Kitchen Cabinet Refacing cost in Des Moines, IA
Des Moines, IA · updated August 2026
$9,100
Typical local cost
$4,300 – $19,200
Typical range
- per linear foot of cabinetry
- $200 – $600
- Permit
- Usually no
- Typical timeline
- 3-5 days of work
Installed, local pricing
$0 – $145 in fees
3-5 days of work
Des Moines runs -4% against the U.S. average · data confidence Medium · modeled estimate, not a quote
The modeled midpoint for Des Moines is $9,100. The local adjustment for this trade is x0.961 — driven mainly by Polk County labor rates and 5% exposure to local code requirements.
Cost by project size
Generated from the same unit pricing the calculator uses.
| Project size | Estimated range |
|---|---|
| 15 linear foot of cabinetry | $3,000 – $9,000 |
| 20 linear foot of cabinetry | $4,000 – $12,000 |
| 30 linear foot of cabinetry | $6,000 – $18,000 |
| 35 linear foot of cabinetry | $7,000 – $21,000 |
Based on Des Moines pricing of $200–$600 per linear foot of cabinetry.
Where the money goes
- Labor
- $5,500
- 60% of median
- Materials
- $3,600
- 39% of median
- Permit & fees
- $75
- 1% of median
Des Moines project costs-4% vs U.S. average
Based on Polk County labor rates, local material logistics and permit-fee posture for this trade.
What the project looks like start to finish
Typical sequence for this scope. Timing varies with contractor backlog and plan-review queues.
01
Planning & quotes
Scope, material choice, contractor selection
02
Scheduling
No permit typically required for this scope
03
Materials & staging
Order lead time on non-stock materials
04
Installation
3-5 days of work
05
Closeout
Final sign-off, warranty and documentation
Des Moines labor intelligence
What the trade charges here, and how much of your price it is.
Loaded hourly rate
$48–$63
Interior crews in Polk County · -5% vs U.S. ($58/hr)
Typical crew
3 × 4 days
On-site time for a typical cabinet refacing job here.
Labor in the price
$5,500
60% of the median — the rest is material, disposal and permit.
Because labor is 60% of this job, Des Moines wage levels move the price far more than material prices do. A quote well under this labor figure usually means a smaller crew, a longer schedule, or unlicensed help.
Basis: Hometriva labor model: national interior crew rates adjusted by the Polk County labor factor (x0.948). · BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Hometriva methodology
Why Des Moines differs from the national average
The local delta, broken into dollars by driver.
Trade labor rates-$300
Polk County crews price 5% below the national average, and labor is 60% of this job.
Material and delivery-$75
Materials are nationally traded, so they move less — but delivery into this market runs 2% under baseline.
Basis: Decomposition of the modeled Des Moines median against the U.S. median for this scope. · City of Des Moines building department, Hometriva methodology
Des Moines vs Iowa vs the U.S.
Change the inputs, see your number
The same local model, run against your job instead of the average one.
Simulated kitchen cabinet refacing in Des Moines
$9,175
Likely range $4,375 – $19,275
Simulated from the same local model as the numbers above — it changes the inputs, not the pricing method.
What makes the number move
- Linear feet of cabinetry and door count
- Veneer, thermofoil or solid wood fronts
- New soft-close hardware
- Adding crown molding or end panels
- Condition of the existing boxes
Who issues each permit
Tracked per discipline — the building permit issuer is not always the body that reviews electrical, plumbing, zoning or fire.
| Discipline | Issuing authority |
|---|---|
| building | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
| electrical | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
| mechanical | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
| plumbing | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
| zoning | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
| fire | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
Permit requirement in Des Moines
A permit is usually not required for kitchen cabinet refacing on its own. Des Moines still applies zoning rules such as setbacks, lot coverage and HOA approval, and any structural, electrical or plumbing work added to the job does need a permit.
- Permitting authority
- City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate
- Permit fee
- Estimated allowance $0–$145Modeled from comparable fee schedules — not an official quoted fee.
Local conditions that change this job
Only the exposures that materially affect kitchen cabinet refacing.
Humidity
High62/100
Nearby market comparison
| Market | Local factor | Median | Per linear foot of cabinetry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines (this page) | x0.961 | $9,100 | $200 – $600 |
| Ames | x0.906 | $8,600 | $200 – $600 |
| Cedar Rapids | x0.906 | $8,600 | $200 – $600 |
| Iowa City | x0.906 | $8,600 | $200 – $600 |
+ Had kitchen cabinet refacing done in Des Moines? Add what you paid or were quoted
Reports are reviewed before they count, and nothing is published until at least 5 reports exist for a market. No name, email or address is collected.
How Hometriva estimates Des Moines cabinet refacing costs
Hometriva does not publish invented city prices. The Des Moines estimate for kitchen cabinet refacing is produced by this chain, and every input is stored separately:
- National baseline$9,500
Typical U.S. cost for kitchen cabinet refacing on a single-family home.
- Local labor factorx0.948
Des Moines-area trade labor rates, weighted at 60% of this job.
- Material factorx0.978
Material and delivery pricing into Polk County, weighted at 40%.
- Regulatory factorx1.029
Local code, product-approval and inspection load, applied at 5% for this project type.
- Applied multiplierx0.961
Blended Des Moines adjustment specific to kitchen cabinet refacing.
- Permit component$0 – $145
Budgeted separately from the contract price because it is paid to the jurisdiction.
Because labor, material and regulatory factors are weighted per project, kitchen cabinet refacing in Des Moines carries a different local adjustment than other trades in the same market.
Reviewed by
Hometriva Cost Data Desk
Maintains the unit-cost baselines, local adjustment factors and material pricing. Reviewed for kitchen cabinet refacing pricing in Des Moines, IA.
- • National unit-cost baselines against current trade pricing
- • Local labor and materials factors for the market
- • Material installed-cost ranges and service life
Last reviewed August 2026 · Editorial standards · Report an error
Frequently asked questions
Is cabinet refacing worth it?
Refacing makes sense when the existing boxes are solid and the layout works. If the boxes are particleboard that has swollen from moisture, or you want to change the layout, full replacement is the better value.
How long does kitchen cabinet refacing take?
3-5 days of work. Permit review and inspection scheduling are usually the largest source of variation.
What changes the price the most?
The largest cost drivers are linear feet of cabinetry and door count; veneer, thermofoil or solid wood fronts; new soft-close hardware.
Sources
Sources & verification
- City of Des Moines building department
- Des Moines permit portal
- Iowa Department of Public Safety
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Model vintage August 2026. The links above are the issuing agencies' own pages — we publish them so you can confirm the current rule yourself, not as evidence that each fact on this page was re-checked with them today. Cost figures are modeled estimates based on national baselines adjusted for local labor and material pricing, not quotes. Permit rules change; confirm with the building department before starting work.