In Ottawa, kitchen cabinets typically cost between $150 and $1,200+ per linear foot installed in 2026, with most homeowners paying roughly $9,000 to $30,000 for a full set of kitchen cabinetry. The tier you choose drives the price: stock cabinets (IKEA, big-box lines) run about $150–$350 per linear foot, semi-custom lands around $350–$650, and full custom cabinetry built by an Ottawa cabinet maker runs roughly $650–$1,200+ per linear foot. Material matters just as much — painted MDF doors run about 10–20% less than solid maple or oak, while thermofoil is the cheapest face option and solid hard...
Cabinetry is quoted by the linear foot — the horizontal run of wall measured along the base and upper cabinets — because it scales with kitchen size regardless of layout. In Ottawa for 2026, stock cabinets run roughly $150–$350 per linear foot supplied, covering flat-pack and pre-assembled lines from IKEA, Home Depot, and Lowe's in fixed sizes and finishes. Semi-custom cabinets run about $350–$650 per linear foot: factory-built boxes in standard sizes but with your choice of door style, colour, ...
Installation is usually quoted separately from the cabinets themselves. In Ottawa, expect $80–$150 per linear foot for professional installation, or roughly $2,000–$4,000 for a typical kitchen. Flat-pack assembly, crown moulding, filler scribing, and levelling on out-of-square walls in older Ottawa ...
Solid wood cabinets are the most expensive common option and the question Ottawa homeowners ask most. In 2026, solid maple, birch, or oak doors with plywood boxes typically run $500–$900 per linear foot in semi-custom lines and $800–$1,400+ in full custom, roughly 15–30% more than the same cabinet in painted MDF. Species matters: paint-grade maple and birch are the affordable hardwoods, red oak sits mid-range and has returned to fashion, while walnut, white oak, and cherry command 30–60% premium...
The box construction hidden behind the doors affects both price and lifespan. Melamine-coated particleboard boxes are standard in stock and many semi-custom lines and hold up fine if kept dry. Plywood boxes add roughly $1,500–$4,000 to a full kitchen but resist moisture damage far better — worth con...
Stock cabinets come in fixed 3-inch size increments, which means filler panels wherever your walls don't cooperate — a common issue in Ottawa's older Glebe, Westboro, and Hintonburg homes where nothing is square or standard. They arrive quickly (often in stock or within 2–3 weeks) and suit rentals, secondary kitchens, and budget-conscious renovations. Semi-custom offers the best value for most Ottawa homeowners: you keep factory pricing and consistency but get door and finish choice, depth modif...
If your cabinet boxes are structurally sound and the layout works, refacing can cut costs dramatically. Cabinet refacing in Ottawa runs roughly $6,000–$14,000 for an average kitchen in 2026 — new doors, drawer fronts, and matching veneer on the exposed box faces, with new hinges and hardware. That's typically 40–60% less than replacing, and the job takes 3–5 days instead of 2–3 weeks with no demolition dust. Cabinet painting is cheaper still at about $3,000–$7,000 professionally sprayed, though ...
Refacing works best over plywood or solid boxes. Older particleboard boxes that have swelled from a leak under the sink won't hold new hinge screws reliably, and a reputable Ottawa refacing contractor will tell you so during the assessment rather than after deposit.
The per-linear-foot number rarely covers the whole job. Soft-close hinges and undermount drawer slides are standard in mid and upper lines but can add $500–$1,500 to entry-level cabinets. Interior organizers — pull-out waste bins, spice racks, cutlery inserts, corner lazy susans, and pantry roll-outs — commonly add $1,000–$3,500 across a kitchen. Crown moulding, light valances, decorative end panels, and toe-kick finishing add $800–$2,500. Taking uppers to the ceiling instead of stopping at 84 i...
The ranges above are planning figures — the only real number comes from itemized written quotes based on a site measure. When you request quotes, provide your kitchen's linear footage, ceiling height, preferred door style and finish, and whether you're keeping the existing layout. A quality quote spells out box material (particleboard vs. plywood), door material and species, hinge and slide brand and whether they're soft-close, finish type, included organizers, installation, and lead time. Get a...
In 2026, kitchen cabinets in Ottawa cost roughly $150–$1,200+ per linear foot depending on tier — about $150–$350 for stock, $350–$650 for semi-custom, and $650–$1,200+ for full custom. Most homeowners pay $9,000 to $30,000 for a complete set of cabinets installed, with installation itself adding about $80–$150 per linear foot.
Solid maple, birch, or oak cabinets in Ottawa typically run $500–$900 per linear foot in semi-custom lines and $800–$1,400+ in full custom — about 15–30% more than painted MDF. Premium species like walnut, white oak, and cherry add another 30–60% on top of that.
MDF doors cost roughly 10–20% less than solid wood, but they aren't automatically worse. For painted finishes, many cabinet makers prefer MDF because it doesn't expand and contract with Ottawa's humidity swings, so the paint is far less likely to crack at door joints. Solid wood remains the better choice for stained finishes where you want visible grain.
Cabinet refacing in Ottawa runs about $6,000–$14,000 for an average kitchen in 2026 — typically 40–60% less than a full replacement, and completed in 3–5 days. Refacing only makes sense if your existing boxes are solid and the layout already works for you.
Full custom cabinetry from an Ottawa shop typically takes 8–16 weeks from design approval to installation. Semi-custom lines run about 6–10 weeks, while stock cabinets are often available immediately or within 2–3 weeks.