Cabinet Installation Cost Guide: Houston, TX (2026)
Cabinets get quoted by the linear foot here, and once you know that the rest of an estimate stops being mysterious. Install labor runs $50-$120 and up per linear foot in Houston, with stock boxes at $100-$300 and semi-custom at $200-$650.
- Priced by the linear foot
- Stock or semi-custom, both installed
- Talk it through: 512-290-5153
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Quick Overview
The Short Version for Houston Kitchens
- Install labor: $50-$120 and up per linear foot, which is the line you are hiring us for.
- Stock cabinet boxes: $100-$300 per linear foot supplied, the usual pick for a first kitchen.
- Semi-custom boxes: $200-$650 per linear foot supplied, once configuration starts to matter.
- What we do not take on: Custom fabrication, plumbing rough-ins and electrical. Those belong elsewhere.
- Crew and days: Two or three installers, one to five days depending on run length.
- Permits: Cabinets are finish work, so the city has nothing to issue for them.
Direct Answers
Plain Answers Before Anyone Visits
Install labor runs $50-$120 or more per linear foot in Houston, with stock boxes adding $100-$300 per linear foot and semi-custom boxes $200-$650.
Measure the wall run your cabinets occupy in feet, then multiply by the labor and box ranges above to find the bracket your kitchen sits inside.
Custom cabinet fabrication, plumbing rough-ins and electrical work, all of which sit outside this service unless subcontracted inside a larger remodel.
Why Houston Is Different
What Makes a Houston Kitchen Trickier Than the Catalogue Says
Cabinet boxes cost the same here as anywhere. What is different is the house they are going into. Three things come up in nearly every Houston kitchen we walk, and they explain most of the spread in that per-foot labor figure.
Nobody's Floor Is Level, and That Is Normal Here
Beaumont clay under this city swells with a wet spring and shrinks back through August, and slabs move along with it. So when we put a laser line across a Meyerland or Westbury kitchen and find half an inch of fall over twelve feet, that is an ordinary morning rather than bad news. What it means for you is that boxes get set to a level line and the difference underneath gets closed with toe-kick and scribe work. Skip that and your countertop telegraphs every dip in the floor. It is the least glamorous line on the estimate and the one you would miss most.
Older Walls Lean, So Fillers Earn Their Keep
Those 1950s and 60s ranch houses off Bissonnet and around Oak Forest were built well, and they have also been standing on moving ground for seventy years. Walls lean, corners open up, and a run of uppers set tight against a leaning wall will show a tapering gap at the ceiling by the time the crown goes on. The honest answer is filler strips and scribed stiles, cut on site to the wall you actually have rather than the one on a drawing. That is handwork, and it is a real reason the per-foot labor range reaches $120 and past it in an older house.
Keeping the Plumbing Where It Is Saves the Most Money
Nearly every Houston house sits on slab-on-grade, which means the drain under your sink is cast into concrete. Move the sink wall and you are opening a slab, and that is a remodel with other trades in it rather than a cabinet installation. Keep the sink and the range roughly where they are and your spend stays in boxes and labor, which is where it does the most visible good. We will tell you which layout changes cost nothing, which ones get expensive quickly, and which ones we would skip in our own kitchen.
Houston: 77002 · 77006 · 77007 · 77008 · 77036 · 77084
Typical Cabinet Installation Scopes in Houston
Install labor in Houston runs $50-$120 and up per linear foot, with stock boxes at $100-$300 per foot and semi-custom at $200-$650. Those figures hold metro-wide. The $500 project minimum applies to multi-item work and is reached easily on any kitchen run.
Stock Kitchen Refresh
Twelve feet of galley in a Garden Oaks bungalow
A laser line showed the floor dropping toward the back door, so base boxes were set level and the toe-kick absorbed the difference. Stock boxes, new pulls, and a filler at the leaning wall where the original cabinets had simply been forced in.
| Rooms | Galley kitchen, uppers and base |
| Duration | 2 days |
| Lead time | 2-3 weeks |
| Products | Prefab stock boxes, GRK cabinet screws and shims, Amerock pulls, Bosch laser level |
Semi-Custom L-Shape
Stacked uppers to a nine-foot ceiling
Twenty linear feet with a second row of uppers, crown and light rail. The sink and range stayed exactly where they were, which kept the whole budget in boxes and labor instead of in slab work and other trades.
| Rooms | Kitchen, twenty linear feet |
| Duration | 4 days |
| Lead time | 6-8 weeks on semi-custom delivery |
| Products | Fabuwood or Schrock semi-custom boxes, MDF cabinet crown, Blum hinges, cabinet jack |
Bath Vanities, Two Baths
Hall bath and primary in a Westbury ranch
Both vanities were set and leveled in one visit, with the existing supply and drain locations held so nobody had to open a wall. Hookups were left to the plumbing trade, which is how this service is scoped.
| Rooms | Two bathrooms |
| Duration | 1 day |
| Lead time | Within two weeks |
| Products | Prefab vanity cabinets, GRK screws and shims, Amerock hardware, Kreg clamp set |
Site Conditions
What We Check Before the First Box Goes Up
Every one of these turns up often enough in Houston kitchens that we look for it on the walkthrough. None of them are disasters; they are just work that belongs on the estimate rather than in a surprise.
| Condition | Where you see it in Houston | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Slab out of level across the run | Meyerland, Westbury and Oak Forest ranch kitchens | Boxes set to a laser line, then toe-kick scribed down to the floor |
| Walls out of plumb | Almost any pre-1970 house that has moved with the clay | Filler strips and scribed stiles cut on site rather than ordered to a drawing |
| Nine to ten foot ceilings | Inner-Loop townhomes built since 1998 | Stacked uppers with crown and a filler plan, which adds linear-foot labor |
| Plumbing cast into the slab | Essentially every slab-on-grade Houston kitchen | Layout held where possible; relocation belongs in a remodel with other trades |
| Soffit above the uppers | 1960s and 70s kitchens across outer-Loop Houston | Soffit removal priced with drywall, since the affected wall plane is replaced afterwards |
| Laundry and garage walls with humidity swings | Attached garages and utility rooms | Boxes held off the slab and fastened to blocking instead of sitting on the floor |
Materials
The Boxes and Hardware We Install
Two tiers cover nearly every Houston kitchen: stock boxes at $100-$300 per linear foot and semi-custom at $200-$650. Around them sit the small items that make a run look finished, Blum hinges and Amerock pulls at $5-$35 per set, cabinet crown at $4-$12 per linear foot, and GRK screws and shims at $8-$26 per box.
| Product | Brand | Why it earns the spot |
|---|---|---|
| Bosch laser level | Bosch | Essential for cabinet lines and reveals. |
| Cabinet jack | Bora / ProLift | Supports wall cabinet placement. |
| Cabinet pulls and hinges | Amerock / Blum | Includes door and drawer hardware. |
| Cabinet screws and shims | GRK / generic | Used for secure and level installation. |
| Prefab cabinets | IKEA / Home Depot / Lowe's | Common cabinet solution for mid-market jobs. |
| Cabinet crown molding | MDF / wood crown | Creates a finished top detail. |
| Kreg clamp set | Kreg | Useful for clamping and alignment. |
| Semi-custom cabinets | Fabuwood / Schrock | Upgrade option with more configuration choices. |
Material grades are specified per substrate after the on-site walkthrough. Material prices are carried in the project scope.
Pricing
What Cabinet Installation Costs in Houston
Boxes and labor are separate lines, and keeping them separate is the only way to see what you are actually paying for. Here is how both land locally.
| Scope | Typical Houston range | What drives the spread |
|---|---|---|
| Install labor, stock or semi-custom | $50-$120+ per linear foot | Box weight, filler and scribe work, and whether uppers are stacked |
| Stock cabinet boxes supplied | $100-$300 per linear foot | Door style, box construction and finish |
| Semi-custom boxes supplied | $200-$650 per linear foot | Configuration, finish choice and drawer hardware |
| Crown and light rail on the uppers | $4-$12 per linear foot in material | Profile, returns, and how many corners the run turns |
| Bath vanity set and leveled | Quoted per unit after the walkthrough | No metro-wide per-vanity source exists, so the figure comes from the measure |
Minimum project size is $500. Every figure is confirmed on site before work starts.
Labor and Boxes by Run Length
This is the same arithmetic you can do at your kitchen counter: the Houston per-foot ranges multiplied by how many feet of cabinet you have. It gives you a bracket to work from.
| Run length | Install labor | Boxes supplied |
|---|---|---|
| 10 linear feet, laundry or utility | $500-$1,200 | $1,000-$3,000 in stock boxes |
| 12 linear feet, galley kitchen | $600-$1,440 | $1,200-$3,600 in stock boxes |
| 20 linear feet, L-shape kitchen | $1,000-$2,400 | $2,000-$6,000 in stock boxes |
| 20 linear feet, semi-custom | $1,000-$2,400 | $4,000-$13,000 in semi-custom boxes |
| 25 linear feet with an island | $1,250-$3,000 | $2,500-$7,500 in stock boxes |
Each figure is the Houston per-linear-foot range multiplied by run length, before hardware, crown and countertops. Confirmed on site before anything is ordered.
What Each Line on a Cabinet Estimate Pays For
Install labor sounds like one thing and is really seven. Here is what sits inside it, and the two lines that do not belong to us at all.
| Line item | In the install price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Laser line and high-point layout | Yes | The floor is never the reference; the level line is |
| Hanging uppers off a ledger | Yes | Cabinet jack and two installers on every upper run |
| Shimming and leveling base boxes | Yes | Toe-kick closes the gap a moving slab left behind |
| Filler strips and scribed stiles | Yes | Cut on site to the wall you actually have |
| Hardware boring and mounting | Yes | Pulls and hinges at $5-$35 per set |
| Crown and light rail on the uppers | Yes | Cabinet crown at $4-$12 per linear foot in material |
| Sink, disposal and under-cabinet wiring | No | Plumbing and electrical are subcontracted inside a remodel only |
What Pushes a Houston Cabinet Quote Up or Down
None of these carry a fixed surcharge, because each one changes how many hours the run takes. Think of them as the dials between $50 and $120 a foot.
| Factor | Direction | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping the sink and range where they are | Down | No slab work and no other trades on site |
| Stock boxes in stock sizes | Down | $100-$300 per foot against $200-$650 for semi-custom |
| Walls out of plumb in an older house | Up | Scribing and filler work on cabinet after cabinet |
| Stacked uppers to a nine or ten foot ceiling | Up | A second row, crown, and staging time at height |
| Soffit removal above the uppers | Up | The affected wall plane gets replaced, which brings drywall into the job |
| Moving the sink wall | Walkthrough first | Slab-on-grade plumbing relocation belongs in a remodel |
Process
How a Cabinet Install Actually Runs
- 1We walk it with you. Run length gets measured, the floor and walls get read, and we talk through what you want where. You leave that conversation knowing the bracket before anyone orders anything.
- 2Layout gets an honest review. If keeping the sink and range where they are saves you thousands, we will say so. If a change is worth the money, we will say that too, along with which trades it pulls in.
- 3The level line goes up first. A laser line sets the reference, since the floor has moved. High point is found, the line is marked, and every box on the run gets hung or set off that single datum.
- 4Uppers first, then base. Wall cabinets go up off a ledger with a cabinet jack and two installers, then base boxes are shimmed and leveled underneath with the toe-kick closing the gap.
- 5Fillers and scribes get cut on site. Stiles and fillers are fitted to the walls in front of us, so a leaning wall ends up with a clean reveal instead of a tapering gap.
- 6Hardware, crown and a walk-through. Pulls and hinges are bored and mounted, crown and light rail go on, doors are aligned, and we open every door and drawer with you before leaving.
Coverage
Houston Kitchens We Work In
Different eras, same per-foot ranges. If your neighborhood is not on the list, it almost certainly still is, so give us a call.
Our Services
What Usually Comes With a Cabinet Job
Cabinets sit in the middle of a kitchen project, with trades either side of them. These five run with the same crews, so you are not the one making the phone calls.
Painting Services
Walls and ceilings get finished before the boxes arrive, because painting around a new run costs more and looks worse. Houston interiors are priced at $1.50-$3 per square foot of floor area.
Tile Installation
Backsplash goes in after the boxes are set and the counters are templated, in that order every time. Backsplash and floor tile run $7-$15 per square foot locally.
Trim & Baseboard
Base, crown and the little transition pieces around a new kitchen tie the room back together. Baseboard installs at $3.50-$9 per linear foot.
Flooring Installation
Flooring height decides toe-kick and appliance clearance, so the two get sequenced together. LVP installs at $4-$8 per square foot in Houston.
Drywall Installation
Pulling a soffit above the uppers means the affected wall plane gets replaced in full and finished to match. New board, taped, finished and textured to the room.
Common Questions
Houston Cabinet Installation Questions
How much does cabinet installation cost per linear foot?
Install labor is $50-$120 and up per linear foot in Houston. Boxes are a separate line: $100-$300 per foot for stock, $200-$650 for semi-custom.
How many linear feet is an average kitchen?
Most Houston kitchens we walk into fall between twelve and twenty-five linear feet of cabinet run. Measure the wall length your cabinets cover and you have your own number.
Do I need a permit for new cabinets?
No. Cabinets sit on the exempt side of the city’s trigger list, and no project value changes that. Swapping a plumbing or electrical fixture is what pulls a permit.
Can you build custom cabinets for my kitchen?
We install rather than fabricate. Stock and semi-custom lines cover most kitchens, and for a true one-off box we would point you to a millwork shop and install their work.
Will you hook up my sink and disposal?
Not as a standalone job. Plumbing and electrical are subcontracted only inside a larger remodel, so a cabinet install leaves those connections to the trade that owns them.
Is semi-custom worth the extra money?
It is if your kitchen has odd dimensions or you want particular drawer configurations. In a standard galley, stock boxes at $100-$300 per foot do the same visible job.
How long will my kitchen be out of action?
One to five days of installation depending on run length. A twelve-foot galley is usually two days; twenty feet with stacked uppers runs closer to four.
Does the $500 minimum apply to one vanity?
It does, and a single small vanity can land under it. Most folks pair it with another item, which also saves paying twice for one trip out to the house.
How We Work in Your Kitchen
A Level Line, Not the Floor
Every run is set off a laser line rather than off a floor that has been moving for decades. The toe-kick absorbs the difference so your countertop reads straight.
Fillers Cut on Site
Walls here lean, so stiles and fillers are scribed to the wall in front of us. Ordering them to a drawing is how you end up with a tapering gap at the ceiling.
Your Layout Gets an Honest Read
We will tell you which layout changes cost nothing and which ones mean opening a slab. Keeping the plumbing where it is usually buys you better boxes.
One Crew, Named Hardware
Two or three installers from the first box to the last pull, with Blum hinges and Amerock pulls listed by name on the estimate. No mystery line items.
Let's Measure Your Run
Saturday mornings around here belong at the Urban Harvest market on Richmond. Ring 512-290-5153 and we will measure your run.
Our Houston Homeowner Resources
Drywall Installation · Fence Installation · Flooring Installation · Painting Services · Tile Installation