What Is Cabinet Refacing?
Cabinet refacing keeps your existing cabinet boxes and replaces everything you see and touch: doors, drawer fronts, hinges and often runners, with matching veneer on the face frames and end panels. Refinishing is the lighter option, a factory-grade paint finish on new or existing doors. Both cost far less than new cabinets because the boxes, which are most of the labour and material in a kitchen, stay in place.
Refacing works when the boxes are sound. Many GTA kitchens from the 1960s to the 1990s, especially in Scarborough, East York and The Beaches, have solid wood or plywood boxes that will outlast another set of doors. The layout works, the boxes are dry, only the style is dated. That is a refacing kitchen.
Refacing vs Refinishing vs Full Custom
Refacing (about 60% of full custom)
New shop-made doors and drawer fronts in the style of your choice, veneer on frames and panels, Blum soft-close hinges. $4,500-$12,000 and 2-3 weeks.
Refinishing (paint refresh)
Your existing doors or new paint-grade doors sprayed in Benjamin Moore Scuffx or conversion varnish in our booth. $2,800-$6,500 and 1-2 weeks.
Full custom
New Baltic Birch boxes, doors and hardware with a 15-year joinery warranty. Right when boxes are damaged or the layout needs to change. See custom kitchen cabinets.
| Option | Typical cost | Timeline | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paint refresh | $2,800-$6,500 | 1-2 wks | Doors are sound, only colour is dated |
| Door + drawer refacing | $4,500-$12,000 | 2-3 wks | Boxes are sound, door style is dated |
| Full custom | $18,000-$42,000 (20-30 lf) | 4-7 wks | Boxes damaged or layout wrong |
Our refacing vs replacement calculator compares the two for your linear footage.
How Do You Know If Your Boxes Can Be Refaced?
We inspect every box before quoting. Good candidates are dry, square, with tight joints and a layout you like. Poor candidates show any of the following:
- Water damage at the sink base. Swollen or soft particleboard means the core has absorbed water. New doors will not fix it.
- Racked boxes. If doors will not line up even with new hinges, the box itself has twisted.
- Delaminating faces. Peeling melamine or thermofoil on the box sides usually means the substrate is failing.
- A layout that does not work. Refacing keeps every opening where it is. If you want to move the fridge or add an island, it is a new kitchen.
Often the answer is mixed. We replace the two bad boxes at the sink and reface the rest, which keeps most of the savings.
Why we do not paint on site
Brushing or rolling cabinet paint in your kitchen leaves brush marks, dust nibs and soft paint that chips. We take doors to our booth, spray, and let the finish cure before it comes back.
How Much Does Refacing Cost?
Cost depends on the number of doors and drawer fronts, the door style and species, and how much veneer the frames and panels need.
| Scope | Price range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Paint refresh (full kitchen) | $2,800-$6,500 | 1-2 wks |
| Door + drawer face refacing | $4,500-$12,000 | 2-3 wks |
| Hinge + runner replacement | $180-$650 | 2-3 days |
| Pull-out organizer add-on | $220-$850 each | 1 wk |
Upgrades from our hardware service, such as Legrabox drawers or Rev-A-Shelf pull-outs, can be added to a refacing job.
Common Problems Refacing Solves
Dated oak Shaker and cathedral doors
New Shaker or flat-slab doors in paint-grade, white oak or walnut.
Painted doors that chipped
Respray in Scuffx or conversion varnish, cured off site.
Doors that sag and slam
Blum Blumotion soft-close hinges on every door.
Two-tone without a full renovation
Wood fronts on the island, painted doors on the perimeter. Settle the colours in a material and finish consult first.
Caring for Refaced and Refinished Cabinets
Sprayed Scuffx and conversion varnish finishes are durable, but they last longest with simple habits. Wipe spills with a damp cloth and dry the surface. Avoid abrasive pads and harsh solvents. Keep a towel off the sink-base door so moisture does not sit against the paint. Blum hinges adjust with a screwdriver if a door drifts. Your paint-grade finish carries a 5-year warranty, and Blum hardware is covered for life.
Questions to Ask Any Refacing Company
- Will you inspect every box before quoting, and tell me which ones to replace?
- Are the doors built and finished in a shop, or painted on site?
- What paint or topcoat do you use, and how long does it cure before delivery?
- Are new hinges included?
- What warranty covers the finish?
If the boxes fail inspection, the same shop builds full replacements. Our cabinet makers in Toronto quote both options side by side so you can compare.
