New Look, Same Cabinets: The Benefits of Cabinet Refacing

February 14, 2023

Cabinet refacing is a way to update your kitchen cabinets without replacing them entirely. With refacing, your cabinet boxes are kept intact. Only the doors, drawers, hardware, and molding are replaced. Cabinet refacing is easier, faster, and less expensive than installing new cabinets, making it ideal for someone on a budget or with time constraints.

Other options are available for redoing your cabinets. Each of them comes with its own set of benefits, cost factors, and installation requirements. Determining which of these approaches best suits your needs is an essential first step when considering committing to a job as complex as changing the look of your kitchen or bathroom.

Let's examine cabinet refacing and other alternatives, and then we'll review what benefits you can expect if you decide refacing is the right choice.

Replace, Refinish, or Reface?

This is a frequently asked question by people considering updating their kitchen or bathroom cabinets. While cabinet refacing is cost-effective, there might be specific situations where it's not the ideal option. You should consider factors such as the age, condition, and layout of your existing cabinetry.


It's recommended to have a professional assess the condition of your cabinets before making any decisions about whether to reface, refinish, or replace them. This section will explore all three solutions to transforming the look of your cabinets.

Replacing: Many older homes have worn, damaged, rotted, unstable cabinets, etc., and must be replaced entirely. You might also notice your cabinet boxes dipping or sloping along the bottom edge, which can be caused over time by the weight of the contents of the cabinets. Gouging and other signs of excessive wear and tear and aging also indicate cabinets need replacement.

All cabinet parts must be removed, including boxes, doors, shelves, and hardware. This also means getting into an extensive rebuild that will likely include plumbing, electrical work, drywall construction, etc. Replacing cabinets is the most costly option, the most intrusive, and sometimes the only option, depending on the state of your cabinets.

Replacing your cabinets is also the most flexible choice because you're buying new ones, which lets you change the layout, make additions, or modify the storage space instead of refacing or refinishing, where you're only giving the same cabinets a new-looking exterior.

In short, if the core of your cabinets, the boxes themselves, are in bad shape, or if you want to change the structure of the cabinets, replacing them is the recommended path to follow.

Refinishing: If you don't want to change the style of your cabinets' exterior face and they are in great condition, but you want a new color or texture, refinishing is also an option. You can change the appearance without investing in new boxes or even new faces.

Refinishing doesn't change anything about your cabinets except the color. Since the cabinets are only painted and glazed with a new finish, this is a cheap and quick method of updating your cabinets.

Of the three options, refinishing is the least disruptive approach to your daily routine because the job can be done relatively quickly with minimal contractors.

The downside to this approach is that refinished cabinets can begin to chip and peel over time. This can happen if the surfaces are not cleaned and sanded properly before refinishing.

Dust, grease, and other contaminants can affect the quality of the job. This means doing touch-ups periodically or even redoing the work, so refinishing isn't always the most cost-effective or attractive way to update your cabinets in the long run.

Refacing: If your cabinet boxes are in good condition and they function to your liking as far as setup, storage space, etc., but you want to update their appearance, say from an old 1960s style to a modern shaker style, then refacing is the most cost-effective route for you. Refacing costs, on average, are about 30%-50% less than replacing your cabinets.


Lower Cost: New custom cabinets with hardware plus the installation can cost $15,000 to $30,000 or more, depending on the project's scope and even where you live.

Cabinet refacing is a more affordable option; you can do more and still spend less money. This is great if you have other projects and want to maximize your budget by utilizing some of what you would have spent on new cabinets on some of the other home improvements on your list.

Faster Turnaround Time: Refacing cabinets can take 3-5 days compared to the several weeks often necessary to replace your cabinets. The faster turnaround time means contractors won't be in your home, and your kitchen or bathroom won't be out of commission for an extended period.

On the other hand, having cabinets completely redone involves removing the old cabinets and disposing of them, then installing new ones. Some modifications will likely be required as well, adding cost and time to the job. The additional time it takes to do a full remodel could mean staying in a hotel or with family or friends, which can be stressful and inconvenient.

Environmentally Friendly: If you're concerned about the environment, cabinet refacing is the way to go. When you replace cabinets, the old cabinets have to go somewhere. With refacing, you're reusing the bulk of the original installation, so there's less waste to dispose of. Even if the environment isn't your main focus, refacing your cabinets is a more eco-friendly approach.

Wide Range of Design Choices: From classic and modern woodgrains to solid, abstract, or glossy finishes, it's easy to find a design that fits. The range of colors, textures, and styles lets you customize the visible cabinet surfaces and give a kitchen or bathroom an updated appearance.

Potential Resale Considerations: Updated cabinet surfaces can influence how a kitchen or bathroom presents to prospective buyers, but property value and return on investment vary by home, market, project scope, cabinet condition, materials, and buyer preferences. Customers considering resale should evaluate the project cost and potential value for their circumstances.

Cabinet Reface Direct Services

Cabinet Reface Direct provides residential and commercial cabinet refacing services to homeowners and businesses in the Northeast. Our team coordinates each project from consultation through installation and reviews cabinet condition, materials, measurements, and the proposed scope with the customer. Any applicable warranty terms are provided in the written proposal or agreement.

Cabinet refacing updates visible cabinet surfaces while retaining suitable cabinet boxes. Project timing and cost depend on the condition of the existing cabinets, selected materials, measurements, and installation scope.

If you're ready to give your kitchen or bathroom a new look, call Cabinet Reface Direct at 813-474-7440 for a FREE estimate. Let us show you the benefits of giving your cabinets a brand-new face with cabinet refacing.