What cabinet refacing actually is
Refacing replaces the visible parts of your cabinets — doors, drawer fronts, and the veneer on exposed cabinet sides and face frames — while keeping the existing cabinet boxes. Done well, the result is indistinguishable from new cabinets at a fraction of the cost and disruption. Done poorly, you see the seams, the hardware holes don’t align, and the old box shows through.
Refacing works best when your existing boxes are solid and the layout is already good. If your boxes are cheap particleboard falling apart, or you want to change the layout (add an island, move the fridge, reconfigure drawers), refacing saves nothing because you’ll end up replacing anyway.
Refacing cost per linear foot
Expect $100 to $250 per linear foot of cabinets refaced, with $150 to $180 as the mid-market rate. A typical 20-linear-foot kitchen comes in at $4,000 to $8,500 refaced. DIY peel-and-stick veneer kits from big-box stores can drop material cost to $40 to $80 per linear foot but the result looks like peel-and-stick veneer. Factory refacing companies (like Kitchen Magic or The Kitchen Refacing Company) typically run $180 to $280 per linear foot and include lifetime warranties.
Wood veneer refacing costs 30 to 50 percent more than thermofoil (a vinyl-laminated MDF that looks like painted wood). Real wood is better for traditional styles and stain finishes; thermofoil works for clean modern looks and painted whites. Thermofoil fails catastrophically around dishwashers and ovens — heat delaminates the vinyl — so budget for heat shields or pick wood in those spots.
New cabinet cost per linear foot
Stock cabinets (Home Depot, Lowe’s, IKEA) run $100 to $300 per linear foot. Semi-custom cabinets run $250 to $550 per linear foot. Fully custom cabinets run $500 to $1,200+ per linear foot. Add $2,500 to $6,000 in labor to install. A full kitchen replacement with semi-custom boxes lands between $12,000 and $25,000 before countertops and appliances.
IKEA SEKTION is the value king for new cabinets — $3,500 to $8,000 for a typical kitchen, plus installation. Quality is surprisingly good. The compromise is assembly time (plan for 20 to 40 hours DIY or $2,000 to $4,000 for an installer) and a specific aesthetic — IKEA kitchens look like IKEA kitchens.
Hardware, doors, and drawer upgrades
Hardware is a line item in both refacing and replacing. Budget $5 to $30 per knob or pull — a typical kitchen has 20 to 40 pieces. Soft-close hinges and drawer glides add $200 to $600 per kitchen. Pull-out trash bins, spice racks, and drawer organizers can add $500 to $2,500. These are all optional during refacing but easy to bundle into a replacement.
Door style dictates the visual impact. Slab (flat) doors are cheapest and most modern. Shaker doors are the universal default — work with any style, easy to maintain. Raised-panel and beaded doors cost 15 to 30 percent more and trend traditional. Glass-front doors add $60 to $200 per door.
When refacing is the right call
Reface if: your boxes are solid (plywood or quality particleboard), your layout works, you want to save $5,000 to $15,000, and you need your kitchen back in under two weeks. Refacing is a one-week job for a pro crew. You can cook in the kitchen during most of it — the boxes stay in place and only the doors come off.
When replacement makes more sense
Replace if: your boxes are damaged or cheap particleboard, you want to change the layout, you’re already doing countertops and flooring (opens the walls for other upgrades), or you plan to sell in the next 3 years (buyers value new over refaced at equal aesthetics). Also replace if you want deep drawer banks — refacing doesn’t change the interior configuration.
Painting: the even-cheaper option
Before you commit to refacing, consider painting. Professional cabinet painting runs $50 to $120 per linear foot — about half the cost of refacing — and looks great on shaker doors and face frames in good shape. The catch: durability. Painted cabinets need touch-ups every 3 to 7 years around heavy-use areas. A factory-finished refacing holds up 15 to 25 years.
Regional cost variation
Refacing pricing varies less by region than most trades because the materials ship from centralized manufacturers. Labor differences still add 20 to 30 percent in expensive metros. New cabinet replacement varies more — custom shops in expensive metros charge double their Midwest counterparts for equivalent work.
Common mistakes and when to call a pro
The top refacing mistake is skipping the box inspection — if boxes are swollen, warped, or failing, new veneer won’t save them. The second mistake is DIY veneer on a kitchen you care about — the result is obvious. Call a pro for anything beyond painting. Get three quotes, ask to see completed work in person, and check that the company is manufacturer-authorized for the door line they quote.