Cabinet installation vs door installation

Both involve carpentry and precise fitting, but cabinet and door installation require different skills and specialists. Learn when each service is the right fit.

Cabinet installation covers mounting wall and base cabinets in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and storage areas. The process involves precise leveling (cabinets must be plumb and level even when walls aren't), locating and securing to wall studs, scribing fillers against uneven walls, cutting holes for plumbing and electrical, and aligning doors and drawers for smooth operation. Kitchen cabinet installation is one of the most exacting carpentry tasks — a 1/16" error compounds across a run of cabinets. Full kitchen cabinet installation typically costs $2,000–$5,000 for labor (materials separate), takes 1–3 days, and may require coordination with plumbers (for sink hookup) and electricians (for under-cabinet lighting, outlets). Door installation covers hanging interior or exterior doors including the frame, hinges, lockset, and trim. Interior pre-hung doors ($100–$300 each) are the most common project — the door comes already mounted in its frame and needs to be shimmed, leveled, and secured in the rough opening, then trimmed with casing. Exterior doors are heavier, require weatherstripping and proper sealing, and often have sidelights or transoms. Labor: $150–$300 per interior door; $300–$600 per exterior door. Both are carpentry trades, but cabinet installers are specialists — they work with manufacturers' specific hardware, soft-close mechanisms, and custom configurations. A general carpenter or handyman can hang a door well, but cabinet work demands more specialized training.