How Much Paint for Kitchen Cabinets?

How to estimate paint and primer for kitchen cabinets, typical amounts for an average kitchen, and why cabinet paint is different.

Painting kitchen cabinets transforms a kitchen for a fraction of the cost of new ones. It also uses less paint than you'd think, because the surfaces are small. What matters more is the right product and good prep.

Here's how much to buy.

Typical amounts

• Average kitchen (20–30 doors and drawers): about 1 gallon of cabinet paint for two coats, both sides of the doors.
• Primer: about 1 quart to 1 gallon, depending on whether the cabinets are bare wood, laminate or previously painted.
• Large kitchen or island: 1.5–2 gallons of paint.

Calculate it yourself

1. Measure each door and drawer front (width × height) and add them up.
2. Double it if you're painting both sides of the doors.
3. Add the cabinet boxes and face frames.
4. Multiply by coats and divide by coverage (cabinet enamels often cover 300–400 sq ft per gallon).

Tips

• Use a cabinet or trim enamel. It levels smoothly and stands up to cleaning.
• Degrease and sand before priming; kitchens are greasy.
• Thin coats dry harder than thick ones.