They should have been cabinet maker is my thought. I am having custom cabinets and they are painted where they make them.

Many cabinet makers do not have the facility to paint (or stain) cabinetry and they are painted on site. When painting on site, I have never seen them painted before being installed. Painting after installation means that the seams between cabinets will not be as noticeable. However, we always specify that the interior of the cabinets be clear coated by the cabinet maker prior to delivery. It is too hard to paint the interior of the cabinets on site and it look nice - IMO. I would never install the countertop before painting the cabinets. I would never install the hardware before painting.

My custom cabinets were painted prior to installation.

Was this a miscommunication (were you expecting painted cabinets)? Painting them after hardware and countertops makes no sense to me.

Let her install the hardware now because it'll be removed for painting.

Real custom cabinet makers also do finishing. In a clean room. Because a proper finish is just as expensive as the cabinets, and they don't want all of their hard work ruined by some hack on site glopping on house paint with bugs and dust in it. You have a faux custom maker, and a hack.

Thank you all. Yes, I was expecting the cabinets to be painted before installation. I spent a lot of money on them and now I have essentially non-functional cabinets and a contractor who is telling me that painting isn't part of her scope. I am really nervous about having some third party come in and potentially screw up the cabinets with a crap paint job.

Crown Point Cabinets allows customers to purchase unfinished cabinetry and Crown Point are most definitely real custom cabinet makers.

How much does something like cabinet painting cost? I'm in the Bay Area (so of course, have to deal with the Bay Area mark-up)

Jane Smith:

How fussy are you? That needs to be the first question you answer. Wood finishing is a trade separate from cabinetmaking. A finisher knows what mix to use by his feel of the humidity level in the air.

If you like funk, hire a Craigslister and paint away. If you are fussy, those cabinets are getting pulled and finished in an explosion-proof shop. Your call.

Ever watch Chip and Joanna Gaines on the HGTV show Fixer Upper? 1st- Install cabinets 2nd- paint. 3rd- install counters. 4th- hardware

Please, let's not judge reality based on the show which I will not even name.

Find a qualified painter and have the removed cabinets sent to his or her shop.

Regardless it seems the contractor should have told you the process.

cost will depend on how many cabinets you have the bay area will be more expensive. Also remember there re different finishes for cabinets they are not all created equally.

"Ever watch Chip and Joanna Gaines on the HGTV show Fixer Upper? 1st- Install cabinets 2nd- paint. 3rd- install counters. 4th- hardware"

Chip and Joanna Gaines are wrong.

I agree “ reality “ T.V is not real and IMO painting of cabinets should be done in a spray booth environment and for sure before installing hardware , your price for the cabinets should have included the finish.

Sorry to hear you have this issue and not to berate you but this is a good example why hiring an interior designer to advocate for you and manage the trades saves uncomfortable and costly issues like this. I would agree with the pros here that they should have been painted in shop. Now that the counter is in it will be very difficult to remove to paint. Seems like an inexperienced contractor and one that is lacking in communication skills. Best case scenario would be to have the cabs removed and painted. The difficulty will be having someone take the liability of removing the countertops. If you do decide to remove have the cabs have them lacquered as opposed to panted, the finish is superior and more durable.

To answer your question, yes your intuition is correct. They should be painted prior. You should question the agreement with the contractor. This should be clear, if he/she was supposed to paint them or if that was "extra". A good contractor makes things very clear as to what is in their quote. However, I can't imagine a good contractor that would not explain the benefit of having them painted elsewhere regardless of price. Good luck!

Jane-What does your contract/proposal say about the cabinets?

Hello! the type of paint/finish, cabinet makers capabilities as noted in other comments dictates how and when the cabinets are painted. For example a high gloss lacquer would never be painted on site.

I hate to tell you people but cabinet painting isn't like spraying a car most have very primitive spray areas. Yes, I agree you get a better finish in a shop then already installed. This is because they are set up to spray all day which allows better access to the cabinets and a cleaner environment.

You can spray the exact finish on site as you can off. You can build a booth onsite complete with exhaust. Lacquer? The most overused word when referring to paint.

The hardware issue has me questioning what she was trying to do? Was she referring to drilling the hardware holes? Counters? not ideal but maybe she has run into installers damaging the cabinets. I would have done before just for access and lack of tape lines.

Offsite is ideal but in certain parts of the country onsite is a regular deal. The high solids in cabinet paint mask a lot of dust and dirt in their finish.

I ran into the same problem when quoting for a built in bookcase, some company offered to paint for a premium price and some offered none at all. I would not have known to even ask until I started talking paint when one guy was out getting measurements. I honestly think that all contracts need to be itemized so then you know where your money is directly applying to. The contractor installing our bookcase is putting the cabinets up then painting which we don't have any issue with as long as the area is prepped correctly so the paint does. It get everywhere.

Cabinetry with hardware is not cheap and painting won't be either. Sorry your cabinet maker was not fully transparent but it seems like there was not an in depth conversation over what your expectations were? Sadly there is a learning curve when dealing with contractors

Jane, are you saying that the finishing of the cabinets was not included in the price and that you expected it to be? Did you discuss the finish and select a paint color? Very strange that this big of a gap in communication would exist. Yes, I would be frustrated as well. Regardless, you do not have to remove the cabinets to get a fine finish. In fact, removing them subjects them to damage. Top caliber finishers routinely spray finish in homes, both lived in and otherwise. You must do your homework on the finishing process and outcome. You must get referrals and see a sample (and sign off) before you hire. You do not have to use a solvent-based lacquer to get an amazing finish -- your finisher can use a water-borne lacquer -- they are exceptional these days and do not yellow (important if using whites). These are not products that you would see in your HD or Lowe's. These are professional-grade products that the trades use. Some finishers will do the doors and drawers in the home, while others take them away and do them in their shops. The latter is my process. A ROUGH price for paint with no glaze, and not counting anything extra is about $120 per door/drawer for sprayed lacquer. This would include the appropriate primer, top coat and also the proper steps from start to finish (sanding, etc.) If it were my kitchen, I would never allow anyone to paint it by hand using products that could be purchased at any local store by a regular consumer. Your kitchen would not be out of commission for more than a week, if that. This said, when I do the doors and drawers, the amount of time and detail orientation is extensive, and it takes me about 2 weeks to do a full kitchen, but a relatively short period of time for the kitchen to be "on lock down." You must do your homework with painting...it is not a commodity, nor nearly as easy as many people think.

You're all terrific. Thank you so much for the feedback. I'm admittedly very green when it comes to this process, and I made the mistake of putting far too much trust in my general contractor on this point. She had every intention of leaving me with this unfinished kitchen which wasn't communicated to me. Oh well, you live and learn. I guess it's time to start researching painters...

Jane, not that it will help, but some of the most expensive custom homes choose to have unfinished cabinets installed before finishing. This is actually a good thing, assuming you choose the right finisher. Do not rush on that front. Everyone will tell you they do the best work. Seeing is believing. If I were you, I'd want to actually go to a real home where they'd done the kitchen. I offer this of my prospective clients, and they take me up on it. When you buy cabinets from a showroom, you get to see pretty real samples, so it shouldn't be that different with painters. If they can't or aren't willing to show you a real job, I'd move on. At the very least, get a full door sample with the intended finish. Then, be present when they start to see how it's going. Although I am not in your state and can't really give you pricing, I can provide tips on what to look for in a quote. Don't hesitate to ask if you'd like to down the road. One last thing...don't wait too long and begin to use the kitchen to a point where things get onto the cabinets. As a finisher, I vastly more enjoy finishing brand new wood that I don't have to clean of grease, sauces, coffee, etc. So while you should do your homework, know that you'll want to get them done pretty soon. And if there are other trades around, be sure that the contracts are tight with respect to who pays for any damage to the cabinets from another trade.

Agree with those saying it can go both ways but really agree with the professionals who outline why it's often better to finish after install. It seems more like a miscommunication as when we talked to the multiple cabinet makers when quoting our cabinets it was clear a different person would do the painting/finishing "AFTER" install. None quoted the paint prior to install as they also know that when you install you have some issues and damage. It's a lesson learned but those also saying the Fixer Upper couple do it wrong just seem bitter moreso than knowledgeable. Key to your next project is just ask all the questions of what's included and what is the final product that person will deliver.

2017 post

Doesnt matter its a 2017 post..added experiences since then in case others ask same question. 2018 post.

Hackers use lacquer. Too affected by moisture to use in a kitchen. The only reason that finishers like it is because it is easy for them.

Anyone who sprays nitrocellulose lacquer inside a home is an irresponsible fool, no matter the personal protective equipment he may wear. Let him blow himself and his house up, it's the neighbor's kids and the first responders that concern me.

Jumping into this old thread with a comment for any archive researchers to specifically highlight Christopher Peacock cabinetry which is very high-end, starting in the "telephone number" length for pricing as another poster described here at Houzz on a related thread. They do all their finishing on site and require the purchasers to pay for an installation and finishing team to travel and stay on location while finishing is in process. What is so absolutely astonishing to me is that at least in some instances, they have not yet perfected this process to the point that they aren't getting debris caught in their finishes! I've visited the Dallas, Texas, Christopher Peacock showroom twice in 2019 and noticed visible debris caught in one of the installations finished with a dark gloss paint. Knowing, as I did at the time, how they finish on site, my only conclusion is that they must not have set up an adequate clean room with filtered air flow. Finishing on site can be complicated by the fact that sanding is needed between coats for proper adhesion, so you would be setting up your clean room, sanding, cleaning everything, then re-setting up the clean room. For something like a gloss Epifanes spar varnish which is sometimes used on cabinetry for water and chemical resistance, up to 12 coats could be required with sanding in between all of them.

I appreciated the comment above about the pros and cons of finishing cabinetry before or after countertop installation. We're considering finishing after countertop installation after talking with our fabricator who told us that the team required to install our very heavy soapstone counters with extended overhang will appreciate anything we can do to make their job easier and prevent damage to surrounding surfaces. The Epifanes gloss finish we are considering using is as thick as syrup and requires brush application. We've also done experimentation with Waterlox original oil/resin formula which is a film-former and can also catch debris so requires the same clean room procedures that any other varnish would require.

Documentation is available online for best practice procedures with on-site finishing in a temporary clean room such as wearing wet Tyvek suiting, remembering that lights are dust magnets until they are turned off, and the importance of thoroughly cleaning a new brush before using it in varnishing. A new brush has a ton of pre-existing debris. You can flick it for what may take an hour to get the dirt out, then clean it in solvent. It can be stored with the bristles in diesel gasoline and then re-cleaned with solvent before using again. These procedures are described on the Epifanes website. They say that some of their varnishing brushes are easily 16 years old and have maintained their usefulness with these cleaning and storage procedures.

Almost any cabinetry finished off site is going to require touch-up to damaged areas after the transportation and installation process, so the type of finish that has been applied will dictate how easy that may be. In the world of expensive piano finishes, technicians are taught many techniques for spot-repairing the most high-end of finishes on expensive pianos like Steinway, so it is quite amazing what can be done.