How Long Does It Take To Repaint Kitchen Cabinets: A Complete Guide

Repainting your kitchen cabinets can give your kitchen a fresh new look without the cost of a full remodel. So, how long does it take to repaint kitchen cabinets? The direct answer is that it usually takes about 3 to 7 days if you do it yourself, working diligently, or roughly 5 to 10 days if you hire professionals. This duration can change a lot based on many things, like the size of your kitchen, how much work the cabinets need before painting, and the type of paint you pick.

How Long Does It Take To Repaint Kitchen Cabinets
Image Source: www.paintmycabinets.ca

Seeing How Long It Takes

The whole process of repainting kitchen cabinets is not just about putting paint on wood. It involves many steps. Each step takes its own amount of time. The total time is the sum of all these steps. Thinking about the kitchen cabinet repainting duration means looking at more than just painting time.

Many things can make the job faster or slower. Knowing these can help you plan better. Let’s look at what affects the average time to paint cabinets.

Things That Change Cabinet Painting Time

Lots of things can affect how long your cabinet painting project takes. These are the factors affecting cabinet painting time:

How many cabinets you have: A small kitchen with fewer cabinets takes less time than a big kitchen with many doors and drawers. More doors mean more things to clean, sand, prime, and paint.
The shape of your cabinets: Simple flat doors are faster to paint than doors with lots of details or raised panels.
What your cabinets are made of: Wood, laminate, or metal cabinets each need different prep work. Wood might need less intense cleaning but more sanding if it’s rough. Laminate needs special primers to make the paint stick.
The condition of your cabinets: Cabinets with old, peeling paint, grease buildup, or damage need much more prep work. This adds a lot of time.
The color you are painting over and the new color: Painting a light color over a dark one usually takes more coats of primer and paint. This means more drying time between coats.
The paint type you choose: Some paints dry faster than others. Oil-based paints take longer to dry than water-based ones. Lacquers dry very fast but are tricky to use.
The tools you use: Using a sprayer can be faster for applying paint evenly, but it needs more time for setup and cleanup. Brushes and rollers take less setup but can be slower to apply paint, especially in tight spots.
The weather: Humidity and temperature affect how paint dries. High humidity makes paint dry slowly. Cold temperatures also slow drying.
Your skill level (for DIY): If you are new to painting cabinets, you might take longer than someone with experience. You might also need more time for fixing mistakes.
Whether you hire pros or do it yourself: Professionals often have special tools and methods that can make the job faster, but scheduling might add days. Doing it yourself lets you work on your own schedule, but you might only work part-time on it.

Steps Involved in Repainting Cabinets and Time

Painting cabinets is not a one-day job. It involves a series of steps. Knowing the steps involved in repainting cabinets time helps you see where the time goes.

Here are the main steps:

Taking things apart and labeling: Removing doors, drawers, and hardware. Labeling everything so you know where it goes back.
Cleaning: Removing all grease, dirt, and grime from cabinets, doors, and frames.
Repairing: Filling holes, fixing dents, and sanding smooth any rough spots.
Sanding: Lightly sanding all surfaces to help paint stick.
Priming: Applying one or two coats of primer. Primer helps block stains and makes the topcoat stick well.
Light sanding primer: Sanding the primer layer smooth for a perfect finish.
Painting: Applying the first coat of your chosen paint.
More sanding (if needed): Lightly sanding between paint coats.
More painting: Applying second and sometimes third coats of paint.
Drying/Curing: Letting the paint fully harden.
Putting things back: Reinstalling hardware, doors, and drawers.

Each of these steps takes time. Some steps, like drying and curing, take the longest but don’t need you to do anything active.

Time to Prep Kitchen Cabinets

Preparation is the most important part of painting cabinets. It also takes a lot of time. Many people think the time to prep kitchen cabinets is the biggest chunk of the project. They are often right. Poor prep leads to a poor paint job that won’t last.

Here is a look at prep steps and roughly how long they might take for an average kitchen:

Taking things apart and labeling:
- Time: 2-4 hours.
- What you do: Unscrew doors from hinges. Pull out drawers. Remove knobs and pulls. Use tape and a marker to label each door and drawer front, and where it came from on the cabinet box. This seems small, but it saves huge headaches later. Keep hardware organized.
Cleaning:
- Time: 3-6 hours.
- What you do: Kitchen cabinets get covered in cooking grease and dirt. You need a strong cleaner that cuts grease. TSP (trisodium phosphate) or a good cabinet degreaser works well. Clean everything – the inside of the frames, the edges of the doors, everywhere. Rinse well with clean water. Let it dry completely. This step is vital for paint to stick.
Repairing:
- Time: 1-3 hours.
- What you do: Look for dings, dents, or holes from old hardware if you are changing pulls. Fill these with wood filler. Let it dry. Sand it smooth. Wipe off the dust.
Sanding:
- Time: 4-8 hours.
- What you do: You need to lightly sand all surfaces. This is called “scuff sanding” or “etching.” It creates tiny scratches that give the primer something to hold onto. You don’t need to sand down to bare wood unless the old finish is peeling badly. Use fine-grit sandpaper (like 150-220 grit). Sand all parts: door fronts, backs, edges, drawer fronts, and the cabinet frames still in the kitchen. Wear a mask! This makes a lot of dust.
Cleaning after sanding:
- Time: 2-3 hours.
- What you do: This is super important. Dust is the enemy of a smooth paint finish. Use a shop vacuum with a brush attachment to get most of the dust. Then, use a tack cloth (a sticky cloth from the paint store) to wipe every surface clean. Do this right before priming or painting.

Total time for prep alone can easily be 12 to 24 hours of active work for an average kitchen. This might take 1 to 3 days depending on how much time you can work each day.

Time for Priming and Painting

Once the prep is done, it’s time for the fun part – color! But even this takes time due to drying between coats.

Priming:
- Time to apply: 4-8 hours for one coat on everything.
- Drying time: Check the can! Most primers need 1-4 hours to dry before sanding or recoating. Some special primers need longer.
- Why 2 coats? If your cabinets are dark or stained, or if they are made of a material like laminate or thermofoil, you will likely need two coats of a good-quality bonding primer. This adds application and drying time.
- Light sanding primer: After the primer is dry (or dry enough according to the can), lightly sand it with very fine sandpaper (220-320 grit). This makes the surface super smooth for the topcoat. Wipe off all dust. (Time: 3-6 hours).
Painting (Topcoats):
- Time to apply one coat: 4-8 hours for everything.
- How many coats? This addresses how many coats of paint on cabinets time. You will almost always need at least two coats of your topcoat paint. If you are making a big color change (like dark to light) or using certain paint colors (reds, yellows), you might need three coats.
- Drying time between coats: Again, check the paint can. This is critical! Paint must be dry enough before adding another coat. This can be anywhere from 4 hours to 24 hours depending on the type of paint, humidity, and temperature. Rushing this step can ruin the finish.

Let’s estimate the time for painting, assuming two coats of primer and two coats of paint:

Apply Primer Coat 1: 4-8 hours
Dry Time 1: 4-24 hours (inactive)
Apply Primer Coat 2: 4-8 hours
Dry Time 2: 4-24 hours (inactive)
Sand Primer: 3-6 hours
Apply Paint Coat 1: 4-8 hours
Dry Time 3: 4-24 hours (inactive)
Apply Paint Coat 2: 4-8 hours
Dry Time 4: 4-24 hours (inactive)

The active painting time (applying coats) could be around 16-32 hours. But the waiting time (drying) adds days. If each drying step takes 24 hours, that’s 4 full days of waiting just between coats!

Cabinet Paint Drying Time vs. Curing Time

This is a very important point. Cabinet paint drying time is not the same as time to cure cabinet paint.

Drying Time: This is how long it takes for the paint to feel dry to the touch. It’s when the water or solvent in the paint evaporates. Once paint is dry to the touch, you can usually apply the next coat or lightly handle the piece. This typically takes a few hours to 1 day.
Curing Time: This is how long it takes for the paint to reach its maximum hardness and durability. This is when the paint film is fully formed and hardened. During curing, the paint is still relatively soft and can be easily scratched or damaged. Curing takes much longer than drying. It can take anywhere from 7 days to 30 days, or even longer for some paints.

You can usually put your cabinets back together and use your kitchen gently after the paint has dried for a day or two. But you must be very careful with the finish for the entire curing time. Avoid banging doors, scratching, or harsh cleaning for several weeks.

Timelines: DIY vs. Professional

The kitchen cabinet repainting duration differs greatly based on who does the work.

How Long to Repaint Cabinets Yourself

If you decide to tackle this project yourself, the how long to repaint cabinets yourself question depends heavily on your schedule.

Part-Time DIY: Most people doing DIY projects work on them in the evenings and on weekends. If you can only work a few hours a day or just on weekends, this project could easily take 2 to 4 weeks or even longer. The main delays will be waiting for drying times between steps and finding enough free time to work consistently.
Full-Time DIY: If you can dedicate several full days just to painting, you might finish faster. Working roughly 6-8 hours a day, you could potentially complete the project in 5 to 10 days. This requires focused effort and sticking to a strict schedule, especially around drying times.

Remember, DIY involves learning as you go, setting up a good workspace (ventilation is key!), and cleaning up a lot of mess yourself.

Here’s a possible full-time DIY timeline example (assuming average kitchen, good drying conditions):

Day 1: Remove, label, and clean cabinets. Start repairs/sanding. (8 hours work)
Day 2: Finish repairs/sanding. Clean thoroughly from dust. Apply First Coat Primer. (8 hours work + drying time overnight)
Day 3: Lightly sand primer. Apply Second Coat Primer (if needed). (8 hours work + drying time overnight) If only one primer coat needed, start first paint coat.
Day 4: Lightly sand primer (if 2 coats). Apply First Coat Paint. (8 hours work + drying time overnight)
Day 5: Apply Second Coat Paint. (8 hours work + drying time)
Day 6: Wait for paint to dry enough to handle carefully. Start reinstalling hardware.
Day 7: Reinstall doors and drawers. Tidy up the kitchen. Project complete for gentle use.
Next 3-4 Weeks: Paint is curing. Handle with care.

This is an optimistic timeline. Delays are common. Bad weather, unexpected repairs, or simply running out of steam can add days.

Professional Cabinet Painting Timeline

Hiring professionals usually means a faster timeline for you, the homeowner, but the actual process might still take a week or two from start to finish, including scheduling. The professional cabinet painting timeline is often more predictable.

Off-Site Work: Many pros take doors and drawers back to their shop. This is where they do most of the cleaning, sanding, priming, and painting in a controlled environment (less dust, better spraying conditions). This off-site work can take 5 to 10 working days.
On-Site Work: While the doors are at the shop, the crew works on the cabinet frames in your home. This involves cleaning, sanding, priming, and painting the fixed parts of the cabinets. This usually takes 2 to 4 days in your home.
Reinstallation: Once the doors are fully dry (often not fully cured, but dry enough to handle), they bring them back and reinstall them. This takes about half a day to a full day.

Total time from the moment pros start to when you have your kitchen back could be 7 to 14 calendar days.

Here’s a possible professional timeline example:

Day 1 (On-site): Remove doors/drawers, take them to shop. Start cleaning/sanding frames in kitchen.
Day 1-5 (Off-site): Clean, sand, prime, and paint doors/drawers at the shop. Multiple coats applied with drying time.
Day 2-4 (On-site): Finish prep on frames in kitchen. Prime and paint frames.
Day 5-10 (Off-site): Doors/drawers continue drying/hardening at shop.
Day 7-14 (On-site): Professionals bring back dry doors/drawers and reinstall them.

Professional work might have less waiting in your home compared to DIY, but the overall project still takes time due to the steps and drying/curing needed for a good result. Pros also know the exact cabinet paint drying time for the products they use and won’t rush the process.

Making Sense Of How Many Coats and Drying Time

We touched on this earlier, but let’s look closer at how many coats of paint on cabinets time and the impact of drying.

Every coat you add means adding application time and, more significantly, drying time.

Primer: Usually 1-2 coats. If you skip primer, the paint might not stick, and old stains or colors could show through. Cheap primer or the wrong type can mean needing more paint coats later.
Paint: Almost always 2 coats. Sometimes 3, especially with tricky colors or if painting over a very different color. Using a high-quality cabinet paint designed for durability can help reduce the need for extra coats and often cures harder.

Let’s say application takes 6 hours per coat for your kitchen.

Scenario A (1 primer, 2 paint):
- Primer 1: 6 hours + Drying time (4-24 hours)
- Paint 1: 6 hours + Drying time (4-24 hours)
- Paint 2: 6 hours + Drying time (4-24 hours)
- Total application: 18 hours. Total drying: 12-72+ hours.
Scenario B (2 primer, 3 paint):
- Primer 1: 6 hours + Drying time (4-24 hours)
- Primer 2: 6 hours + Drying time (4-24 hours)
- Paint 1: 6 hours + Drying time (4-24 hours)
- Paint 2: 6 hours + Drying time (4-24 hours)
- Paint 3: 6 hours + Drying time (4-24 hours)
- Total application: 30 hours. Total drying: 20-120+ hours.

As you can see, adding coats adds significant active work time and even more inactive waiting time. This heavily influences the overall average time to paint cabinets.

The time to cure cabinet paint is the final period where the paint gets hard. Even if you finished applying the last coat 7 days ago, the paint is likely still curing. During this time, be gentle. Avoid scraping, washing hard, or putting heavy things on shelves if you painted those. Full cure can take 3-4 weeks. Pros will tell you to be careful during this period.

Speeding Up the Process (A Bit)

While you shouldn’t rush the important steps like cleaning, sanding, and allowing proper drying, there are a few ways to make the project move along as fast as safely possible:

Prepare your workspace fully: Have all tools, supplies, and drop cloths ready before you start.
Set up a drying area: Find a place away from dust and foot traffic to lay doors and drawers flat to dry. Use drying racks if you have them. Good airflow here helps.
Improve airflow: Use fans to move air across the drying pieces. This helps paint dry faster. Just make sure the fans aren’t blowing dust onto your wet paint.
Control temperature and humidity: Paint dries best in moderate temperatures (65-75°F or 18-24°C) and lower humidity (under 50%). Use a dehumidifier or air conditioner if needed.
Use faster-drying products: Some water-based primers and paints dry much faster than others. Read labels carefully. However, never sacrifice quality or durability just to save a few hours of drying time.
Work efficiently: Clean one door, then sand it. Move to the next. Don’t do all cleaning, then all sanding. It can be faster to do steps in batches.
Have a helper: An extra pair of hands can greatly speed up prep steps like cleaning, sanding, and moving pieces.

You cannot really speed up the necessary cabinet paint drying time and time to cure cabinet paint dictated by the paint chemistry. Trying to force-dry paint too fast with heat can cause problems like cracking or bubbling. Patience is key for a lasting finish.

Putting It All Together: Estimated Timelines

Here is a summary of estimated timelines for an average kitchen (25-30 linear feet of cabinets, 15-20 doors/drawers).

Step	Estimated Active Time (DIY)	Estimated Inactive Time (Drying/Curing)	Total Estimated Calendar Time (DIY)	Total Estimated Calendar Time (Professional)
Preparation	12-24 hours	0-24 hours (for drying after cleaning)	1-3 days	1-3 days (on-site work)
Priming (2 coats)	8-16 hours	8-48 hours (between coats)	1-3 days	1-3 days (includes shop time)
Painting (2-3 coats)	12-24 hours	16-72 hours (between coats)	2-5 days	2-5 days (includes shop time)
Initial Drying/Handling	0 hours	24-72 hours	1-3 days	1-3 days (before reinstallation)
Reinstallation	3-6 hours	0 hours	0.5-1 day	0.5-1 day
Full Curing	0 hours	7-30+ days	Ongoing	Ongoing
Total Project Timeline	35-70+ hours (active)	Days to Weeks (inactive)	5-10+ days (focused DIY)	7-14+ days (professional)
Part-time DIY Estimate			2-4+ weeks

This table shows why the average time to paint cabinets is measured in days or weeks, not just hours. The waiting for drying and curing adds significant time.

The kitchen cabinet repainting duration is a process that requires patience. Whether you are looking at how long to repaint cabinets yourself or the professional cabinet painting timeline, proper steps take time. Rushing will likely lead to a poor finish that won’t last.

Giving yourself enough time to prep kitchen cabinets properly is crucial. Allowing enough cabinet paint drying time between coats is non-negotiable for a smooth finish. And understanding the time to cure cabinet paint helps you protect your new paint job as it hardens.

The steps involved in repainting cabinets time add up. From taking apart and cleaning to applying how many coats of paint on cabinets time requires, planning for ample time is the best way to get a beautiful, durable result that will make your kitchen look new for years.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

h4: Can I paint my cabinets in a weekend?

For most kitchens, painting cabinets perfectly in just one weekend (2-3 days) is very hard, almost impossible. There are too many steps that need drying time. You might get the first coat on, but you won’t be able to finish and let it dry well. Rushing leads to mistakes and a finish that won’t last. Plan for at least 5-7 full days of work or spread it over 2-3 weekends for DIY.

h4: How long does the kitchen need to be unusable?

While the pros are working on frames in your home (2-4 days), accessing your kitchen is difficult. You can’t cook or use the sink normally. If you DIY, you can work on doors elsewhere (like a garage) but the frames in the kitchen still need drying time. Plan to eat out or use a temporary kitchen setup (like a microwave in another room) for several days while the paint is wet on the frames.

h4: What speeds up drying time?

Good airflow and lower humidity speed up drying. Use fans, open windows (if dust is not an issue), or use a dehumidifier. Make sure the temperature is right (not too cold). Never try to speed it up with direct heat on the paint.

h4: Can I put hardware back on after one day?

You can often put knobs and pulls back on doors after about 24 hours of drying, but be very gentle. The paint is likely still soft. Wait as long as you can, ideally 2-3 days, before reinstalling doors and drawers if possible. This allows the paint to harden more and reduces the chance of scratching during handling.

h4: How long until the paint is fully hard?

This is the curing time, which takes much longer than drying time. For most cabinet paints, full hardness takes about 7 to 30 days. Some very durable finishes might take longer. Be gentle with your cabinets during this time. Avoid harsh cleaning or heavy use.

h4: Is it faster to spray or brush paint?

Applying paint with a sprayer is usually faster for getting paint on the surface evenly. However, spraying needs much more time for setup and cleanup. You have to carefully cover everything you don’t want painted (counters, appliances, floors, walls). Brushing and rolling take longer to apply but have less prep/cleanup masking time. For the overall project, the difference in total time might not be huge. Often, pros spray doors off-site for a smooth finish and brush/roll frames on-site.

h4: Does painting dark cabinets to light take longer?

Yes, usually. Painting light over dark often needs more coats of primer to block the dark color. It also often needs an extra coat of the new, light topcoat color to get full coverage without the dark showing through. More coats mean more application and drying time.

h4: How important is sanding between coats?

Sanding lightly between primer coats and between paint coats is very important for a smooth, professional-looking finish. It knocks down any tiny bumps, dust nibs, or imperfections. This step is part of getting a great result and is included in the estimated timelines. Use a very fine grit (like 220 or 320) and clean all dust carefully afterward.

Repainting kitchen cabinets is a big job, but the result can be stunning. By understanding the steps, the time each one takes, and the difference between drying and curing, you can plan your project well. Whether you DIY or hire pros, patience is your best tool for a durable, beautiful cabinet finish.