Linear foot pricing is notoriously innacurate. It often is a lowball price, while it may include uppers it rarely includes moldings, trim, accessories, extra drawers. It is also generally based on a 10 x 10 kitchen which has a 3ft fridge, 2.5 ft range and hood, 3 ft sink and window and 2 ft of dishwasher all with a blind corner. So that 20ft of kitchen realistically has just over 10 ft of cabinets.

There is a brand comparison thread here on the forum called something like white shaker cabinet pricing. That has the price per brand for a standard 36 base and 36 x 36 wall. The low end there is about $250 and the high end about $1400. Again no moldings accessories extra drawer ...so you number of 50 per ft is awfully low.

When clients are having a hard time determining budget I usually suggest just picking a number that they will be comfortable with and a ceiling-the number that makes them uncomfortable. Then you can walk in somewhere, tell them what you want to spend, what you would like and they can show you what is available at your price point.

Some folks don't like to give a budget. The refrain is "if I tell you, you will spend it." Fact is you spend it and have control. It is truly rare that what someone wants costs less than the number they make up (I've only seen it happen once in 15 yrs). A commissioned salesperson gets very little by increasing your budget, especially compared to not getting paid at all because they are over you budget so you go some place else.

The alternative is to walk into someplace and have them price a layout in something you think you want. On the one had that is the job, on the other the better the designer is the less likely they will do much work without a budget to shoot for. Those folks will give you an off the top guess but it is just that, a guess. Guessing even by seasoned pros is also notoriously inaccurate.

Linear foot is a bogus way of developing a budget. It's like budgeting a car purchase by the pound. You kitchen will cost the same as that new car if it's appropriate to the home's neighborhood. And the cabinets will cost half of that. Average is 55K, with cabinets being around 20-25K for a mid range kitchen. Upscale is double. Really upscale is double that again.

if you have a layout in mind, you could plug in your cabinets into cliq studios or ikea to get a ballpark price. also go to lowes or hd to look at their kitchen displays. they have a little book in each vignette that give you a 10x10 cost with bare bones plus 2 other levels of pricing.
the only way linear ft pricing works is if you do a builder grade kitchen, ie no drawers, no lazy susan, 30" cabinets, partial overlay and no paint upgrade, no light rail or moldings.

Well, I'll drop the linear foot idea. Thanks for the input.