Cabinet Paint Calculator
Here is the question that stops more cabinet-painting projects than any other: "how do I even count this?" A wall is easy — length times height, done. But cabinets are doors and drawers and frames and boxes, some you see and some you only notice when the paint runs out halfway through. The #1 mistake is counting only the fronts you see, then discovering — usually on a Sunday evening with the kitchen in pieces — that the backs of the doors, the drawer edges and the face frames need paint too. This cabinet paint calculator counts the way pros do: every door front AND back, every drawer front, plus the frames, with primer treated as mandatory rather than optional — because on cabinets, skipping primer is how you get paint that peels off in sheets six months later.
How to use this calculator
- Count every door in the kitchen — uppers, lowers, pantry, even the tiny ones over the fridge. Write the number down.
- Count every drawer front. Do not count the drawer boxes, just the fronts you see.
- Enter the numbers above. The calculator counts both sides of each door, the drawer fronts plus edges, and adds 20% for the face frames and cabinet boxes.
- Pick 2 coats (standard) or 3 if you are covering dark wood with white paint.
- Choose brush/roller or sprayer. A sprayer looks smoother but wastes about 15% more paint.
- Leave primer on. One coat of bonding primer is the difference between paint that lasts years and paint that peels.
- Buy what the calculator says, rounded up to real can sizes — paint stores do not sell 0.8 gallons.
Formula
Worked example
Take a typical kitchen: 20 doors and 8 drawers, 2 coats, brush and roller. Step one — doors: 20 × 5.44 = 108.8 sq ft (both sides). Step two — drawers: 8 × 1.5 = 12 sq ft. Step three — frames: 20% of (108.8 + 12) = 24.2 sq ft. Step four — per coat: 108.8 + 12 + 24.2 = 145 sq ft. Step five — two coats: 290 sq ft ÷ 350 = 0.83 gallons, so you buy 1 gallon. Primer: 145 ÷ 300 = 0.48 gal = 1.9 quarts, so you buy 2 quarts. Counting only the fronts you see would have told you half a gallon — and you would have run out with the backs of the doors still bare.
Metric version: 18 doors and 10 drawers, 2 coats. Per-coat area: (18 × 5.44) + (10 × 1.5) = 97.9 + 15 = 112.9, plus 20% frames = 135.5 sq ft (12.6 m²). Two coats: 271 ÷ 350 = 0.77 gal = 2.9 litres, so buy a 4-litre can (or 1 US gallon). Primer: 135.5 ÷ 300 = 0.45 gal = 1.7 litres, so buy 2 litres.
Measurement tips
- Count twice, buy once. Walk the kitchen with a notepad and number every door and drawer — the ones over the fridge and beside the stove are the ones people forget.
- Do not skip the primer. Bonding primer (like Zinsser BIN or KILZ Adhesion) grips varnish and laminate; paint alone peels. This is the single biggest difference between pro results and DIY regret.
- Use cabinet enamel, not wall paint. Products labeled "cabinet," "trim and door," or "urethane enamel" cure harder and resist chipping from daily handling.
- Remove the doors and drawers to paint them. Painting in place leaves drips on hinges and unpainted edges that show every time the door opens.
- Label everything as you remove it. A strip of painter's tape numbered to match each opening saves hours of "which door goes where" at reassembly.
- Thin coats beat thick ones. Two thin coats level out and cure harder than one heavy coat that sags, and the calculator's 2-coat default assumes proper thin application.
Common mistakes
- Counting only the fronts. The backs of doors, drawer edges and face frames are roughly half the paintable area — miss them and you run out mid-project.
- Skipping primer on varnished or laminate cabinets. Paint cannot bond to a glossy factory finish; it scratches off with a fingernail within weeks.
- Using flat wall paint. Cabinets get touched, bumped and wiped daily — wall paint scuffs and chips where cabinet enamel shrugs it off.
- Painting doors while hung. Drips pool on the bottom edge, hinges get painted shut, and you cannot reach the edges that matter most.
- One heavy coat instead of two thin ones. Thick paint sags, shows brush marks and cures soft — then chips at the first bump.
- Rehanging too soon. Cabinet enamel feels dry in hours but takes up to 30 days to fully cure; baby the finish for the first few weeks.
Factors that affect accuracy
- Door size: the 5.44 sq ft figure assumes standard 14×28 in doors. Floor-to-ceiling pantry doors can be double — measure yours if they look oversized.
- Both sides: pros always paint door backs (they show when open and chip first). Painting fronts only cuts paint by ~40% but halves the durability.
- Sprayer waste: a sprayer lays the smoothest coat but ~15% of the paint becomes overspray. The calculator uses 300 sq ft/gal for sprayer vs 350 for brush/roller.
- Color change: light-over-dark or dark-over-white usually needs a third coat, or a tinted primer close to the finish color to cut it back to two.
- Primer type: bonding primer for varnish/laminate, stain-blocking (shellac or oil-based) for oak, pine or dark-to-white jobs where tannins bleed through.
- Frames and boxes: the fixed face frames around each opening add about 20% — they are the most visible part, so they get full coats, not touch-ups.
Sources & assumptions
- Two-coats-over-primer method and 4-days-to-2-weeks project time per This Old House's pro cabinet-painting guide; brushing gives control equal to spraying with proper prep.
- Primer-is-mandatory rule and cabinet-enamel paint choice per This Old House's primer and paint guide (bonding primer for adhesion, enamel for durability).
- Degrease-first prep and no-sand option with bonding primer per This Old House's no-sanding guide; 30-day full cure for waterborne enamels.
What this calculator doesn't do
- This estimates paint quantity only — it doesn't pick your paint. Use a cabinet-grade enamel (like Benjamin Moore Advance or Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane); ordinary wall paint chips on cabinets.
- Door and drawer sizes are averaged (standard 14×28 in door, 6×24 in drawer front). Oversized pantry doors or tiny spice drawers shift the real number — measure yours if they're unusual.
- It assumes you paint both sides of every door. If you're only doing fronts, you'll use roughly 40% less — but backs chip first, so most pros do both.
- It doesn't cover stain-blocking needs. Tannin-bleeding woods (oak, pine) or dark-to-white color changes need a shellac or oil-based primer, not just any primer.
Frequently asked questions
How much paint do I need for kitchen cabinets?
A typical kitchen (20 doors + 8 drawers, 2 coats) needs about 1 gallon of cabinet enamel plus 2 quarts of primer. Enter your exact counts above — door size and whether you spray or brush moves the number.
How do I count cabinet doors for paint?
Count every door including pantry and over-fridge doors, then count every drawer front. The calculator above counts both sides of each door automatically, adds drawer edges, and adds 20% for the face frames — the three things people forget.
Do I need primer before painting cabinets?
Yes — on cabinets primer is mandatory, not optional. A bonding primer grips varnished wood and laminate so the topcoat cannot peel; skipping it is the #1 cause of cabinet paint failure. One coat is enough under two coats of enamel.
How many coats of paint do cabinets need?
Two coats of cabinet enamel over one coat of primer is the standard that lasts. Going from dark wood to white often needs a third coat, or a primer tinted toward the finish color.
Is it better to spray or brush kitchen cabinets?
Spraying gives the smoothest, most professional finish but wastes ~15% of the paint as overspray and needs masking the whole kitchen. Brushing with a quality enamel and a foam roller on flat panels gets very close with less waste and less setup.
How much paint for a 10x10 kitchen?
A 10×10 kitchen typically has 20–25 doors and 8–12 drawers — about 1 to 1.5 gallons of enamel plus 2 quarts of primer for 2 coats. Count your actual doors above for an exact number; "10×10" alone hides a lot of variation.
Can I paint cabinets without sanding?
You can skip heavy sanding if you degrease thoroughly (TSP or a degreaser — kitchen grease is the real enemy) and use a bonding primer, which grips without a sanded profile. A quick scuff-sand with 220-grit still helps adhesion and costs ten minutes.
How long does cabinet paint take to cure?
It feels dry in hours and is rehang-safe in 24–48 hours, but cabinet enamel takes up to 30 days to fully cure and reach maximum hardness. Treat the finish gently for the first few weeks — no harsh cleaners, no slamming.
Next step
Take the gallon and quart counts to the paint store and buy cabinet-grade enamel (not wall paint) plus a bonding primer — then label every door and drawer with painter's tape as you remove them, because reassembly without labels is a puzzle.
Save this estimate: use the Copy link button in the results box above to share these exact inputs, or Print results for a paper copy to take to the store.