How Much Is It To Reface Kitchen Cabinets: Guide 2024

Refacing kitchen cabinets can give your kitchen a fresh, new look without the high price or big mess of a full remodel. So, how much is it to reface kitchen cabinets? The kitchen cabinet refacing cost can range widely, but homeowners often pay between \$4,000 and \$10,000 for a typical project in 2024. This average cost to reface cabinets depends on many things, like the size of your kitchen, the materials you pick, and if you hire a pro or do it yourself. Getting a clear cabinet refacing price estimate helps you plan your budget. This guide will break down the costs and help you figure out what your specific project might cost.

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What Is Kitchen Cabinet Refacing?

Refacing your kitchen cabinets means giving them a new skin. You keep the existing cabinet boxes that are attached to the wall. You replace the doors and drawer fronts completely. Then, you cover the exposed parts of the cabinet boxes with a matching material, like wood veneer, laminate, or thermofoil. This makes it look like you have brand-new cabinets, but you haven’t touched the basic structure. It’s a way to change the style and color of your cabinets without tearing everything out.

Why People Choose Refacing

Refacing is a popular choice for many reasons.

• Lower Cost: It usually costs much less than replacing all your cabinets.
• Less Mess: The work happens mainly on the front surfaces. There is less demolition, dust, and disruption than a full tear-out.
• Faster Project: Refacing often takes just a few days. Replacing cabinets can take weeks.
• Eco-Friendly: You reuse the cabinet boxes. This means less waste goes to the landfill.
• Keep Layout: If you like your current kitchen layout, refacing lets you keep it as is.

Average Cost to Reface Kitchen Cabinets

The average cost to reface cabinets falls into a pretty wide range. Most people spend between \$4,000 and \$10,000. However, costs can go lower for small kitchens or simple materials, and higher for large kitchens or high-end materials.

Think about a few examples:

• A small kitchen with basic materials might cost \$1,000 to \$4,000.
• A medium-sized kitchen with average materials usually costs \$4,000 to \$8,000.
• A large kitchen with premium materials or custom work could cost \$8,000 to \$15,000 or even more.

These numbers are just guides. Your actual kitchen cabinet refacing cost will depend on details we will look at next.

How Costs Break Down

The cabinet refacing price estimate includes several parts.

• Materials: This is the cost of new doors, drawer fronts, veneer, or laminate for the boxes.
• Labor: This is the cost of the workers who do the job. This is often the biggest part of the cost for professional refacing.
• Hardware: New hinges, handles, and pulls can add to the cost.
• Extra Work: If you need new drawer boxes, shelves, or other changes, these add cost.

Factors Affecting Cabinet Refacing Cost

Many things change the total cost of your project. Knowing these factors affecting cabinet refacing cost helps you understand your estimate.

Kitchen Size and Cabinet Count

This is a major factor. More cabinets mean more doors, drawer fronts, and surface area to cover. Professionals often figure the cabinet refacing cost per linear foot. This measures the length of cabinets along the wall.

• Linear Foot Cost: The cabinet refacing cost per linear foot can range from \$150 to \$600 or more. This depends heavily on the materials used and the complexity of the work.
• A small kitchen might have 10-15 linear feet of cabinets.
• A large kitchen could have 25-40 linear feet or more.

Clearly, a project with 30 linear feet will cost much more than one with 12 linear feet, even if the material cost per foot is the same.

Cabinet Condition

Your existing cabinet boxes must be in good shape. Refacing does not fix damaged or weak cabinet frames. If boxes are warped, broken, or not strong, they might need repairs or even replacing sections. This adds to the cost. Pros will check your cabinets first.

Material Choice

The materials you pick for doors, drawer fronts, and the box covering make a big difference in the refacing cabinet materials cost.

• Laminate (Plastic Laminate or Thermofoil): These are often the most budget-friendly options.
  • Laminate: A hard, durable surface. Comes in many colors and patterns.
  • Thermofoil: Vinyl film heated and shaped over MDF (medium-density fiberboard). Smooth and easy to clean. Can sometimes peel with heat or moisture.
• Wood Veneer: Thin slices of real wood glued onto a stable base. Gives the look and feel of real wood. You can stain or paint it any color. Veneers come in different wood types (oak, maple, cherry, etc.).
• Solid Wood Doors/Fronts: While the box is veneered, the doors and drawers can be made of solid wood. This is a more expensive option but offers the natural beauty and durability of wood. You can choose different wood types.

Here’s a simple look at material costs:

Material Type	Look and Feel	Typical Cost Level
Laminate / Thermofoil	Smooth, consistent color	Lowest
Wood Veneer	Real wood grain, stainable	Medium
Solid Wood Doors/Fronts	Real wood, durable	Higher

Choosing cherry wood doors with a specific finish will cost more than basic laminate fronts.

Door and Drawer Front Style

The design of the new doors and drawer fronts matters.

• Flat Panel (Slab): Simple, flat surface. Usually the least expensive.
• Shaker Style: Clean look with a flat center panel and raised borders. Very popular. Costs a bit more than flat panel.
• Raised Panel: Center panel is raised, giving a more traditional look. Can be more costly than Shaker.
• Custom or Detailed Styles: Doors with lots of detail, arches, or unique patterns cost more because they take more work to make.

Finish Type

The paint, stain, or finish on your new doors affects cost.

• Simple stains or standard paint colors are typical.
• Custom colors, special finishes, or glazing techniques add to the cost.

New Hardware

Handles, pulls, and hinges might seem small, but they add up.

• Hinges: You might need new hinges, especially if switching from old exposed hinges to modern hidden ones. Soft-close hinges cost more.
• Handles and Pulls: These vary greatly in price. Basic metal pulls are cheap. Unique designs, designer brands, or special finishes cost much more.

Extra Modifications or Work

Sometimes, people want more than just new fronts.

• Adding new cabinets where there were none before.
• Modifying existing cabinets (e.g., adding pull-out shelves, dividers).
• Installing a new island.
• Work on countertops, backsplash, or plumbing alongside the refacing.

These extra jobs increase the total project cost.

Geographic Location

Where you live impacts labor costs. Professional services cost more in areas with a higher cost of living. A project in a big city will likely cost more than the same project in a small town.

Professional Cabinet Refacing Cost

Hiring a professional is the most common way to reface cabinets. The professional cabinet refacing cost includes materials, labor, and often project management.

What Pros Do

• They measure your cabinets accurately.
• They help you choose materials, styles, and finishes.
• They order custom-made doors and drawer fronts.
• They prepare your existing cabinet boxes.
• They apply the veneer or laminate to the boxes.
• They install the new doors, drawer fronts, and hardware.
• They handle clean-up.

Why Hire a Pro?

• Experience: They know how to get a smooth, professional finish.
• Speed: They can finish the job faster than most DIYers.
• Tools: They have the right tools for cutting veneer, installing hinges, etc.
• Result: You get a durable, good-looking result that adds value.

The biggest part of the professional cabinet refacing cost is labor. This labor cost covers the skill and time needed for precise cuts, careful application of materials, and proper installation of doors and hardware.

To get an estimate for cabinet refacing from a pro, you usually schedule a visit. They will look at your kitchen, measure everything, discuss your material and style choices, and then provide a detailed quote. It’s wise to get an estimate for cabinet refacing from a few different companies to compare prices and services.

DIY Cabinet Refacing Cost

Can you reface cabinets yourself? Yes, but it’s a difficult project. The DIY cabinet refacing cost will be lower than hiring a pro because you save on labor. However, you pay for materials, tools, and your own time and effort.

What DIY Refacing Involves

• Removing old doors and drawer fronts.
• Cleaning and preparing the cabinet boxes.
• Measuring accurately for veneer and new doors.
• Ordering or cutting veneer/laminate for boxes.
• Applying veneer/laminate to boxes. This is tricky to get smooth and seamless.
• Ordering or building new doors and drawer fronts.
• Drilling hinge and hardware holes precisely.
• Finishing (painting or staining) new doors and veneer.
• Installing new doors, drawer fronts, and hardware.

DIY Cost vs. Professional Cost

Item	DIY Cost	Professional Cost
Materials	You buy retail materials.	Pros buy wholesale materials.
Labor	Your time and effort (Free).	You pay for skilled labor.
Tools	You buy or rent tools.	Pros have their own tools.
Learning Curve	You learn as you go. Errors cost time/money.	Pros know the process. Errors less likely.
Result Quality	Can be good with skill, or poor without.	Usually high quality.
Time	Takes much longer for DIYer.	Faster for pros.

The DIY cabinet refacing cost might range from \$500 to \$4,000 for materials and tools, depending on kitchen size and material choice.

Is DIY Right For You?

DIY refacing is best for small projects, if you have good woodworking skills, lots of patience, and the right tools. It is not a beginner project. Applying veneer smoothly, cutting perfectly, and aligning doors correctly require skill. Mistakes can be costly to fix. For most homeowners, the professional cabinet refacing cost is worth the quality, speed, and lack of hassle compared to the complexity of DIY.

Cost of Refacing Kitchen Cabinets vs Replacing

This is a key question for many people. How does the cost of refacing kitchen cabinets vs replacing compare?

Refacing is almost always cheaper than replacing cabinets entirely.

• Refacing Cost: Typically \$4,000 – \$10,000 for a medium kitchen. Can go up to \$15,000+.
• Replacing Cost: Typically \$7,000 – \$20,000+ for a medium kitchen. Costs depend greatly on cabinet type (stock, semi-custom, custom).

Let’s look closer:

Cabinet Replacing: What’s Involved?

• Tearing out all old cabinets.
• Might involve changing plumbing or electrical lines.
• Repairing walls and floors damaged during removal.
• Installing new cabinet boxes.
• Installing new doors, drawers, and hardware.
• Often requires new countertops and backsplash because the old ones might be damaged during cabinet removal.

Why Replacing Costs More

• Materials: New cabinet boxes are a large part of the cost.
• Labor: More labor is needed for demolition, structural changes, and installation of full boxes.
• More Disruption: The kitchen is often unusable for a longer time.
• Potential Extra Work: You might need painting, flooring repair, or countertop work afterwards.

When Replacing Might Be Better

Even if it costs more, replacing is sometimes the better choice:

• Damaged Boxes: If your current cabinet boxes are falling apart, warped, or not structurally sound, refacing isn’t possible. You must replace them.
• Poor Layout: If you hate your kitchen layout and want to move cabinets, add an island, or change the flow, you need to replace them. Refacing keeps the current layout.
• Need More Cabinets: If you want to add many new cabinets where none exist, replacing might be part of that project.
• Full Renovation: If you’re doing a major kitchen gut job with new flooring, walls, plumbing, and electrical, adding new cabinets might make sense as part of the total project.
• Higher Home Value: In some high-end homes or neighborhoods, full custom cabinets might be expected and add more value than refacing.

Here is a simple comparison table:

Feature	Cabinet Refacing	Cabinet Replacing
Cost	Lower (\$4k – \$10k average)	Higher (\$7k – \$20k+ average)
Process	Keep boxes, new fronts/veneer.	Tear out old, install new boxes/fronts.
Time	Faster (Few days to a week).	Slower (One to several weeks).
Mess/Disruption	Less mess, kitchen usable sooner.	More mess, kitchen unusable longer.
Layout Change	Cannot change layout.	Can change layout.
Box Condition	Requires good existing boxes.	Replaces old boxes.
Added Value	Updates look, adds value (less than full replacement).	Major update, adds more value (if done well).

For many homeowners, refacing is a great middle ground. It updates the look significantly at a cost much lower than full replacement, when the existing cabinet boxes are in good condition.

Get an Estimate for Cabinet Refacing

Getting accurate quotes is key to budgeting. Here’s how to get an estimate for cabinet refacing:

1. Find Local Pros: Search online for “cabinet refacing companies near me.” Check reviews and their past work.
2. Get Multiple Quotes: Contact at least three different companies. Prices can vary a lot.
3. Schedule In-Home Consultations: A good company will visit your home. They need to see your kitchen size, count cabinets, check their condition, and look at the layout.
4. Discuss Your Vision: Tell them what look you want. Show them colors, styles, and materials you like. Ask to see samples of their doors and veneer.
5. Ask About Materials: Understand what materials they use (solid wood doors, types of veneer, laminate brands).
6. Ask About the Process: How long will it take? What steps do they follow? Who will do the work?
7. Get a Detailed Written Estimate: The quote should clearly list:
   • Cost of materials (doors, veneer, hardware).
   • Cost of labor.
   • Number of linear feet or cabinets included.
   • Any extra work included (e.g., adding new hardware, modifying a cabinet).
   • Timeline for the project.
   • Payment schedule.
8. Compare Quotes: Don’t just look at the bottom line. Compare what is included in each quote. Are they using similar quality materials? Is the scope of work the same?
9. Check References/Reviews: Talk to past customers if possible, or read recent online reviews. Look for comments on quality, communication, and sticking to the budget and timeline.

Getting detailed estimates helps you compare offers properly and choose the best value for your kitchen cabinet refacing cost.

Refacing Cabinet Materials Cost in Detail

Let’s look more closely at the refacing cabinet materials cost. This is a big part of your total expense.

Veneer and Laminate

• Veneer: Wood veneer comes in many types like oak, maple, cherry, birch, walnut, etc. The cost varies by wood type and quality. It comes in rolls or sheets. Applying it smoothly requires skill. Cost per square foot or linear foot varies.
• Laminate: Plastic laminate (like brands Wilsonart or Formica) and thermofoil are synthetic materials. They are durable and easy to clean. They come in solid colors, patterns, or even faux wood grain. They are generally less expensive than wood veneer.

New Doors and Drawer Fronts

This is often the largest part of the refacing cabinet materials cost.

• Material: As discussed, solid wood doors cost more than veneered wood, which costs more than laminate or thermofoil.
• Style: Simple slab doors are cheapest. Shaker, raised panel, and custom designs cost more.
• Quantity: More doors and drawers mean higher material cost.

Hardware

• Hinges: Basic hinges are cheap. Soft-close hinges cost more (often \$2- \$5 each or more). You need two hinges per door.
• Pulls/Knobs: Basic pulls cost \$1- \$5 each. Designer or custom pulls can cost \$10 – \$50+ each. Count how many you need (one per door, one per drawer).

Other Materials

• Adhesives: Glue for veneer/laminate.
• Finishing Supplies: Paint, stain, primer, topcoats if doing it yourself or if the quote includes finishing.
• Trim/Molding: Pieces to finish the edges or add decorative touches.

Understanding these material costs helps you see why choosing different options changes the total cabinet refacing price estimate. A kitchen with 20 doors and 10 drawers using basic laminate will cost much less for materials than the same kitchen using solid cherry wood doors with expensive pulls.

Cabinet Refacing Cost Per Linear Foot

As mentioned earlier, many pros use the cabinet refacing cost per linear foot to give estimates. This unit measures the length of cabinets along the wall.

• What is a Linear Foot? Just a straight line measurement of 1 foot. If you have 10 feet of base cabinets and 10 feet of wall cabinets, that’s 20 linear feet total. Ignore corners for this measurement typically.
• Why Use It? It gives a quick way to estimate based on kitchen size.
• Typical Range: \$150 – \$600+ per linear foot.

This range is very wide because the cost per linear foot changes based on all the factors already discussed:

• Material: Using veneer and solid wood doors costs more per linear foot than using laminate.
• Complexity: Lots of small cabinets vs. fewer large ones can change the calculation slightly.
• Labor Rates: High labor cost areas mean a higher cost per linear foot.
• Project Scope: If the quote includes extra work, the linear foot price might seem higher.

So, while the cabinet refacing cost per linear foot is a useful guide, don’t rely only on this number. Always get a detailed estimate that shows material costs, labor, and what exactly is included for your specific kitchen.

Is Cabinet Refacing Worth It?

For many homeowners, refacing is definitely worth the kitchen cabinet refacing cost.

• New Look: It gives your kitchen a completely updated look without the mess and expense of replacing.
• Saves Money: It’s significantly cheaper than a full cabinet replacement, saving you thousands.
• Adds Value: An updated kitchen is a major selling point and adds value to your home. Refacing provides this update effectively.
• Extends Life: If your cabinet boxes are sound, refacing gives them a new life, lasting for many more years.

It’s a good investment if you like your kitchen layout, your cabinet boxes are strong, and you want a fresh style quickly and without breaking the bank on a full replacement.

Conclusion

Refacing kitchen cabinets is a smart way to refresh your home. The kitchen cabinet refacing cost varies, but expect to pay anywhere from \$4,000 to \$10,000 on average for a professional job in 2024. Your final cabinet refacing price estimate will depend on your kitchen’s size, the materials and styles you select, and whether you hire pros or try DIY.

While DIY cabinet refacing cost is lower upfront, professional cabinet refacing cost often provides better quality and saves you time and frustration. Comparing the cost of refacing kitchen cabinets vs replacing shows refacing is typically the more budget-friendly option when your existing cabinets are structurally sound.

By understanding the factors affecting cabinet refacing cost and getting detailed estimates, you can plan your project and enjoy a beautifully updated kitchen that fits your budget.

Frequently Asked Questions

H5 How long does cabinet refacing take?

Refacing usually takes a few days, typically 2 to 5 days for a standard kitchen. This is much faster than replacing, which can take weeks.

H5 Can I change my kitchen layout with refacing?

No, refacing keeps your existing cabinet boxes and layout. If you want to move cabinets, add an island, or change the kitchen’s structure, you need to replace cabinets, not just reface them.

H5 Can I change the color of my cabinets when refacing?

Yes, absolutely! Changing the color and style is the main reason people reface. You pick new doors and veneer in your desired color or material, whether it’s a new paint color, wood stain, or laminate finish.

H5 How durable is refacing?

The durability depends on the materials used. High-quality wood veneer and solid wood doors are very durable, similar to new cabinets. Laminate and thermofoil are also durable but can be less resistant to heat or sharp impacts than wood. Proper installation by a professional also affects how long it lasts.

H5 Can I reface cabinets if some are damaged?

Minor damage to cabinet boxes might be repairable by the refacing company. However, if the boxes are severely damaged, warped, or not strong, refacing is not suitable. You would need to replace those cabinets or opt for full replacement.

H5 Does refacing include new countertops?

Typically, no. Refacing only deals with the cabinets. New countertops are a separate project with separate costs. However, some companies offer both services and can include countertops in a larger quote.

H5 How do I choose materials?

Professional refacing companies have samples of door styles, colors, and materials. Look at them in your kitchen light. Think about your style, how much wear the cabinets get, and your budget. Discuss the pros and cons of each material (like durability, ease of cleaning, cost) with the professional.