Cabinet refacing — a brand-new kitchen face over the boxes you already have
If your cabinet boxes are solid but the doors look tired, you may not need to tear the kitchen apart. Refacing gives you all-new doors, drawer fronts, hardware, and finishes — typically 40-60% less than replacing, in as little as 3-5 days.
What cabinet refacing actually is
Refacing replaces every surface you see and keeps the structure you don't. We replace all cabinet doors and drawer fronts in your new style and finish, wrap the exposed cabinet faces and end panels in matching material so the whole kitchen reads as one, and swap in new soft-close hinges, glides, knobs, and pulls throughout.
What stays: your existing cabinet boxes and their current layout, plus your countertops and appliances unless you're updating those too. The result — from across the room, it looks like a brand-new kitchen, because every visible surface is new.
Refacing vs. replacing
We build custom cabinets for a living, so trust us to be straight with you here. Refacing runs typically 40-60% less than a full custom replacement, installs in typically 3-5 days rather than several weeks, keeps your current layout, and leaves the kitchen largely usable throughout — minimal disruption instead of a full teardown.
Full custom replacement is the full investment and takes several weeks, but it can change anything — the layout, the sizes, the storage. Refacing wins on cost, speed, and disruption. Full custom wins when you need to move things, add floor-to-ceiling storage, or the boxes themselves are shot.
Read the refacing vs. replacing guide →When refacing is the smart money
Your boxes are solid.
Plywood or well-built, square, with no water damage or sagging — a structure worth keeping.
Your layout already works.
You're happy with where things sit and don't need to move the sink, range, or walls.
You want a shorter timeline.
A style refresh, not a redesign — the biggest visible change per dollar of anything we do.
You're staging to sell.
Maximum visual impact for the spend, with the kitchen usable the whole time.
Because we build custom cabinets too, we have no reason to talk you into the wrong one.
When full custom is the better choice
We won't reface a kitchen that needs more. Choose full custom instead when the boxes are failing — particleboard that's swollen, delaminating, or racking; new doors on bad boxes is money wasted. Or when you want to change the layout — move the sink, open a wall, add an island, or reconfigure for how you really live.
Full custom is also the right call when you want taller cabinets or new storage — refacing keeps your existing sizes; it can't take you to the ceiling or add a pull-out pantry — or when the kitchen is dated structurally, not just cosmetically. Because we build custom kitchen cabinets too, we recommend what fits your kitchen and your budget, and sometimes that's refacing.
See our custom kitchen cabinets →The refacing process
Four steps, with dust containment and your home protected throughout. Your kitchen stays largely usable while we work.
- 01
Consultation and measure.
We look at your boxes, confirm they're solid candidates, and take exact measurements. If they're not right for refacing, we tell you then.
- 02
Choose your look.
Door style, material, and finish, plus new hardware — with full-size samples in your own light.
- 03
Order and build.
Your doors, drawer fronts, and matching surfaces are made to your measurements.
- 04
Install, typically 3-5 days.
We strip the old fronts, apply the new exterior surfaces, hang your new doors and drawer fronts, and set the hardware.
Not a compromise on look — or on honesty
Refacing isn't a compromise on look. You get the same door styles and finishes as a new kitchen — Shaker, slim-shaker, and flat/slab fronts in painted finishes, white oak, and warm wood tones — with matching material wrapping the boxes and end panels so nothing gives away that it's a reface. New soft-close hinges and glides mean it feels new every time you open a drawer, not just looks it. Warm whites, soft greiges, and natural oak read right in South Bay light.
As a market norm, refacing runs typically 40-60% less than a full cabinet replacement, with the exact figure driven by kitchen size, door style, and material. Your project is quoted after we see the boxes — a fixed written scope and a milestone schedule, so there are no surprises and no vanishing deposit.
Explore our kitchen design approach →Cabinet refacing FAQ
Is it cheaper to reface or replace kitchen cabinets?
Refacing is typically 40-60% less than replacing, because you keep your existing boxes and layout and only change the visible surfaces — doors, drawer fronts, end panels, and hardware. Replacing costs more but lets you change sizes, layout, and storage. If your boxes are solid and your layout works, refacing is usually the better value.
How long does cabinet refacing take?
Typically 3-5 days, versus several weeks for a full cabinet replacement. Your kitchen stays largely usable during the work, with dust containment and your home protected throughout.
Can any kitchen be refaced?
No — and we'll tell you honestly. Refacing needs solid, square cabinet boxes with no water damage or sagging, and a layout you're happy to keep. If the boxes are failing or you want to move the sink, add an island, or go floor-to-ceiling, full custom cabinets are the right call instead.
Does refacing include new drawer boxes and hardware?
Refacing replaces doors, drawer fronts, exposed end panels, hinges, glides, and knobs or pulls with new soft-close hardware. The existing drawer boxes stay unless they need replacing. If you want all-new dovetailed boxes and interiors, that's a full custom build.
Will refaced cabinets look brand new?
Yes — every surface you see is new. New doors, drawer fronts, and matching material wrapped over the boxes and end panels mean the kitchen reads as new from across the room, in the same door styles and finishes we use on full custom kitchens.
Request your free consultation
Tell us about your cabinets and we'll get back to you — usually the same day. A real person answers.