Cost guide
How much does it cost to paint kitchen cabinets in Ottawa?
A clear, sourced look at what cabinet painting costs in Ottawa, what drives your number, spray vs brush, and whether painting or replacing is the smarter move for your kitchen.
Short answer.HomeStars’ 2026 Canadian price guide puts professional kitchen cabinet painting at $1,500 to $8,500, and says most homeowners pay $2,500 to $5,500. On its figures a small kitchen with 8 to 12 doors and drawers runs $1,500 to $3,500, and a large one with 21 or more runs $4,500 to $8,500 or more. Full cabinet replacement, on the same page, runs $5,000 to $30,000 or more. Those are national market ranges, not an Ottawa Luxe Painting quote. Your real number depends on the number of doors and drawers, the cabinet material, the condition, and whether the doors are sprayed for a factory-smooth finish.
We price from your actual kitchen, so treat these ranges as a frame for checking a quote rather than as a bill. Our kitchen cabinet painting in Ottawa page walks through how the work runs.
What drives cabinet painting cost
Door and drawer count. This is the biggest single driver. More doors and drawers means more surfaces to clean, sand, prime, and coat. Published guides often express cabinet cost per door for exactly this reason.
Finish method: spray vs brush. Spraying doors (ideally off the cabinet) gives the smoothest, most furniture-like finish, but it takes more masking and setup. Brush-and-roll is quicker and lower cost but leaves more texture. The method you choose moves the price.
Cabinet material. Solid wood and MDF take paint well. Laminate and thermofoil need specific priming to bond, which adds a step.
Condition and prep. Grease, existing finish, and any damage all change how much cleaning, sanding, and repair the job needs before a coat goes on.
Colour and coats. A big colour change, or a very light final colour over a dark base, can add a coat.
Cabinet painting cost by kitchen size
| Scope | Published Canadian range |
|---|---|
| Small kitchen, 8 to 12 doors and drawers | $1,500 to $3,500 |
| Medium kitchen, 13 to 20 doors and drawers | $2,800 to $5,500 |
| Large kitchen, 21 to 30 or more doors and drawers | $4,500 to $8,500 or more |
| Cabinet refacing (for comparison) | $3,000 to $10,000 |
| Full cabinet replacement (for comparison) | $5,000 to $30,000 or more |
Source: HomeStars, “Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets in Canada: A 2026 Guide” (homestars.com/kitchen/price-guides/cost-to-paint-kitchen-cabinets), read 2026-09-11. Its kitchen sizes count doors and drawers together, and the same page says spray application adds $500 to $1,500 to a typical quote. These are national market ranges, not an Ottawa figure and not a fixed quote. What your kitchen costs comes from a written estimate, and our cabinet painting page explains how that estimate is scoped.
Paint or replace? The honest comparison
| Paint / refinish | Replace | |
|---|---|---|
| Published Canadian cost (HomeStars) | $1,500 to $8,500 | $5,000 to $30,000 or more |
| Timeline | Days, not weeks | Weeks (order, demo, install) |
| Kitchen usable during work | Mostly, with some access limits | Often not, during install |
| Best when | Cabinet boxes and layout are sound and you want a new colour or finish | Boxes are damaged or failing, or you want a new layout |
If the cabinet boxes are solid and you like your layout, painting is the high-return move: a new colour and a smooth finish for a fraction of replacement. If the boxes are failing or you want to change the kitchen’s layout, replacement is the honest answer, and we will tell you so. Cabinets are one part of a wider refresh, so see everything we do on our house painters in Ottawa.
Why we do not quote cabinets over the phone
Two kitchens with the same footprint can price differently based on door count, material, and condition. We look at the actual cabinets, confirm the finish method you want, and give you a free, written, itemized estimate. A few photos with your request help us give a faster, more accurate number.
We are not being awkward about it. Consumer Protection Ontario tells homeowners never to accept an estimate over the phone or without the contractor inspecting the area.
Want a real cabinet number? These ranges are a starting frame. For a price on your actual kitchen, get a free, itemized estimate.
Cabinet painting cost in Ottawa: common questions
HomeStars' 2026 Canadian price guide puts professional cabinet painting at $1,500 to $8,500 and says most homeowners pay $2,500 to $5,500. By size it gives $1,500 to $3,500 for a small kitchen of 8 to 12 doors and drawers, $2,800 to $5,500 for a medium one of 13 to 20, and $4,500 to $8,500 or more for a large one of 21 or more. Those are national market figures, not our quote. The number depends mostly on the door and drawer count, the material, the condition, and whether the doors are sprayed. We quote from your actual kitchen.
Yes, usually by a wide margin. HomeStars puts painting at $1,500 to $8,500 against $5,000 to $30,000 or more for full replacement, and says replacing costs three to five times more than painting. Painting is also faster and less disruptive, as long as your cabinet boxes are sound.
Spraying doors gives the smoothest, most factory-like finish and is what most homeowners want for cabinets. Brush-and-roll costs less and is quicker but leaves more texture. We talk through the trade-off during your estimate.
Yes, with the right preparation. Laminate and thermofoil need a specific bonding primer so the finish adheres and lasts. We confirm the material and the right products before we start.
Most kitchens take several working days once prep starts, depending on door count and the finish method. We give you a realistic timeline with your estimate.