Skip to content
LoclisBeta
Sign up
CostCabinet Refinishing

How much does it cost to paint kitchen cabinets in Virginia?

There is no single Virginia price: quotes depend on how many doors and drawers you have, their condition, the finish system and whether the home predates 1978. Get at least three written bids on identical specifications, and expect a deposit of no more than 10 percent or $1,000, whichever is less, per the state's guidance.

Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.

By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished

Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.

Step by step

Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.

  1. Step 1: Count and describe the work

    Count the doors, drawers and end panels, note the material and condition of each, and decide whether the boxes get painted too, plus any repairs or new hardware.

  2. Step 2: Find out if the house predates 1978

    If it does, expect a lead-safe certified firm for paid work, and ask how they will contain dust.[4]

  3. Step 3: Ask for at least three written bids

    Give each painter identical specifications so the bids can be compared.[1]

  4. Step 4: Check the licence

    Look up the business on DPOR's licence lookup before you sign.[1]

  5. Step 5: Compare what is in each bid

    Check prep, primer, number of coats, where the work is done, drying time and who rehangs the doors.

  6. Step 6: Set the deposit and payments in writing

    Keep the first payment small and tie later ones to finished work.[1]

What drives the price

No honest single number applies to every Virginia kitchen, and published averages from lead-generation sites are not a quote for your cabinets. What decides the bid is a short list of factors, and you can see most of them yourself.

  • Door and drawer count. Every face is sanded, primed and painted on both sides, so a large kitchen with many small drawers costs more than the footprint suggests.
  • Boxes, trim and interiors. Painting only the doors and drawer fronts is a smaller job than painting the face frames, end panels and cabinet interiors.
  • Starting condition. Grease, dents, cracked joints, failed old paint, and laminate or thermofoil all add prep before any paint goes on.
  • The finish system. Brushed and rolled on-site, or sprayed off-site in a shop, and the quality of primer and enamel.
  • Hardware. New pulls and hinges, filled holes and soft-close upgrades are usually extra.
  • Home age. In a house built before 1978, lead-safe practices add containment and cleanup.
Kitchen with newly finished cabinets, a microwave, new flooring and freshly painted walls
Photo: Tomwsulcer, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Why it takes days, and why that shows up in the price

Cabinet painting is slow because the coating needs time between steps. In Benjamin Moore's cabinet guide, "The primer must dry for at least 1 hour"[5] before sanding, and the finished pieces need "at least 24 hours. However, two or three days is even better"[5] before rehanging. A quote that promises a one-day transformation is skipping something.

Comparing bids

Virginia's contractor board is direct on how to shop: "It is advisable to get at least three written bids or estimates using identical plans and specifications."[1] Its guide adds: "Make sure all bids are based on the same set of specifications."[1] Otherwise a bid for doors only will look cheaper than one for doors, boxes and repairs, and you will not be comparing like with like.

The board also warns: "Beware of any bid substantially lower than the others."[1] It may mean a missed item or a skipped step, and that is how disputes start.

Ask each painter to write down:

  • which pieces are painted, and which sides and interiors
  • the prep: degreasing, sanding, repairs, and the primer and paint products by name
  • the number of coats and the drying time before doors are rehung
  • where the work is done and how the kitchen is protected
  • who removes and rehangs doors, and who is responsible for scuffs afterwards
  • the total price, start and finish dates, and the payment schedule

Licensing, deposits and payments

The board's guide is blunt: "Unlicensed contracting is against the law,"[1] and its Board for Contractors may be unable to help you resolve a complaint against an unlicensed contractor. Under the Code of Virginia, a Class C contractor covers a single contract or project with a total value "over $1,000 but less than $30,000,"[2] and "no person shall engage in, or offer to engage in, contracting work in the Commonwealth unless he has been licensed."[3] Check any business you are considering on DPOR's licence lookup; a licence number on a card or advertisement does not by itself mean the licence is valid.[1]

On deposits, the board says "a good rule of thumb is an initial deposit of no more than 10% of the total price"[1] "or $1,000, whichever is less."[1] It allows that "a reasonable deposit could be as high as 30% of the total contract value"[1] when the job needs custom-made items or special orders. Paint is rarely a special order. Tie later payments to finished work: "Never let your payments get ahead of the contractor’s work."[1]

For houses built before 1978, ask about lead. EPA says that in general "anyone paid to perform work that disturbs paint in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978 must be certified in lead-safe work practices."[4]

Stop and call a pro if

  • A painter wants a large deposit or full payment up front. Compare it with the board's rule of thumb above before paying.[1]
  • The painter has no licence or will not give a licence number. Unlicensed contracting is against the law.[1]
  • Your house was built before 1978 and the painter is not lead-safe certified. Choose one who is.[4]
  • The quote is much lower than the others and short on detail. Ask what is left out.

Getting help in Virginia

To see what you could do yourself, read how to paint kitchen cabinets. To decide whether painting is the right call at all, read paint or replace. Browse cabinet refinishing and painting pros, or see more painting answers.

When you are ready, describe your kitchen and local painters will send written quotes.

Common questions

Why do cabinet painting quotes vary so much?
Because the quotes often describe different jobs. One may cover doors and drawer fronts only, another the cabinet boxes too; one may spray off-site, another brush on-site; prep, primer, number of coats and repairs differ. Virginia's contractor board advises getting bids based on the same specifications, and being wary of any bid substantially lower than the others.
How much deposit is reasonable?
The Virginia Board for Contractors gives a rule of thumb of an initial deposit of no more than 10 percent of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less. It says a reasonable deposit could be as high as 30 percent when the job requires custom-made items or special orders. Paint rarely qualifies as a special order.
Does a cabinet painter need a contractor licence in Virginia?
Contracting work generally requires a licence, and a Class C contractor licence covers a single job over $1,000 but under $30,000. The Board's own guide says unlicensed contracting is against the law and that you may have little recourse if something goes wrong. Check any business on DPOR's licence lookup.
Why do painters need several days for a kitchen?
The coating needs time between steps. Benjamin Moore's cabinet guide has primer drying at least an hour, then sanding, two coats of paint with drying and sanding between them, and at least 24 hours of drying before rehanging, with two or three days better. A painter who promises a day is cutting a step.
Does an older house cost more to paint?
It can. In a house built before 1978, paid work that disturbs paint must be done by someone certified in lead-safe work practices, which adds containment and cleanup. Ask any painter of an older home whether they are lead-safe certified and how they will handle sanding dust.

Sources

  1. [1] What You Should Know Before You Hire a Contractor, Virginia Board for Contractors, DPOR. Checked October 27, 2026.
  2. [2] Va. Code § 54.1-1100. Definitions (contractors), Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
  3. [3] Va. Code § 54.1-1103, Necessity for license, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
  4. [4] Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Checked October 27, 2026.
  5. [5] How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets Like an Expert in 9 Steps, Benjamin Moore. Checked October 27, 2026.

Want a pro to handle it?

Describe the job once. Licensed local businesses send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.