Cabinet refacing costs $4,000 to $12,000 for a typical 20 linear foot kitchen. Replacing costs $8,000 to $25,000 installed. Refacing runs about 40 to 60 percent of replacement and takes 3 to 5 days instead of 2 to 3 weeks. It only makes sense when the cabinet boxes are structurally sound and the existing layout works.
Refacing is the most oversold and most undersold service in the kitchen business at the same time. Oversold, because it gets pitched on kitchens where the boxes are already failing. Undersold, because homeowners with perfectly good plywood boxes tear out a functional kitchen to change a door color.
Side by side
| Refacing | Replacing | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cost, 20 foot kitchen | $4,000 to $12,000 | $8,000 to $25,000 |
| Time on site | 3 to 5 days | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Kitchen usable during work | Mostly yes | No |
| Layout changes | None possible | Anything possible |
| New drawer boxes and glides | Optional, adds cost | Included |
| Interior storage upgrades | Limited | Full |
| Expected service life | 10 to 15 years | 20 to 30 years |
The five minute test that decides it
Open the cabinet under your sink and look at the bottom panel and the back corners.
Refacing is the right call when all of these are true:
- The boxes are plywood, or particleboard with no swelling, sagging or water damage
- The face frames are solid and square, with no cracks at the joints
- The layout works for how you actually cook
- The doors are the problem, not the storage
- You are staying in the home 10 years or less
Replacing is the right call when any of these are true:
- Any box shows swelling, delamination or a sagging shelf
- You want to move the sink, the range, or any wall
- The kitchen has no drawer bank, only door bases with a single fixed shelf
- Cabinet heights leave a soffit gap you want closed
- The boxes are 1980s builder grade particleboard, which is most of what we see in homes from that era
The second list is not a preference list. Refacing a failing box means paying to put a new face on something that will be replaced within a few years.
What refacing actually includes
A real refacing job replaces the doors and drawer fronts, applies matching veneer or laminate to the exposed face frames and end panels, and installs new hinges and hardware. Anything less is a door swap, which is a different and cheaper product.
Price drivers are the door material and the number of openings, not the square footage of the kitchen. Rigid thermofoil is the entry point, wood veneer is the middle, and solid wood doors on refaced frames sit at the top and start to approach the cost of new cabinets. That last point is the one to watch: once a refacing quote passes roughly 60 percent of a replacement quote, replacement usually wins on value, because you get new boxes, new glides and the freedom to change the layout.
What replacing buys that refacing cannot
Storage, mostly. A modern base cabinet with three drawers holds more usable volume than a door base with one shelf, and you can reach all of it. Soft close glides, full extension, drawer dividers and a properly sized trash pull out are quality of life items you use every day.
The other thing replacing buys is the layout. If the dishwasher is on the wrong side of the sink, or the range has no landing space, no door color fixes that.
The Maryland factor
Refacing labor in Montgomery County runs above national averages, which narrows the gap between the two options relative to what national cost calculators show. On older homes in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Kensington we also find face frames that are not square, which adds scribing time to a refacing job and occasionally makes it uneconomical.
If the layout is coming out anyway, the demolition and rebuild is contractor work rather than showroom work. Our sister company handles that side and can put a labor number against your layout while we price the cabinetry.
Frequently asked questions
Is cabinet refacing cheaper than replacing?
Yes, typically 40 to 60 percent of replacement cost. A refacing job that lands above 60 percent of a replacement quote is usually not worth it, because replacement includes new boxes, new drawer glides and the ability to change the layout.
How long does cabinet refacing take?
Three to five days on site for a typical kitchen, compared with two to three weeks for a full replacement. The kitchen stays mostly usable during a refacing job.
Can you reface particleboard cabinets?
Only if the particleboard is dry, square and undamaged. Any swelling at the sink base, sagging shelves or delamination means the box is failing and refacing will not stop it.
Does refacing include new drawer boxes?
Not by default. Most refacing quotes cover doors, drawer fronts, veneer on the frames and new hinges. New drawer boxes and soft close glides are an upgrade, and worth pricing, because old center mount glides are usually the part people dislike most.
Does refacing add home value?
It improves presentation for a sale at a fraction of replacement cost, which is why it is popular before listing. For a long term stay, the storage and layout gains from replacement matter more than the finish.
Not sure which side your kitchen falls on? Send us a photo of the inside of your sink base, or bring one to the showroom, and we will tell you straight. Call (301) 939-0009 or book a showroom visit.