Kitchen Cabinet Refacing cost in Seattle, WA

Seattle, WA · updated August 2026

$12,100

Typical local cost

$5,700 – $25,400

Typical range

per linear foot of cabinetry
$300 – $850

Installed, local pricing

Permit
Usually no

$0 – $205 in fees

Typical timeline
3-5 days of work

3-5 days of work

Seattle runs +27% against the U.S. average · data confidence Medium · modeled estimate, not a quote

Most Seattle homeowners pay around $12,100. The local adjustment for this trade is x1.272 — driven mainly by King County labor rates and 5% exposure to local code requirements.

Cost by project size

Generated from the same unit pricing the calculator uses.

Estimated cost by project size
Project sizeEstimated range
15 linear foot of cabinetry$4,500$12,800
15 linear foot of cabinetry$4,500$12,800
20 linear foot of cabinetry$6,000$17,000
30 linear foot of cabinetry$9,000$25,500
35 linear foot of cabinetry$10,500$29,800

Based on Seattle pricing of $300–$850 per linear foot of cabinetry.

Where the money goes

Labor
$7,300
60% of median
Materials
$4,800
39% of median
Permit & fees
$105
1% of median

Seattle project costs+27% vs U.S. average

Based on King 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.

  1. 01

    Planning & quotes

    Scope, material choice, contractor selection

  2. 02

    Scheduling

    No permit typically required for this scope

  3. 03

    Materials & staging

    Order lead time on non-stock materials

  4. 04

    Installation

    3-5 days of work

  5. 05

    Closeout

    Final sign-off, warranty and documentation

Seattle labor intelligence

What the trade charges here, and how much of your price it is.

Loaded hourly rate

$68–$88

Interior crews in King County · +34% vs U.S. ($58/hr)

Typical crew

3 × 4 days

On-site time for a typical cabinet refacing job here.

Labor in the price

$7,300

60% of the median — the rest is material, disposal and permit.

Because labor is 60% of this job, Seattle 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 King County labor factor (x1.338). · BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Hometriva methodology

Why Seattle differs from the national average

The local delta, broken into dollars by driver.

Trade labor rates$1,925Material and delivery$575Code and inspection load$50Permit fees$25
Dollars of the Seattle difference owned by each driver, versus the U.S. median for kitchen cabinet refacing.
  • Trade labor rates+$1,925

    King County crews price 34% above the national average, and labor is 60% of this job.

  • Material and delivery+$575

    Materials are nationally traded, so they move less — but delivery into this market runs 15% over baseline.

  • Code and inspection load+$50

    Kitchen Cabinet Refacing carries 5% exposure to local code requirements, and this jurisdiction's review load indexes at x1.13.

  • Permit fees+$25

    Fees are paid to the jurisdiction, not the contractor, and are budgeted separately from the contract price.

Basis: Decomposition of the modeled Seattle median against the U.S. median for this scope. · City of Seattle building department, Hometriva methodology

Seattle vs Washington vs the U.S.

Seattle$5,700$25,400Washington average$5,300$23,400U.S. average$4,500$20,000
Modeled ranges for kitchen cabinet refacing. The tick marks the median in each geography.

Change the inputs, see your number

The same local model, run against your job instead of the average one.

Simulated kitchen cabinet refacing in Seattle

$12,205

Likely range $5,805$25,505

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.

Permitting authority by discipline
DisciplineIssuing authority
buildingCity of Seattle building departmentModeled estimate
electricalCity of Seattle building departmentModeled estimate
mechanicalCity of Seattle building departmentModeled estimate
plumbingCity of Seattle building departmentModeled estimate
zoningCity of Seattle building departmentModeled estimate
fireCity of Seattle building departmentModeled estimate

Permit requirement in Seattle

Usually no permit is required in Seattle, but zoning rules such as setbacks and HOA approval can still apply.

Permitting authority
City of Seattle building departmentModeled estimate
Permit fee
Estimated allowance $0$205Modeled from comparable fee schedules — not an official quoted fee.
Full Seattle permit guide for kitchen cabinet refacing

Local conditions that change this job

Only the exposures that materially affect kitchen cabinet refacing.

Humidity

High70/100

SDCI review timelines, seismic detailing and energy-code requirements add meaningful cost and schedule to structural and envelope work.

Nearby market comparison

MarketLocal factorMedianPer linear foot of cabinetry
Seattle (this page)x1.272$12,100$300$850
Portlandx1.190$11,300$250$750
Spokanex1.052$10,000$250$700
Boisex1.002$9,500$200$650

What Seattle homeowners actually paid

Real reported invoices from this market, aggregated. Add yours — it takes 20 seconds and no personal details.

No name, email or address is collected. Reports are reviewed before they count.

Quotes homeowners were given in Seattle

Quotes run ahead of final invoices. Reporting yours shows the local spread and where there is room to negotiate.

No name, email or address is collected.

How Hometriva estimates Seattle cabinet refacing costs

Hometriva does not publish invented city prices. The Seattle estimate for kitchen cabinet refacing is produced by this chain, and every input is stored separately:

  1. National baseline$9,500

    Typical U.S. cost for kitchen cabinet refacing on a single-family home.

  2. Local labor factorx1.338

    Seattle-area trade labor rates, weighted at 60% of this job.

  3. Material factorx1.153

    Material and delivery pricing into King County, weighted at 40%.

  4. Regulatory factorx1.128

    Local code, product-approval and inspection load, applied at 5% for this project type.

  5. Applied multiplierx1.272

    Blended Seattle adjustment specific to kitchen cabinet refacing.

  6. Permit component$0 – $205

    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 Seattle 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 Seattle, WA.

  • 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.

Sources

Sources & verification

Last verified August 2026. Cost figures are modeled estimates based on national baselines adjusted for local labor and material pricing — they are not quotes. Permit rules change; confirm with the building department before starting work.

Related pages