Cabinets are the most expensive part of a kitchen remodel in 2026. They take up 30-40% of what you’ll spend. The National Kitchen & Bath Association says cabinet costs went up 18% since 2023. Materials got harder to find and people want more custom work now.
Cabinets do more than just hold your dishes. They control how your kitchen flows. They decide where things go. They make your kitchen work or not work. Fancy appliances look great, but cabinets are what really drive your costs up.
Every kitchen is different, but here in Greenville, Columbia, and Upstate South Carolina, we see the same thing over and over. Cabinets cost the most.
What Is the Most Expensive Part of a Kitchen Remodel in 2026?
People walk in with their Pinterest boards. They’re worried about that fancy fridge they want. Or the big stone island. They think that’s where all their money’s going.
Here’s what I tell them: it’s the cabinets. Almost every time.
I know that sounds boring, we get it, abinets aren’t sexy like a Wolf range or a waterfall countertop. But they’re where your money goes. Usually somewhere between 35% and 45% of your total budget. And that’s before you pick out handles.
Why cabinets? Because they’re not just boxes on your wall anymore. They run your whole kitchen. They decide where your sink sits. How your island works. Whether that weird corner space gets used or wasted for the next twenty years.
Houzz did a big study in 2026. They found 73% of people said cabinets cost them the most. That’s up from 68% just two years ago.
Some kitchens are different. Maybe you’re putting in a $15,000 range with all the bells and whistles. Then yeah, appliances might cost more. But most folks? Cabinets win every time.
And here’s the thing. You can replace countertops in ten years if you want. You’ll probably replace appliances when they break. But cabinets? Those are staying put. Get them wrong and you’re stuck with it.
Why Do Cabinets Cost So Much?
I get it. You look at cabinets and think “it’s just wood boxes”, but there’s more going on than you’d think.
Big kitchens need more cabinets. That makes sense. But small kitchens can cost just as much. Tight spaces are tricky. We’ve got to fit things in weird corners. Make appliances work in spots they don’t really want to go. Custom work costs money.
Then there’s all the stuff people expect now that wasn’t normal ten years ago.
You want soft-close drawers. Not just on one or two, but on every drawer. You want to be able to pull drawers all the way out so you can reach the stuff in back. You want pull-out shelves for your pots. Organizers that actually stay organized. Real wood joints, not stapled particle board that falls apart.
All that adds up fast.
There’s also design time you don’t see. We spend hours planning your kitchen before we order a single cabinet. We map out where you’ll prep food. Where you’ll clean up. How the lighting works. Where the seams in your countertop go. You don’t see that on the bill as a separate line, but it’s in there.
The Cabinet Makers Association did a study last year. They found design work adds between 12% and 20% to cabinet costs. Depends on how custom you go.
Materials cost more now too. Good plywood costs more than cheap particle board. Real wood doors cost more than fake stuff. Painted cabinets take more work than stained ones. People learned their lesson with cheap cabinets that fell apart. Now they want quality. Quality costs.
And don’t forget hardware. Those nice drawer pulls everyone wants? They run $8 to $25 each. You’ve got 40 or 50 of them in a normal kitchen. That’s $500 to $1,000 just for pulls and knobs.
Do Appliances Ever Cost More Than Cabinets?
Yeah, sometimes they do, if you’re going all-out fancy, appliances can beat cabinets, I mean, we’re talking a built-in Sub-Zero fridge for $12,000 or more. A big Thermador range for $8,000. A dishwasher with cabinet panels to match everything.
But here’s the funny part. Those panels that make your dishwasher and fridge look built-in? Those are cabinets. So even when appliances cost the most, cabinets are still in there driving prices up.
Most people don’t go that fancy. Remodeling Magazine puts out numbers every year. In 2026 they said most people spend $10,000 to $15,000 on appliances for a nice remodel. Cabinets average $18,000 to $28,000.
Appliances usually come in second or third. Right behind cabinets. Sometimes behind countertops if you’re doing a huge island in fancy stone.
So yes, appliances can cost more than cabinets.
How Do Countertops Compare in Cost to Cabinets?
Countertops sneak up on people more times than not in our experience. You pick out a nice piece of quartz. The pattern looks great. You’re already picturing yourself making cookies on it. Then we give you the price and you’re like “wait, how is rock that expensive?”
Here’s how it works. It’s all about square footage. How detailed the edge is. Where the seams go. How hard it is to install.
In 2026, here’s what most materials cost:
- Quartz runs $75 to $150 per square foot installed
- Granite runs $60 to $120 per square foot installed
- Marble runs $100 to $200 per square foot installed
- Quartzite runs $90 to $180 per square foot installed
We are not making this up, those numbers come from HomeAdvisor’s 2026 guide.
Big islands eat up square footage fast. Want that waterfall edge where the stone goes down the sides? That’s extra cutting and fitting. Want the sink built into the stone? More labor. Full backsplash? More material.
But even with all that, countertops still cost less than cabinets in most kitchens. Cabinets create the shape. Countertops just fill in what cabinets already made.
I’ve seen a few projects where a huge quartzite island with fancy edges cost as much as the cabinets. But that’s rare. Doesn’t happen often.
Does Labor Ever Outpace Material Costs?
Oh yeah. This one surprises people every single time.
You can see materials. You pick them out. You touch them. Labor is invisible until the bill shows up.
Here’s where labor costs blow up:
Taking walls out. Looking to open up your kitchen to the dining room? We’ve got to demo the wall. Put in a beam or header to hold up the house. Fix the drywall. Paint everything. That’s $3,000 to $8,000 before we install one cabinet.
Moving pipes. Want to move your sink three feet over? In an old Greenville house with cast iron pipes? We need a plumber for several hours. Maybe fix the subfloor. Get an inspection. That’s $1,500 to $4,000 extra.
Electrical work. Modern kitchens need more power than old houses have. Under-cabinet lights. Pendant lights over the island. Separate circuits for appliances. USB outlets. All that needs an electrician. Budget $2,000 to $5,000 or more depending on how much rewiring we do.
Code stuff. Older homes need updates to meet 2026 codes. Special outlets near water. Better ventilation. Updated electrical panels. Not optional.
Remodeling Magazine says labor is usually 20% to 35% of what a kitchen costs. But in old houses where we’re moving stuff around? That can jump to 45% or even 50%.
So yeah. Labor can cost more than materials. It just gets spread around all the different work we’re doing instead of being one big line item.
Which Design Choices Inflate Costs Most?
Some choices can turn a $30,000 kitchen into a $60,000 kitchen remodel real quick.
Custom cabinets versus stock. Stock cabinets come in set sizes. Semi-custom gives you some flexibility. Full custom means we’ll build whatever you dream up. Custom can cost two or three times what stock costs.
Deep drawers everywhere. They’re great. I love them. But they’re expensive. Every deep drawer needs heavy-duty slides and stronger boxes. Want them in every base cabinet? Add $2,000 to $4,000.
Big islands with seating and appliances. Islands are workhorses. They’re also space hogs. Add seating and you need support for the overhang. Add a cooktop or sink and you need plumbing or electrical run over there. Islands can be 20% to 30% of your total cabinet cost.
Panel-matched appliances. Panel-ready fridges and dishwashers look seamless, but those panels are custom-made to match your cabinets. Add $1,500 to $3,000 per appliance.
Fancy countertop edges and matching. Book-matched marble where the pattern mirrors itself? Waterfall edges? Mitered corners? Each detail adds time and cost.
We walk people through these choices all the time at our Wellford showroom. Not to talk them out of nice things. Just to help them figure out what really matters to them.
Function first. Then the pretty stuff.
How Do Kitchen Sizes Affect Cost Priorities?
Small kitchens feel expensive because every inch matters. You’ve got less space but the same problems to solve. Weird corners still need solutions. Appliances still need spots. Workflow still matters.
Sometimes small kitchens need more custom work per square foot than big ones. You can’t just line up regular cabinets and call it done in a 10×8 galley.
Big kitchens give you space. But space costs money. More cabinets. More countertop. More lights. Sometimes extra appliances like double ovens or a second sink.
Either way, cabinets set your baseline cost. Bigger or smaller, they’re still the biggest chunk of your budget.
Can You Lower Cabinet Costs Without Affecting Quality?
Yes. Here’s how smart people do it.
Mix custom and stock. Use custom for that weird corner or the island. Use stock cabinets for the straight runs along walls.
Pick classic styles. Shaker doors and simple flat panels cost less than fancy raised panels. They also look good longer.
Keep the layout close to what you’ve got. Moving plumbing and electrical is expensive. If your current layout works pretty well, keep it.
Focus on useful storage over looks. Glass-front cabinets are pretty but pricey, so, pen shelves look trendy but aren’t practical for most people. Get deep drawers and organizers that you’ll actually use.
Go semi-custom instead of full custom. You get flexibility without paying top dollar.
These aren’t compromises. They’re smart choices. You’re not dropping quality, nope, you’re just putting your money where it matters most to you.
Key Takeaways
- Cabinets cost the most in 2026 remodels, taking 30-40% of budgets
- Custom features people expect now drive costs higher than they used to be
- Appliances can cost as much as cabinets in luxury remodels but usually come in second or third
- Labor for moving walls, pipes, and wires can cost more than materials in older homes
- Countertops cost a lot but usually less than cabinetry
- Smart planning cuts costs without cutting quality
- Kitchen size changes total cost but cabinets still take the biggest chunk
*Pricing is based on posted accounts online, and may not be a reflection of the pricing of this company.
