How we paint kitchen cabinets, step by step
The short answer: we remove and label every door and drawer, degrease, sand, prime with a bonding primer, spray two coats of cabinet-grade enamel (or a baked-cure acrylic coating), and then reinstall and adjust everything. A typical Tucson kitchen takes 4 to 6 working days. Every step exists to stop the one thing people fear about painted cabinets: chipping.
Step 1: Choose color and sheen
Before any work starts, you pick your color. You can try colors on a photo of your own kitchen with our free color visualizer, and booked jobs get free real-paint samples. See the best cabinet colors for Tucson kitchens.
Step 2: Protect the kitchen
Counters, floors, appliances and the backsplash are covered. Walls next to the cabinets are masked.
Step 3: Remove and label
Doors, drawer fronts and hardware come off. Every piece is labeled with its position so it goes back exactly where it was.
Step 4: Degrease
Kitchen cabinets carry years of cooking oil and hand grease, much of it invisible. Paint will not bond to it. Every surface is cleaned with a degreaser and rinsed. This is the step most often skipped, and the main reason DIY paint jobs peel.
Step 5: Sand and repair
Surfaces are scuff sanded so the primer has something to grip. Dents and gouges are filled. If you are changing hardware, old holes are filled now. On oak, the grain can be filled for a smooth finish (see painting oak cabinets).
Step 6: Bonding primer
A bonding, stain-blocking primer locks onto the old finish and stops wood tannins from bleeding through. Primer is what turns a paint job into a finish that lasts.
Step 7: Spray the finish
Doors and drawer fronts get two sprayed coats of a waterborne alkyd-urethane cabinet enamel, with cure time between coats, or a baked-cure acrylic coating for the hardest finish. Boxes and frames are finished in place. See baked-cure acrylic vs cabinet enamel.
Step 8: Reinstall and adjust
Doors and drawers go back on, hinges are adjusted so the gaps line up, and hardware is reinstalled or new hardware is fitted.
Step 9: Walk-through
We walk the kitchen with you and touch up anything before we call it done. You pay only the agreed price, under our Price Lock Guarantee.
Cost
An average Tucson kitchen costs $3,500 to $6,250. See the full cost guide.
Cabinet Painting in Tucson: prices, process and photos
Frequently asked questions
What is the right process for painting kitchen cabinets?
Remove and label doors and drawers, degrease every surface, scuff sand, apply a bonding primer, spray two coats of cabinet-grade enamel with cure time between coats, then reinstall and adjust doors and hardware.
Why do painted cabinets chip?
Almost always because a prep step was skipped: kitchen grease left on the surface, no sanding, no bonding primer, or wall paint used instead of a cabinet enamel.
Do you spray or brush cabinets?
Doors and drawer fronts are sprayed for a smooth, factory-like finish. Cabinet boxes and face frames are sprayed or brushed and rolled in place, depending on the kitchen.
How long before I can use my cabinets normally?
You can use them as soon as they are reinstalled. The enamel keeps hardening over the next few weeks, so treat the doors gently at first: no harsh cleaners and no tape.
How long does the whole job take?
A typical Tucson kitchen takes 4 to 6 working days from prep to reinstall.
