Should You Reface Your Kitchen Cabinets? The Pros and Cons

When your kitchen is looking dated and worn, but you don't have the budget for a full remodel, refacing your existing cabinets can provide an affordable facelift. By replacing the exterior surfaces while keeping the cabinet boxes intact, refacing offers an eco-friendly, time-efficient, and cost-effective update.

But is refacing right for your kitchen? While it can totally transform the look of your space, there are some downsides to weigh. Read on as we break down the pros, cons, and factors to consider when deciding whether refacing your kitchen cabinets is worth it.

What is Cabinet Refacing?

Cabinet refacing involves replacing the exposed surfaces of your existing cabinets - the doors, drawer fronts, and cabinet frames. The cabinet boxes and interior shelves remain intact.

During the process, your existing doors, hardware, and veneer surfaces are removed. Any damaged or warped areas of the cabinet box are repaired. Then, new doors, drawer fronts, veneer, and hardware are installed to give your kitchen an updated, cohesive look.

Refacing differs from refinishing cabinets, which entails stripping and re-staining or painting the existing cabinet surfaces. Refacing provides more dramatic results by allowing you to change the door style and finishes more extensively.

What Happens During Refacing?

When your kitchen cabinets are refaced, here is a general overview of the process:

• The cabinet refacing team removes existing doors, drawers, and hardware, saving anything salvageable for reuse.
• They strip off the old veneer, laminates, or thermofoil from cabinet frames.
• Rotted or damaged sections of the cabinet boxes are repaired or replaced as needed.
• New wood veneers, laminates, or thermofoils are applied to exposed cabinet frame surfaces.
• New doors and drawer fronts are installed with updated knobs, pulls, hinges, and slides.
• Touch up trim, caulking, and finishing details are addressed.

The refacing process generally takes 1-3 days to complete. In some cases, cabinet interiors may also be refaced, which adds time. Your kitchen may have limited functionality during the refacing, but cabinets typically remain usable.

How Does Refacing Compare to Refinishing?

While refacing and refinishing kitchen cabinets both update existing cabinetry, they use different approaches:

• Refacing replaces doors, veneers, and hardware for a new look.
• Refinishing sands down and restains or paints existing surfaces.

Refinishing provides a refreshed feel, but is limited to your existing cabinet's colors and door styles. Refacing allows more dramatic changes like updated doors and finishes for a full transformation.

Pros of Refacing Kitchen Cabinets

Why might refacing be a smarter choice than completely replacing your kitchen cabinets?

Significant Cost Savings

The most compelling reason to reface is cost. Refacing only replaces cabinet surfaces, so it requires far less materials than a full replacement. On average, refacing costs about 30-50% less than installing all-new cabinets.

For example, if a mid-range cabinet replacement costs $15,000, a refacing may come in around $7,500-$10,000. In high-end kitchens, you could save $20,000 or more opting to reface versus replace.

Faster Project Timeline

Refacing takes just 1-3 days from start to finish. New cabinet installation typically takes several weeks, requiring extra time to remove the old cabinets and reconfigure the new layout.

That shortened timeline means less disruption to your household. While your kitchen may be out of commission for refacing, you won't need to deal with an unusable cooking space for weeks on end.

Minimal Demolition

Since you keep your existing cabinet boxes, refacing avoids the messy demolition work of removing and disposing of old cabinets. Your kitchen can remain fully functional during the process.

Refacing also generates less construction debris and waste compared to replacement. By reusing existing materials, it is a more eco-friendly option.

Retain Existing Layout

The frame, size, and configuration of your cabinets remain the same. This allows you to upgrade the look without taking on the extra costs of reconfiguring your kitchen's layout.

If you have a kitchen layout you like, refacing enables you to preserve it while getting a fresh new look. Customizing or redesigning a layout adds cost and work that refacing avoids.

Cons of Refacing Kitchen Cabinets

Before deciding to reface, weigh some of the downsides:

Limited Style Options

While refacing offers more customization than refinishing, you still have less flexibility compared to new cabinetry. The existing cabinet boxes limit the door styles and finishes you can choose.

For example, inset cabinet doors may not work with existing face-frame cabinets. And custom cabinet heights or depths aren't an option. If you want a total style change, replacement provides more options.

Won't Fix Structural Issues

Refacing only replaces cabinet surfaces. If your cabinets have underlying structural problems, damage, or wear-and-tear, refacing won't fix these issues.

Replacing failing drawer slides, shelving, hinges, or unstable cabinet boxes requires new cabinet installation. Evaluate underlying cabinet integrity before assuming refacing is your best option.

Shorter Lifespan Than New Cabinets

The average lifespan of refaced cabinets is 5-15 years . New custom cabinetry will typically last 20-30 years with proper care and maintenance.

While refacing can buy you time before a full replacement, it is not a forever solution. At some point, heavily worn cabinets will need to be removed rather than refaced again.

Still a Significant Investment

While less expensive than new cabinets, a quality refacing job still costs $4,000-$12,000 for an average sized kitchen. For severely damaged or outdated cabinets, replacement may be a better return on investment.

If you know you'll need new cabinets in 5-10 years anyway, putting that investment in now rather than refacing may make sense.

Evaluating if Refacing is Worthwhile

Is refacing the right choice for your kitchen? Consider these factors:

Assess Cabinet Condition

Replacing worn hinges, fixing minor damage, and adding new surfaces can restore otherwise sound cabinets. But extensive damage or instability may call for full replacement.

Look at the structural integrity of existing cabinets. Are doors and drawers functioning properly? Is the cabinet box itself damaged? Refacing won't address foundational issues.

Compare Costs

Get quotes for both refacing and replacement. In some cases, the price difference is negligible enough that new cabinets are the better value.

Be sure to get itemized estimates accounting for all projected costs. Remember replacement also includes layout changes, new countertops, demolition, and installation expenses beyond just cabinet costs.

Consider Your Budget

If finances are limited, refacing provides significant impact for less cost. With a higher remodeling budget, you may opt for full customization with new cabinets.

But don't assume you have to choose one or the other. Some homeowners opt to reface visible areas like the kitchen perimeter, while replacing interior cabinets for more flexibility.

For a quick kitchen refresh, refacing saves time over replacement. But if your timeline is flexible, new cabinets may suit you better.