs for painting interior rooms.

• Hourly pricing: $20 to $50 an hour, with some professionals charging up to $100 per hour depending on the difficulty of the project. Labor charges usually account for 75% to 85% of your total bill.

Kitchen Painting Cost by Type

Several different kitchen layout types affect the cost to paint a kitchen. The kitchen layout changes how much wall space needs painting and the ease by which a professional can reach certain areas. Other architectural features like islands and peninsulas can affect the pricing; they need protection during the process.

One Wall Kitchen

One-wall kitchens are usually the smallest type of kitchen and cost $140 to $420 to paint.

A one-wall kitchen is a popular design in apartments and open concept spaces, where all countertops, cabinets, and appliances are on one wall, and the other three walls are open to the rest of the home.

Galley Kitchen

Painters charge between $200 and $700 to paint a galley kitchen. Galley kitchens have a central walkway with counters, cabinets, and appliances on one wall or both walls. They are usually between 80 and 120 square feet and have a smaller amount of open wall space, but due to the compactness of the room, certain areas may be harder for painters to access.

Island Kitchen

Kitchens with one or more islands cost $400 to $1,200 to paint. Kitchens with islands are generally more than 100 square feet because the island needs clearance around all sides. This design is popular because it provides more counter and cabinet space than other kitchens and offers a unique challenge to painters as they have to maneuver around the island to paint.

L-Shaped Kitchen

This kitchen type gets its name from the two adjacent rows of cabinets that form the letter L and cost $300 to $1,200 to paint. L-shaped kitchens are usually a minimum of 100 square feet but can be as large as 200 square feet, depending on the design. Depending on the amount of space and the homeowner’s preference, they may or may not have an island.

Peninsula Kitchen

Contractors charge $500 to $1,400 to paint peninsula kitchens. These kitchens are usually between 150 and 220 square feet and can come in either an L-shape or a U-shape. The unique feature of peninsula kitchens is the presence of only lower cabinets, which is easier for contractors to paint. One side of a peninsula kitchen is often used as a kitchen bar and opens up into another space, like the dining room or living area.

U-Shaped Kitchen

Contractors charge between $600 to $2,000 for U-shaped kitchens due to the number of cabinets and the square footage, making them the most expensive to paint. U-shaped kitchens, also called horseshoe kitchens, have three adjacent walls of cabinets that may be upper and lower or just lower. These kitchens are the largest of all the different types of kitchens, usually with a minimum of 175 square feet.

Cost to Paint a Kitchen by Size

Most often, contractors will base their pricing to paint a kitchen on the room’s square footage. Kitchens usually fall between 70 and 400 square feet, depending on their shape and the size of the home. When calculating the cost to paint a kitchen by square footage, you should also consider whether or not your contractor will have to remove and replace any fixtures. Having only kitchen walls painted costs less than having walls and cabinets painted.

Average Cost to Paint a Kitchen by Feature

In addition to the walls, a kitchen may have other features that need painting, like islands, backsplashes, countertops, and so on. You may need to find a specialist to paint fixtures, as a general interior painter may not have the expertise to do the job correctly. Specialists will know whether or not to paint a fixture and any upkeep that you will need to perform in the future.

Appliances

The average cost to refinish kitchen appliances is $50 to $450. Having your appliances painted is a good way to update your kitchen’s look without doing a total overhaul. Because appliances require specialized paint—with things like the oven and stove requiring heat-resistant paint—pricing will depend on specific materials needed.

Backsplash

Contractors usually charge $3 to $13 per square foot to paint a kitchen backsplash. They may need to use specialty paint products, such as heat-resistant paint, which can drive up the price. Cost will also depend on how elaborate of a paint job it is, i.e., solid color versus painting a tiled effect onto the wall. Ceiling tile and wallpaper are the least expensive materials to paint at $3 to $6 per square foot, while granite and marble sit at the high end of the cost spectrum at $9 to $13 per square foot.

Cabinets

To have your kitchen cabinets painted, you can expect to pay an average of $1,000, or $3 to $10 per square foot. The contractor will have to remove the doors and the hardware to complete the job, making it one of the more involved steps in the kitchen painting process. Pricing varies based on the material of the cabinets, type of paint, and the finish. Steel and hardwood cabinets tend to be the most expensive materials to repaint, while plywood and wood veneer cost less to repaint.

Countertops

The cost to paint kitchen countertops runs between $7 to $17 per square foot, depending on the material. Countertops require a special primer before painting and need a specific type of paint. Recycled glass, soapstone, zinc, and copper countertops should not be painted and will need to be replaced if you’re looking for an update.

Faucet

If you want a new look for your faucet but are not interested in replacing the fixture, a fresh coat of paint can give it a whole new look. With labor, painting a faucet costs around $100 and will require cleaning, sanding, and caulking before painting. Your contractor will use a rust-resistant primer to ensure the fixture doesn’t get damaged in the future, then apply a latex or acrylic metallic paint over the primer.

Island

The average cost to paint a kitchen island is $3 to $6 per square foot, but the cost largely depends on the size of the island, what features are on it and how complicated the prep will be. For instance, if you have cabinets on the underside of your island, your contractor will have to remove all the hardware before painting. Painters will usually deep clean before painting using a degreaser and then heavy-duty primer and enamel paint.

Sink

Contractors usually charge $225 to $500 to paint a sink. Like the faucet, sinks require a rust-resistant primer and usually have a metallic paint option. Certain sink materials, such as copper, should not be painted; replace them if you want a new look. Acrylic sinks are the least expensive to paint at around $250, while materials like cast iron can run up to $500 to paint over.

DIY vs. Hire a Pro

While it may seem less expensive on the surface to DIY your kitchen painting project, the time and effort that it could take may make hiring a professional well worth it. Here are some things to think about before embarking on a DIY paint job.

• Extra investment: If you don’t have the materials required for the paint job, that’s an extra investment on top of just the paint and the primer.

• Removal of hardware and appliances: Before you or a pro begins, be sure to dedicate time to interior painting prep; you may have to remove all of your kitchen appliances, the hardware from your cabinets and anything else that might get in the way of your paint job.

• Cleaning and sanding: Every area you’re going to paint needs proper prepping, which may entail deep cleaning, sanding and filling gaps with caulk or plaster.

• Taping: To keep edges straight and prevent paint from going places it shouldn’t, you’ll want to use painter’s tape.

• Stress and hidden costs: If this is your first DIY home project, trying to get it perfect could be very stressful. And if you don’t get the project done the way you want, you may end up hiring a professional, which will cost more in the long run.

FAQs

How long does it take to paint a kitchen?

It usually takes 6 to 10 hours to paint a single room. It depends heavily on what items in the kitchen you’re painting. It might take less time if you’re just painting the walls, while walls and cabinets will take significantly more time because of the hardware removal and taping required. DIYers will usually take 2 to 3 times longer than pros to get the job done.

How do you measure a kitchen for painting?

When you’re measuring a kitchen for painting, the process can get a little complicated. You’ll need to measure the height and width of any walls, but cabinets, windows and doors need to be subtracted from the total.

How much paint do you need to paint a kitchen?

As a general rule, one can of paint covers 400 square feet of wall space. You can paint most kitchen walls with two coats using a single can of paint. You should factor in painting kitchen accessories separately, as each requires specialized paint.