Cabinet Refacing: Everything You Need to Know

Cabinet refacing involves removing cabinet doors and drawer fronts and applying a new veneer over the existing surface of the cabinet body or boxes. Door hinges, handles, and drawer pulls are also replaced. Cabinet refacing lets you change the kitchen's look for less than the cost of replacing with new cabinets. Read on to learn everything you need to know about cabinet refacing.

How Much Does Cabinet Refacing Cost?

Professional cabinet refacing costs 30- to 50-percent less than custom cabinet replacement. Costs range from $100 to $200 per linear foot of cabinetry for a laminate finish to a high of about $455 per linear foot for a real wood veneer.

Pros and Cons

When to Reface Cabinets

Not every cabinet is a good candidate for refacing. Before refacing, ensure your current cabinets fit these criteria:

• Sturdy box construction made of plywood or MDF panels
• Cabinet sides and faces that are smooth and in good condition
• Internal hardware (drawer tracks, interior storage elements) in good shape

How to Reface Cabinets

A cabinet refacing company follows this basic procedure when refacing kitchen or bathroom cabinets.

1. Detach fixtures: Remove pulls, knobs, and handles from cabinet doors and drawers.
2. Remove doors and drawers: Remove the cabinet doors, drawers, and their fronts.
3. Reface the cabinet boxes: Reface the cabinet box fronts with wood veneer or rigid thermofoil.
4. Reface the cabinet sides: Reface the cabinet sides with veneer.
5. Replace the hinges: If the old hinges are in good condition, reuse them. Otherwise, add new door hinges.
6. Replace inside hardware: If internal hardware, like drawer tracks or slides, needs replacement, change this out.
7. Install the new doors: Install entirely new doors (the old doors are not veneered).
8. Install new drawer fronts: New drawer fronts are added to the old drawers.
9. Install new fixtures: Add new external hardware and fixtures.
   

DIY vs. Professional Installation

Cabinet refacing is usually done by experienced professionals. Cabinet refacing requires advanced skills like veneering. Installing the veneer properly so it resists peeling requires experience and training.

If you plan to reface the cabinets by yourself, look for all-in-one veneer kits. A veneer kit contains wood veneers and application materials. You will need to purchase the new cabinet doors and drawer fronts separately.

Cabinet Refacing vs. Replacing

The key difference between cabinet refacing and cabinet replacement is that refacing does not improve the structural quality of the overall cabinets.

Cabinet refacing improves the function of the doors since they are completely replaced. Also, when the installer replaces the drawer fronts, the drawer roller guides might be tightened.

Cabinet Refacing vs. Refinishing

Cabinet refinishing is a less expensive, DIY-friendly alternative to cabinet refacing. Refinishing involves painting or staining the cabinets.

Cabinet refinishing helps you avoid sending unrecyclable materials to the landfill. Instead of removing old doors or throwing away an entire kitchen’s set of cabinets, you rejuvenate the ones you have.

Is Cabinet Refacing Worth It?

Cabinet refacing is worth it if the existing cabinets are well-constructed, you are satisfied with the layout, and you only want a surface refresh. With refacing, you can get an upgraded look in a shorter timeframe and at a lower cost than with replacement.

Yet if the existing cabinets have structural problems, internal storage features are lacking, or you need a different layout, it's best to replace the cabinets instead of refacing them.