How long do kitchen cabinets last?

You can expect kitchen cabinets to last from 30 to 60 years, with an average of 45 years. Cabinets begin to show signs of age after about 20 years, such as doors that don’t fully close, drawer fronts coming loose, and surface dings—especially at heavily used areas like below the sink.  Kitchens are also one of the most popular remodeling projects, and cabinets are often replaced at about the 30 to 40 year point because they are outdated. 

    Also, we have found two types of kitchen cabinets that do not hold up as long as expected:

•• Older particleboard budget cabinets, often installed in mobile homes (not MDF). Any moisture makes the material puff up and crumble. A short-term puddle of water caused failure of a small area of the floor of a cabinet shown below, but long-term moisture causes the entire cabinet floor to collapse.

••.MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) cabinets with Thermofoil facing often have separation of the facing, peeling back at the corners, especially on the the return edges of doors below the sink and other lower cabinets, after about 15 years The MDF remains intact, but the thin skin can be difficult to resecure and the cosmetic defect may have to be lived with until the cabinets are replaced.

    Here’s a bar graph that compares the life expectancy of kitchen cabinets to other types of storage.
    Go to our blog post What is the average lifespan of the parts of a house? for rating of other house components. To understand the basis, potential use, and limitations of lifespan ratings, see our blog post How accurate are the average life expectancy ratings of home components? Are they actually useful? 

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Field Guide for Home Inspectors, a quick reference for finding the age of 154 brands of HVAC systems, water heaters, and electrical panels, plus 210 code standards for site-built and manufactured homes, and the life expectancy rating of 195 home components. Available at amazon.com for $19.95.
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Here’s links to a collection of our blog posts about LIFE EXPECTANCY:

• How accurate are the average life expectancy ratings of home components? Are they actually useful? 

• How does the number of people living in a house affect its durability and life expectancy?

• What is the average life expectancy of ABS pipe? 

• What is the average lifespan of an air conditioner?

• What is the average lifespan of an architectural (dimensional) shingle roof?

• What is the life expectancy of an asbestos cement shingle roof?

• What is the average lifespan of a built-up and gravel roof?

• What is the average life expectancy of cast iron pipe? 

• What is the average lifespan of a concrete tile roof?

• What is the average life expectancy of copper pipe?

• What is the average life expectancy of CPVC pipe? 

• What is the average life expectancy of a ductless (mini-split) heat pump or air conditioner?

• What is the life expectancy of electrical wiring in a house? 

• What is the average lifespan of a house foundation? 

• What is the average life expectancy of galvanized steel pipe?

• What is the average life expectancy of a whole-house standby emergency generator?

• What is the average life expectancy of a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) receptacle?

• What is the average life expectancy of a heat pump?

• What is the average life expectancy of a house? 

• What is the average life expectancy of kitchen cabinets?

• What is the life expectancy of a mobile home? 

• What is the life expectancy of a modular home?

• What is the average lifespan of a modified bitumen roof?

• What is the average life expectancy of Orangeburg (bituminous fiber) pipe?

• What is the average life expectancy of a package unit heat pump or air conditioner? 

• What is the average life expectancy of paint on a house?

• What is the average lifespan of the parts of a house?

• What is the average life expectancy of PEX pipe? 

• What is the average life expectancy of plywood siding?

• What is the average life expectancy of PVC pipe? 

• What is the average life expectancy of a radon mitigation system? 

• What is the average lifespan of a regular (3-tab) shingle roof?

• What's the average lifespan of a roof?

• What is the average life expectancy of an SPF roof? 

• What is the average life expectancy of stucco?

• What is the average lifespan of a water heater?

• What is the average life expectancy of a window unit air conditioner or heat pump?

• What is the average life expectancy of windows?

• What is the average life expectancy of wood siding?

     Visit our LIFE EXPECTANCY page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles. 

NOTE: These life expectancies are based on data provided by InterNACHI, NAHB, FannieMae, and our own professional experience. Because of the numerous variables that can affect a lifespan, they should be used as rough guidelines only, and not relied upon as a warranty or guarantee of future performance.