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AfterHow Much Does Cabinet Installation Cost in Houston?
Cabinet installation in Houston typically costs between $4,000 and $13,000 in 2026, depending on the kitchen size, cabinet line, and whether you’re replacing boxes or just refacing doors. For a standard 10×10 Houston kitchen with mid-grade stock or semi-custom cabinets, most homeowners land in the $6,500 to $9,500 range including tear-out and haul-away. Call (254) 527-5340 for a written quote on your specific layout; it takes about 20 minutes to measure.
We’re Penhallow Remodeling Houston, led by Trevor Nash, and we’ve been putting cabinet prices in writing before a single box is pulled since we started. Here’s what actually drives the number, where the money goes, and how to keep it from ballooning mid-project.
Cabinet Installation Cost Breakdown (2026)
Here’s the line-by-line reality of a Houston cabinet job. These are the numbers we quote in Harris County, Fort Bend County, and Montgomery County, and they hold steady across neighborhoods like The Heights, Katy, Sugar Land, and Pearland.
| Line Item | Low End | High End | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock cabinets, 10×10 kitchen | $2,500 | $5,000 | Boxes only, no hardware |
| Semi-custom cabinets (KraftMaid level) | $5,500 | $11,000 | Typical Houston mid-range |
| Full-custom or premium lines | $10,000 | $25,000+ | Wellborn, inset doors, exotic species |
| Labor (removal, install, trim) | $1,500 | $4,000 | Two to four days for most kitchens |
| Countertop integration | $2,000 | $6,500 | Quartz, granite, or solid surface |
| Hardware, pulls, soft-close upgrades | $200 | $1,200 | Blum or similar undermount slides add cost |
| Disposal of old cabinets | $150 | $400 | Often bundled, but not always |
| Permit and minor plumbing/electrical | $0 | $800 | Only if moving lines |
Every quote we write at Penhallow Remodeling Houston follows The Kingswell Way, which has been the operating standard since 2004: the price goes on paper before work starts, and the number on day one is the number on the invoice. No verbal ballpark that grows after demo day.
Key Takeaways
- Full cabinet installation in Houston runs $4,000 to $13,000 on average in 2026.
- Semi-custom lines like KraftMaid usually account for 55% to 70% of your total project cost.
- Labor is the line item most likely to get low-balled in competing bids, then “adjusted” later.
- Written pricing up front is not standard in this market. It should be.
What Affects Cabinet Installation Pricing in Houston
- Cabinet grade and construction: Stock boxes from a big-box store run $60 to $120 per linear foot. Semi-custom plywood boxes with soft-close hardware run $150 to $300 per linear foot. Full custom runs $300 to $700 and up. Houston humidity is unkind to particleboard, which is why we spec plywood boxes on most installs.
- Kitchen size and layout: A 10×10 galley in an East End bungalow prices differently than a 300-square-foot open-plan kitchen in Cypress. Every additional cabinet run adds linear footage, and every peninsula or island adds end panels and trim work.
- Demo and haul-away: Removing old cabinets, especially if they were glued in place in a 1970s Sharpstown ranch, takes time. Some crews charge $300 to $600 just for careful removal; we include it in the written quote.
- Countertop material: If cabinets are going under new stone, the countertop can out-cost the cabinets. Cambria quartz and Silestone slabs typically add $2,000 to $6,500 to a Houston kitchen. We install both, and Cambria carries its own lifetime warranty alongside ours.
- Wall and floor condition: Houston slab-on-grade foundations move. In older neighborhoods like Oak Forest and Heights historic districts, walls are rarely square and floors are rarely level. Shimming, scribing, and custom filler take labor, and labor is money.
- Electrical and plumbing changes: Relocating a sink, adding under-cabinet lighting, or moving an outlet will bring a licensed electrician or plumber onto the job. That’s usually $150 to $200 per hour, and it’s not optional if you want it done to code.
How to Save on Cabinet Installation
The cheapest way to cut cabinet costs in Houston is to keep the existing layout. Moving a sink or a range adds plumbing and electrical hours fast. If your cabinet boxes are sound but the doors and faces are dated, refacing runs about 40% to 60% of a full replacement and skips the demo entirely. Not every kitchen qualifies, but we’ll tell you honestly if yours does. Read more about full Cabinet Installation in Houston to see how the scope compares.
Other ways to keep the number tight without cutting corners:
- Use semi-custom boxes in problem areas and stock boxes where no one sees them.
- Choose a mid-range door profile; shaker doors from KraftMaid cost less than inset custom doors from Wellborn and wear just as well in Houston humidity.
- Skip the crown molding to the ceiling if your ceilings are 9 feet and straight; save it for rooms where it shows.
- Buy fixtures now and cabinet hardware in one order, so the installer arrives with everything on site.
We give free estimates, and we mean a real written number with a scope of work attached, not a three-week wait and a vague “somewhere between.” Call (254) 527-5340 and we’ll schedule a measurement.
What’s Included in Penhallow Remodeling’s Cabinet Installation
When we quote a Houston cabinet job, the written scope includes more than boxes on a wall. Here’s what you should see from us on paper:
- Removal and disposal of old cabinets, including haul-away.
- Leveling and shimming on walls and floors, which matters in Houston slab homes.
- Soft-close hardware on hinges and drawer slides, standard on every install we do.
- Finished end panels and toe kicks, color-matched to the cabinet line.
- Seamless countertop integration where cabinets meet Cambria, Silestone, or Caesarstone.
- Caulk, trim, and touch-up left clean when we leave.
The reason this matters: a cabinet quote that omits demo, haul-away, or trim work is a quote that will grow. We put every line item in writing before day one, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise sits on top of the whole job. If the doors sag, the hinges bind, or a drawer slide fails within a year, we come back and fix it at no charge. That’s the Kingswell standard and it’s been in place since 2004.
Houston-Specific Factors That Change the Price
Houston is not a flat national market. Here’s what moves the number here more than elsewhere:
Slab foundations and wall movement
Most Houston homes sit on post-tension slabs over gumbo clay. Walls drift a little, especially in neighborhoods with older stock like Garden Oaks, Idylwood, and parts of Bellaire. A cabinet run that’s off by a quarter inch will show as a crooked seam at the countertop. We account for that in labor hours. Low-ball quotes that skip leveling will be chasing the problem later.
Humidity and material choice
Houston’s humidity levels run high eight months a year. Particleboard cabinet boxes swell at the seams after a few humid summers. We recommend plywood boxes on lower cabinets anywhere near a sink, dishwasher, or exterior wall. It’s a $500 to $1,200 upgrade on a typical kitchen and it pays for itself by year three.
Permit requirements
Any cabinetry that involves moving electrical or plumbing requires a permit in Houston. Straight cabinet swap-outs typically do not, unless the kitchen is part of a larger structural remodel. We’ll know which applies to your home and we’ll handle the paperwork.
Neighborhood labor rates
Cabinet installers price jobs a little differently in River Oaks than in Pasadena, but the labor cost difference is smaller than you’d expect. What changes more is the cabinetry line the homeowner chooses. The Heights and Bellaire skew toward semi-custom and custom; Katy and Cypress skew toward solid semi-custom. Both are served well by KraftMaid, which is why we install it so often.
Is It Cheaper to Repair or Replace Cabinets in Houston?
Repairing a hinge, a drawer slide, or a water-damaged base cabinet runs $150 to $600. Replacing the entire kitchen runs thousands. But there’s a middle decision many Houston homeowners miss: if the cabinet boxes are sound and the hardware is in good shape, refacing is the cost-effective move. Refacing a typical Houston kitchen runs $3,000 to $8,000, depending on the door style and veneer. You keep the boxes, get new doors, new drawer fronts, and new hardware, and your kitchen looks new for about half the price of a full replacement.
That said, if the boxes are particleboard and have been sitting in Houston humidity for 15 years, refacing is throwing good money after bad. We’d rather tell you to replace and have the new kitchen last 20 years than reface and watch seams swell in two. Call us at (254) 527-5340 and we’ll give you an honest read on which route makes sense for your cabinets.
FAQs – Cabinet Installation Cost
How much does cabinet installation cost in Houston in 2026?
Expect $4,000 to $13,000 for a full kitchen cabinet installation in Houston, including removal, installation, and standard trim. A small galley kitchen with stock cabinets may come in near $4,000, while a large kitchen with semi-custom line runs toward the top of the range. For an exact written number, call (254) 527-5340, and we’ll schedule a measurement at no cost.
Can Penhallow Remodeling install cabinets the same week I call?
Often, yes. Our standard scheduling targets a 5 to 10 business day start window after measurement, but smaller jobs and refacing can occasionally slot sooner. A live person answers the phone 24/7, so call (254) 527-5340 and tell us your timeline. We’ll give you a straight answer, not a callback window.
Does Houston require a permit for cabinet installation?
Only if the work involves moving electrical, plumbing, or structural changes. A simple cabinet swap with no utility relocation typically doesn’t need one. We’ll check your specific kitchen and tell you exactly what’s required before work begins.
What’s the difference between stock and semi-custom cabinets?
Stock cabinets come in fixed sizes, fixed colors, and limited door styles. Semi-custom lines like KraftMaid and Wellborn let you adjust widths, depths, door profiles, finishes, and interior fittings. In Houston, semi-custom is the most common choice for kitchens in the $6,500 to $9,500 all-in range, and it offers the best balance of cost and fit.
Do you charge for estimates?
No. Every estimate at Penhallow Remodeling Houston is free, and you get a written number with a written scope of work. That’s the standard under The Kingswell Way since 2004, and it’s exactly how we think a cabinet job should start. Call (254) 527-5340 to set it up.
Written by Trevor Nash, Owner at Penhallow Remodeling Houston, serving Houston families under the Kingswell standard.
Pricing reflects the Houston market as of 2026. Penhallow Remodeling Houston offers free estimates – call (254) 527-5340.
What Our Customers Say
"We'd been burned by a contractor before who disappeared halfway. Penhallow finished on time and stood behind everything. The written price gave me peace of mind the whole way."
- Simone Clarke"Good remodel of our guest bath. There was one delay waiting on the tile I picked, which was my fault for choosing a backordered one. They rolled with it and the finish work is excellent."
- Hank Mercer"Full home refresh before we sold. They were straight about what was worth doing and what wasn't to get our money back. On time, on budget, and it sold in a week."
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