Cabinet Refacing vs. New Cabinets: Which Pays Off?

Cabinet refacing vs replacing: what does each involve?

Refacing keeps the cabinet boxes in place. The face frames and exposed sides get a new veneer or laminate skin, and every door and drawer front is replaced, usually along with hinges, pulls and drawer glides. Refinishing keeps the existing doors and boxes and changes the finish with paint or stain. Replacement removes everything and installs new cabinets, which opens the door to a new layout, new sizes and new interiors.

Refacing and refinishing are typically cosmetic and do not move plumbing or wiring, so they rarely need a building permit. Replacement often goes together with other changes that do.

How do refacing, refinishing and new cabinets compare?

The countertop row is the one that tips most decisions. Removing a stone top to replace the cabinets beneath it risks cracking the slab, and a new top means templating, fabrication and a new backsplash as well. When the existing counter is in good shape and you like it, refacing protects that investment. When the counter is worn or dated anyway, the case for keeping old boxes gets weaker, because the most disruptive step is happening regardless.

Are your cabinet boxes worth keeping?

• The sink base floor is firm, with no swelling, delamination or soft spots
• Boxes are level and firmly fastened to the wall studs
• Face frames are solid wood and free of large cracks
• Shelves are flat, not bowed
• The layout works: appliances fit, doors clear each other, the corner is usable
• You do not need to move the sink, range or dishwasher

If every line is true, cabinet refacing is likely to pay off. If the boxes are sound but you only dislike the color, cabinet refinishing may be enough.

When does replacing cabinets pay off?

• Water damage. Particleboard boxes that have swelled under the sink or beside the dishwasher will not hold new faces well.
• A layout that fights you. Refacing preserves every awkward corner, short counter and blocked drawer.
• New appliances in new sizes. A wider range or a built-in refrigerator often means rebuilding the run.
• Flooring and counters are changing anyway. If the countertop and floor are both being replaced, much of refacing’s cost advantage disappears.
• You want frameless construction. Refacing keeps the face frames; true frameless boxes require replacement.

New boxes need careful installation: level, shimmed and screwed into studs. The cabinet installation page explains how that is handled for cabinets bought from the showroom.

How does a refacing job actually run?

Refacing is quieter than a remodel, but it is not a weekend paint job. Most of the work happens on the face frames while the kitchen stays in use, in roughly this order:

1. 1

   Measure every opening

   Each door and drawer front is sized to its own frame opening and overlay, so measurements are taken box by box, not run by run.

2. 2

   Order fronts, veneer and hardware

   Doors, drawer fronts, matching veneer or laminate for the frames, new end panels and hinges are ordered together so the color matches.

3. 3

   Strip and prepare the frames

   Old doors and hardware come off, and the frames are degreased, repaired and sanded. Years of kitchen grease are the main enemy of veneer adhesion.

4. 4

   Skin the frames and exposed sides

   Veneer or laminate is applied to the face frames, and new panels go over visible cabinet ends, including the island.

5. 5

   Hang, align and finish

   New doors and drawer fronts are mounted, hinges adjusted until reveals are even, and pulls, crown or light rail added.

Swapping worn drawer boxes for new ones with modern glides is often done in the same visit, since the drawer fronts are coming off anyway. It is worth asking about, because a beautiful new front on a sticking drawer still feels old.

Matching new fronts to old boxes: what to bring to the showroom

Refacing depends on measurements more than any other cabinet project, because every new door has to fit an existing opening. At the Sherman Way showroom, the visits that go smoothly usually start with a little homework.

1. Photos of each cabinet wall, with doors open and closed.
2. Measurements of a few face frame openings and the frame width between them.
3. One existing door, if you can remove it, to check overlay and hinge type.
4. A photo of the countertop and backsplash you plan to keep, so new doors suit them.
5. Notes on any box that needs replacing, such as a sink base with old water damage.

With those in hand, you can compare new door styles in maple, oak, cherry, thermofoil or painted finishes against your existing counter, and decide whether a few new boxes, such as a pantry tower, belong in the plan. Manufacturer warranty terms vary by product, so read them before ordering.

Choosing a refacing surface

The new skin on the frames has to work with the new doors, and each material has an honest weak spot:

Refacing in Calabasas and Thousand Oaks homes

Many homes in Calabasas and Thousand Oaks were built in the 1970s through the 1990s with sizable kitchens and cabinet boxes that are often still serviceable. That makes them good candidates for refacing, especially when a granite counter added later is still in good condition. Both are incorporated cities with their own building divisions, so any work beyond cosmetic changes goes through the city rather than LADBS or the county. HOA rules in planned communities usually focus on exterior work, but check for hours and delivery rules.

Deciding between a new face and a new kitchen

Start with the boxes, then the layout, then the look. Compare door styles on the cabinet refacing page, read about cabinet installation if replacement makes more sense, or see whether cabinet refinishing solves the problem with the least disruption.