When To Paint Kitchen Cabinets (Before Or After Replacing Countertops, Flooring, Drywall, Etc.)

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Last updated on March 28th, 2023 at 09:46 pm

When To Paint Kitchen Cabinets During A Remodel? Find Out Here!

Wondering when you should paint the kitchen cabinets during a remodel? Well, look no further because I have your answer!

Kitchen cabinets should be painted after drywall and paint are complete and before countertops, cabinet handles, backsplash, flooring, and appliances are replaced. This order helps the cabinets avoid dust, paint, or damage and helps the rest of the items avoid paint dripping from the cabinets.

Now that we’ve got the basics out of the way, let’s break into the details further so you can make sure you are completing your kitchen remodel in the best order.

Let’s dive in!

Quick Navigation: When To Paint Kitchen Cabinets During A Kitchen Remodel (Order Of Operations)

1. Kitchen Cabinets Should Be Painted After Drywall Work
2. Kitchen Cabinets Should Be Painted After The Walls/Ceiling Are Painted
3. Kitchen Cabinets Should Be Painted Before Countertops Are Replaced
4. Kitchen Cabinets Should Be Painted Before Cabinet Handles & Hinges Are Installed/Replaced
5. Kitchen Cabinets Should Be Painted Before Backsplash Is Installed
6. Kitchen Cabinets Should Be Painted Before Flooring Is Replaced (Vinyl, Laminate, Tile, Etc.)
7. Kitchen Cabinets Should Be Painted Before Appliances Are Replaced/Reinstalled
8. Final Thoughts
9. Related Kitchen Cabinets Articles

Kitchen Cabinets Should Be Painted After Drywall Work

If you need to do any drywall repairs in your kitchen, (maybe because you moved or removed some cabinets and need to patch some holes in the drywall) you will want to do this before you paint the cabinets.

Drywall is a messy job – joint compound gets dropped while it’s applied and dust coats everything when it’s time to sand. If you paint the cabinets first, then follow up with drywall, you will be doing a lot of extra cleaning to get the majority of the dust and dropped spackle off of your newly painted cabinets.

Instead, if you wait until after the drywall work is complete and most of the dust is removed, you can quickly wipe down the cabinets before you are ready to sand them and apply some primer.

Just a note, if the drywall damage is small screw holes or mostly surface damage in an area where you are going to install tile backsplash, then you do not need to repair the drywall. The mortar/adhesive for the tile will cover the holes easily.

In that case, you can continue on to the next task!

Kitchen Cabinets Should Be Painted After The Walls/Ceiling Are Painted

Another task you want to complete before painting the kitchen cabinets is painting the walls and ceiling.

Paint from the walls (and especially the ceiling) tends to drip and splatter over whatever is below it. No matter how carefully you paint, it’s just hard to avoid a few drips or splatters along the way.

The last thing you want to happen after you’ve freshly painted your kitchen cabinets is to have to touch up your cabinet paint from speckles dropped from the ceiling and wall paint.

Of course, you can always cover the freshly painted cabinets before painting the ceiling and walls to avoid any flecks of paint. But this is extra effort, in my opinion, that can be avoided if you plan ahead.

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Related Kitchen Cabinets Articles

• Pros & Cons Of Painting Kitchen Cabinets (Read First!)
• When To Paint vs When To Replace Kitchen Cabinets (Telltale Signs!)
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Kitchen Cabinets Should Be Painted Before Countertops Are Replaced

If you are saving the existing cabinets and only replacing the countertops, then you will want to paint the kitchen cabinets before installing the new countertop.

Reusing the existing cabinets and painting them during a kitchen remodel is a great way to save a ton of money. For the most part, I recommend removing the existing countertops, then painting the cabinets, then installing the new countertops.

It is easier to remove the countertops than paint so the countertops aren’t in the way while you are painting and you don’t get any paint on the new countertops.

Sometimes removing the countertop can peel off some of the paint (if it was painted before and not scored first), so it’s better to remove it before painting.

Kitchen Cabinets Should Be Painted Before Cabinet Handles & Hinges Are Installed/Replaced

If you are going to change out the cabinet handles and hinges on your existing cabinets to upgrade them to more modern ones, you will want to remove the old handles and/or hinges, paint the kitchen cabinets first, then install new handles and/or hinges.

Pay attention to the cabinet handle size of your existing cabinets and what size you want to switch to. If you are switching sizes (such as switching out 3-inch center-on-center handles for 5-inch center-on-center handles), then you will want to fill in the old holes with wood filler before painting the cabinets.

After the paint has dried, you can drill new holes to install your new handles.

Before you paint the cabinets, I recommend removing the old cabinet handles or knobs before you paint so they aren’t in your way while painting and sanding. Then you can reinstall the existing handles or replace them with new ones.

I have a tutorial on how to paint cabinets to help you make sure you get a professional finish. (The article is about painting bathroom cabinets, but the process is the same for kitchen cabinets.)

Kitchen Cabinets Should Be Painted Before Backsplash Is Installed

If you are installing new a new tile backsplash in your kitchen, then you will want to paint the kitchen cabinets before installing the backsplash.

You want to paint the cabinets before installing the backsplash for two reasons:

1. It helps to avoid getting paint on the new backsplash
2. The backsplash is installed after the new countertops are installed because the tile and tile spacers sit on the counter during the backsplash installation

Since we already mentioned that it’s best to paint the kitchen cabinets before replacing the countertops, this also makes it best to paint before installing a new tile backsplash.

Kitchen Cabinets Should Be Painted Before Flooring Is Replaced (Vinyl, Laminate, Tile, Etc.)

You will also want to paint the kitchen cabinets before installing or replacing the flooring. This is true for all floating flooring (vinyl, laminate, tile, etc) because you won’t have to worry about paint dripping on the new flooring.

Plus, the floating flooring butts up against the toekick of the cabinets, so it will be easier if the flooring is out of the way until after you’ve painted. Then you can lay the flooring and either run a bead of caulk or baseboard along the freshly painted cabinet toekick and the cut edge of the flooring to give the flooring and cabinets a finished look.

The dust and mess from painting the cabinets won’t get all over your new flooring either.

Kitchen Cabinets Should Be Painted Before Appliances Are Replaced/Reinstalled

Finally, you want to paint the kitchen cabinets before replacing or reinstalling any appliances (refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher, etc).

Again, since sanding and painting the cabinets is so messy, it’s best to wait to install the appliances so you won’t have to spend a ton of time wiping them down or trying to paint around them.

Once the cabinets are painted, the appliances can be installed rather quickly, and your kitchen remodel should be close to being complete!

Final Thoughts On When To Paint Kitchen Cabinets

There you have it!

Painting kitchen cabinets is a great way to save money during a kitchen renovation. In general, drywall work and painting of the walls and ceiling should be completed before painting kitchen cabinets. Then the kitchen cabinets should be painted before replacing the countertop and installing new backsplash, flooring, and/or appliances.

Hopefully, this guide helps you renovate your kitchen in the most efficient order possible.

Catch you in my next post!

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Related Kitchen Cabinets Articles

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When To Paint Kitchen Cabinets (Before Or After Replacing Countertops, Flooring, Drywall, Etc.)

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