The Kitchen Upgrade That’s Not a Remodel
As homeowners face the realities of climbing inflation and a somewhat uncertain real estate market, many are seeking lower-cost, higher-impact ways to care for and update their homes. For franchisees of Fresh Coat Painters, the 190-plus-unit painting franchise with a national presence, this presents a unique opportunity.
According to a 2024 report, the mid-range cost for a minor kitchen remodel is about $27,000, and the mid-range cost for a major kitchen remodel is nearly $80,000. Alternatively, homeowners can overhaul the appearance of their kitchen for under $10,000 by painting their cabinets.
The Market Shift: Higher-Impact, Lower-Cost Projects
“Painting the cabinets is one of the quickest, easiest, most beautiful ways to update someone’s kitchen,” said Kimberly Nelson, owner of Fresh Coat Painters of Stone Oak and Fresh Coat Painters of Alamo Heights. “We paint the cabinets, and the homeowner will change the hardware. It’s not necessarily a cheap project, but compared to a whole remodel, it’s a very cost-effective, beautiful project.”
Cabinet painting directly meets consumer demand for alternatives to a full remodel, and it even offers a more affordable alternative to less involved options like cabinet replacement or refacing.
“I had a customer that called us to paint their living room, and they told me they had recently hired a company to reface all their cabinets. They were spending over $15,000 to do that,” said Jeff Berry, owner of Fresh Coat Painters of Maryville. “I told them I could’ve painted them for around $7,000. It’s about half the price of refacing, but if you’re getting them painted professionally, it’s going to last a whole lot longer than a reface. The kitchen cabinets were already done at that point, but they called me back to paint the laundry and bathroom cabinets.”
While the cost of some alternatives and durability of others present hurdles for homeowners, cabinet painting is a great, affordable alternative with a real impact and lasting results. For Fresh Coat franchisees, it can also serve as a way to expand an existing relationship. Whether an owner paints one set of cabinets and is invited to return and paint more, or they’re able to turn a room painting project into a strong relationship that yields other project opportunities in the future, Fresh Coat’s quality and customer service allow owners to capitalize on additional revenue stream opportunities.
Strong Margins for Franchisees
While cabinet painting projects appeal to homeowners thanks to their lower cost ranges, these same projects are also financially appealing to franchisees. With Fresh Coat’s SMART Quote program, owners can generate actionable plans to help them price and complete a successful project.
“If you’re using the SMART Quote cabinet template, it is dead on with what you need paint-wise and labor-wise — the number of days the project will take,” Nelson said. “It’s always accurate; you’re not guessing. When I first started, I knew I would need a system that made sense, and SMART Quote did that for me. If you know the margins for your area, and especially if you’re using the SMART Quote template, it’s an easy sell, it’s very fair and you will make money on the project.”
While kitchen cabinets require a specific skill set, they’re ultimately very profitable in terms of projects.
“Kitchen cabinets are profitable for the business, too, because it’s a little less expensive,” Berry said. “You have to have a good painter because you can’t roll and brush them, so it’s a little different, but once you have the right people, the profits are good on cabinets.”
Long-Term Scalability and Business Success
In addition to the profitability of a single cabinet-related project, getting into the cabinet painting space serves as a great runway for franchisees looking to scale.
With Fresh Coat’s professional methods, cabinet projects turn out beautifully and have the durability to benefit the appearance of a space for years to come. Homeowners realize this, and after a successful project, they’re eager to share with their friends and neighbors.
“You do one great cabinet project, and that homeowner runs to tell the neighbor and the next person because their cabinets came out beautiful,” Berry said.
Cabinet projects can also serve as a “foot in the door” for B2B partnerships. For homeowners who do have the means or motivation to remodel a space, working with a professional remodeling company is often the way to go. Fresh Coat franchisees can tap into the segment of the business, too.
“Remodelers are able to work within their client’s budgets, and they can propose different options, like, ‘Instead of doing all new cabinets, I’ll bring in Fresh Coat, and they’ll make your cabinets look brand new in a style that will update your house by 20 years,’” Nelson said. “My ability to do cabinets has already opened doors where I’m working with pretty high-end remodeling companies in the area on projects like these.”
While cabinet painting begins as an ancillary service or supplemental revenue stream for many franchisees, it can quickly become a key business driver. For Nelson, over half of her projects since launching earlier this year have been cabinet-related. As a proven, high-demand and profitable service line, it directly addresses consumers’ needs and serves as a key growth engine for Fresh Coat owners.
“It’s a win-win for the Fresh Coat owner and the homeowner,” Nelson said. “With a few thousand dollars, the homeowner is completely changing the look of their kitchen instead of spending $25,000 on a remodel. It is a quick fix for the homeowner, but it’s also profitable for the Fresh Coat owner as well. I look forward to selling cabinets now because I really know the system, I know the materials, and I know my crew can handle the project. Cabinets can be pretty foolproof, which is lovely in our painting world.”