How Much Does Cabinet Refacing Cost?
3 pros!
Cabinet refacing costs range from $1,000 to $3,000 for laminate cabinets in a 120-square-foot kitchen. Costs can rise to between $7,000 to $9,000 for wood veneer cabinets.
What Are the Cost Factors to Refacing Kitchen Cabinets?
- Materials: Plastic and rigid thermofoil (RTF) laminate cost from $500-$1,000 vs. more durable wood veneer at $1,600-$3,200. Oak, cherry and maple are the costliest at $13-$27 per board foot.
- Size: The number of cabinets matters. Their size and depth also impact cost. Islands may need more material than a wall of cabinets.
- Repair work: They need careful upkeep. This adds to labor costs over time.
- Extra parts: Hardware may need changing.
- Location: Renovation work can cost more in some areas or regions.
- Hired Pro: Pro quotes vary.
Why Reface Kitchen Cabinet Doors and Drawer Fronts?
You can reface your cabinets and refresh your kitchen’s look without the need for total replacement.
Refacing covers a cabinet’s exposed frame with wood veneer or laminate. Doors, drawer fronts and new knobs, hinges and moldings finish the new style.
Refacing:
- Fixes damage
- Removes stains
- Lasts longer than a repaint
- Takes less time than a refinish
- Can change color or style without replacement
- Less wasteful "green" option
- Fixes peeling and bubbling
Resurfacing may be the best choice when the cost to paint cabinets is too high.
What is the Process
Once you decide to reface your cabinets, get a price from a pro. Then, choose the veneer material you want. The install should take two to four days.
1. Early Prep: Pros remove all doors and drawer fronts first.
2. Cleaning and Sanding: This includes washing them. Taking off all debris, grease and grime is crucial. Then, they run a light sander over the outside frames. This helps the veneer to stick.
3. Fix Flaws: The workers repair any major flaws. For larger nicks, a wood filler can level the surface.
4. Cut and Install Veneer: They cut the veneer with care and glue it in place.
5. Complete: Once surfaces are dry, pros remount the drawer fronts and cabinet doors. Then, place the hardware and do touch-ups.
What Is the Average Cost of Refacing Cabinets Versus Replacing Cabinets?
Replacing stock cabinets in an average kitchen costs between $4,000-$5,000 vs. $1,600-$5,700 for resurfacing.
Semi-custom cabinets are stock cabinets with extra detailing. Replacing them costs $8,000-$10,000. Fully custom crafting costs as much as $20,000.
Benefits of refacing rather than replacing include:
- Lower labor costs
- Less wasted wood or plastic
- Less demo and mess
- Shorter turn around
What Does It Cost to Refinish Cabinets?
The cost to refinish cabinets ranges from $500-$3,000.
A refinish involves taking off the old stain or paint, sanding the surface and making minor repairs. A pro then applies a new coat of paint or stain.
Who Should I Hire for Cabinet Refacing or Refinishing?
When asking for prices, learn as much as you can about each company. Find out which techniques they use. See examples of their work.
It's important to ask questions when hiring a pro:
- What type of products do you install?
- Does your company have a good reputation?
- What’s your install time?
- How trained are your people? Who does the work, you or a sub-contractor?
- Are you licensed? Do you have insurance?
- What outcome can I expect based on the shape of the cabinets?
Look at costs and go with the most truthful price, not just the lowest. Receive three quotes for a good sense of the market.
Research cabinet refacing pros - find local cabinet refacing near you here. Locate the best and compare their reviews based on your goals. Or quickly connect with three highly-rated cabinet resurfacers here and get started on your cabinet project today.
Tips From The Pros
We reached out to Meir Barzilai at Treeium, Inc. an eco-friendly remodeling company in Valley Village, California for some hiring tips.
Cabinet refacing means a company such as Treeium, Inc. will put in the existing doors and the existing door fronts and drawer fronts, not the drawer itself. What process should you expect? "We bring in a catalogue so [the homeowner] can select a new door and drawer face," says Barzilai. "So, then we have to actually sand and bond the wood itself off the frame of the vanity, apply primer, sand again, and then paint the frame of all the cabinets. After that, the interior of the cabinets are not being touched. We install new door and drawer fronts. We’re usually not changing the mechanisms, but the hinges for the doors are being changed when you do a reface. You can pull it out and upgrade to a self-closing hinge.
“That's showing it to a customer in one way," continued Barzilai. "Given a rough idea of what a project like this, and then if [the homeowner] says, okay, ‘I’d also like to do my countertops or change some appliances,’ so you have to start modifying cabinet sizes. When you start modifying an existing kitchen, that’s when things and expenses start to go a little bit sour. So, a lot more labor suddenly has to be addressed. We try to explain to the customer certain scenarios that can happen. I’m a true believer that if you give as much information as you can to the customer, then the surprise doesn’t happen later."