How Much Do Oak Kitchen Cabinets Cost?
Last Updated: January 13, 2022
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Durable, beautiful, and colorful oak is a great choice for kitchen cabinets. In terms of price, oak is somewhere towards the lower end of the price range, being more expensive than pine but less expensive than maple or cherry. And when you consider that oak cabinets should last a lifetime with little maintenance, they are indeed an excellent investment. Continue reading to learn more about kitchen cabinets made from oak, including how much they cost.
Oak Kitchen Cabinet Options #
Some of the major oak cabinet options are discussed below.
Cabinet Type #
Oak cabinets are sold in three major types: stock, semi-stock, and custom. Stock oak cabinets are premade in a factory in standard sizes and with standard options. Although the cheapest oak cabinet option, stock cabinets allow for almost zero freedom of choice. The cabinets that you see for sale are the ones that will be installed in your kitchen. For more personalized options, consider semi-stock, or semi-custom, cabinets. With this type of cabinet, you may not get exactly what you're looking for, but will be able to choose between major style, finish, size, and configuration options offered by the manufacturer. While they typically cost more than stock cabinets, semi-custom cabinets allow you to install something a little more special in your kitchen.
If you want truly one-of-a-kind oak cabinets, however, your best bet is to buy custom cabinetry. Custom cabinets are often built by a cabinetmaker or carpenter, although in some cases, they might be built in a sophisticated factory according to rigorous standards. Custom built cabinets aren't always the most expensive option, but the fact that you can choose the exact options that you want tends to place them near the top of the price range.
Finish #
Oak has a distinctive, grainy look and comes in a wide variety of colors, including white, yellow, tan, pink, and red. The wood can even contain green, gold, or black deposits that are left from the time when it was growing in the forest. Buy prefinished oak cabinets that already have a stain or paint color that you like. Alternately, you can purchase unfinished oak cabinets to be stained or painted the color of your choice. Save money by buying unfinished cabinets and finishing them yourself.
Replace or Refinish? #
If your kitchen needs new cabinets but they're a bit beyond your budget, instead consider having your cabinets refinished or refaced. Oak takes paint and stain well and can easily be refinished, while refacing your cabinets will effectively transform your kitchen. Best of all: both options are cheaper than buying new cabinets.
Oak Cabinet Average Costs #
The actual cost of oak cabinets depends on a number of factors, including the type of cabinets purchased, the size of the kitchen, local labor and material costs, and more.
- Stock oak cabinets for a standard-sized kitchen cost $4,000 to $5,000.
- Semi-stock/semi-custom oak cabinets cost $5,000 to $12,000.
- Custom oak cabinets might cost $8,000 to $20,000 or more.
- Cabinet installation generally costs 15 to 25 percent of the total cabinet costs. Thus, if your oak cabinets cost $10,000, you can expect to pay an additional $1,500 to $2,500 for installation. Other installers might charge $50 to $100 per box (cabinet), $50 to $100 per linear foot, or by the hour.