Cabinets are expensive because they combine costly materials, skilled labor, and hardware that has to hold up to daily use for 15 to 20 years or more. Solid wood and real plywood cost more than particleboard. Dovetail joints and soft-close hinges cost more to build than glued corners and cheap hinges. Custom sizing costs more than a box built on an assembly line.
Here's exactly where the money goes, so you can spend yours wisely.
The short version: material, construction quality, labor, and 2026 tariffs.
Solid wood is the most expensive option. It looks and feels premium, but it can also expand and contract with humidity, so it needs to be built correctly to avoid warping. Plywood is the next step down in cost, and it is what most quality cabinet boxes are built from. It holds screws well, resists moisture better than particleboard, and stays stable over time.
MDF (medium-density fiberboard) costs less than plywood and is actually a great choice for painted cabinet doors, since it has no wood grain to show through the paint and doesn't crack or split. Particleboard is the cheapest material. It's fine for a tight budget, but it has the least structural strength. Screws can strip out of it over time, and it holds up poorly if it ever gets wet.
Drawers with dovetail joints, where the wood pieces interlock like puzzle pieces, are the gold standard. They're stronger than glued or stapled corners and don't loosen up after a few years of opening and closing. They also take more skilled labor to produce, which is why they cost more. Soft-close hinges and drawer slides cost more than standard hardware, but they're worth it. A cabinet that slams shouldn't be considered finished, even if everything else about it is high quality.
You'll also see a difference between face-frame construction, which has a solid wood frame across the front of the box, and frameless construction, which is more common in modern designs and often uses slightly heavier-duty box material since there's no frame adding rigidity.
Stock and semi-custom cabinets typically run about $100 to $650 per linear foot, or roughly $2,000 to $13,000 for a standard 10x10 kitchen. These come in a limited set of sizes and finishes, but a good semi-custom line can still use plywood boxes and dovetail drawers.
Custom cabinets, built to your exact kitchen's dimensions with your choice of materials and finish, typically run $500 to $1,200 or more per linear foot, often totaling $10,000 to $24,000 or more for the same size kitchen. The jump from stock to custom isn't really about the wood costing more per square foot. It's paying a cabinetmaker to design, build, and finish something to your kitchen's exact measurements instead of pulling from pre-made sizes.
A well-finished cabinet still looks good after years of daily use.
A painted or stained cabinet finish that's sprayed on in a controlled shop environment looks smoother, more even, and lasts longer than one that's brushed on. Spray finishing requires a dedicated space, ventilation, and someone who knows how to apply multiple coats correctly.
That expertise and equipment gets built into the price, but it's also why a well-finished cabinet still looks good after years of daily use, while a poorly finished one starts chipping or yellowing early.
Installing cabinets isn't just screwing boxes to a wall. Cabinets have to be leveled, secured into studs, and lined up perfectly so doors and drawers close evenly. Installation labor typically runs $40 to $100 per hour, or about $50 to $200 per linear foot, depending on the complexity of the kitchen layout and how much the existing space needs to be modified to fit new cabinetry. A crooked or poorly secured installation can make even expensive cabinets look cheap, so this isn't a place to cut corners.
On top of material and labor costs, new tariffs on imported cabinets began adding real pressure to prices in 2026. Tariffs on imported cabinets built for permanent installation started at 25% in October 2025 and increased to 50% at the start of January 2026, affecting many ready-to-assemble and imported cabinet lines. According to reporting from The Kitchn, that's translated into real increases at the register, with some stock cabinet packages moving from around $3,000 to $4,500, and semi-custom packages moving from around $10,000 to $15,000.
Homeowners typically absorb more than half of a tariff increase, with the rest spread across manufacturers and retailers. If you're planning a kitchen remodel, sourcing cabinets from a domestic or local shop can help you avoid some of this added cost.
Planning a kitchen remodel in Vancouver, WA or Portland, OR? Salcans Remodeling can help you choose cabinets that fit your budget and hold up for years, not just look good on install day. Get a free kitchen remodel estimate and start planning your project with a team that knows exactly what goes into a cabinet that's built to last.
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