Kitchen cabinet refacing swaps doors and fronts and covers the boxes. Here is how it compares with painting and replacing, what drives the cost, and how to choose.
Kitchen cabinet refacing means replacing the doors and drawer fronts and covering the cabinet boxes you already have, and it costs less than full replacement. We don't reface at PaintPro Tennessee. We paint and refinish existing cabinets across the Nashville metro, so we can tell you plainly when each route fits. The deciding factor is usually the condition of your doors and boxes, not the style.
What Kitchen Cabinet Refacing Includes
Cabinet Now describes refacing as replacing the cabinet doors while preserving the cabinet boxes. Kitchen Cabinet Kings adds that its 2024 average of $4,500 to $13,000 covers labor, veneer, new doors, drawer fronts and hardware, in its cabinet refacing cost guide. The same company says a professional job often takes only 3 to 5 days, in its comparison of when to reface or replace.
The point to hold onto is that refacing keeps your layout and your boxes. If the boxes are sound, you are paying to change what you see. If they are not sound, new fronts will not fix that.
Painting vs Refacing vs Replacing at a Glance
| Option | What changes | What stays | Cost signal from the sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painting or refinishing | The finish and color on every surface | Doors, drawer fronts, boxes, layout | Benjamin Moore's contractor guidance gives a typical example of $3,500 |
| Refacing | Doors, drawer fronts and a veneer over the boxes | Existing boxes and layout | Kitchen Cabinet Kings: $4,000 to $9,000 for a standard kitchen |
| Replacing | Everything, with room to change the layout | Nothing | Kitchen Cabinet Kings: $8,000 to $20,000; Benjamin Moore example: upwards of $24,000 |
These figures come from different sources, regions and scopes, so treat them as a direction rather than a quote. What they agree on is the order: painting costs least, refacing sits in the middle and replacing costs most.
What Drives the Price Differences
Southwest Kitchen lists the factors behind refacing cost in its refacing versus replacing cost breakdown: the number of doors and drawer fronts, door style and finish, hardware and hinges, the condition of the existing boxes, and added upgrades. Location matters too. Kitchen Cabinet Kings notes that refacing in Boise, Idaho, costs about half of what it does in New York City.
Painting follows the same logic. More doors, more drawers and more damage to repair mean more prep time. That is why we give every client a free estimate with a detailed cost breakdown and no hidden fees, rather than a number over the phone. Our cabinet painting cost guide for Nashville covers local ranges and finish choices.
When Painting Is the Better Fit
Painting suits cabinets whose boxes are solid and whose doors are intact but dated, dull or worn. The result depends on surface prep, so here is how we refinish cabinets:
- We remove the doors and drawers.
- We sand every surface so the new finish bonds.
- We apply a bonding primer.
- We spray the finish for a smooth, even coat.
- We let it cure, rehang the doors and walk through the kitchen with you.
Our crews apply Sherwin-Williams premium paints and materials, and every project carries our 2-year written guarantee. We serve homeowners across the Nashville metro service area, including cabinet painting in Brentwood. Sherwin-Williams' cabinet refinishing guide calls refinishing the quickest way to refresh a kitchen.
When Refacing or Replacing Makes More Sense
Paint cannot repair structure. Water stains, soft spots and moisture swelling that makes doors stick or misalign point to damaged wood, and that needs more than a new coat. Middle Tennessee's hot summers and drier winters make wood expand and contract, so gaps between doors that change from season to season are worth a closer look before you choose a finish.
Age matters as well. Cabinet Now says cabinetry should last around 20 years depending on quality and material, and suggests considering full replacement beyond that. Replacing is also the only route that lets you move walls, appliances or the layout. If you like the layout and the boxes are sound, painting or refacing both avoid demolition.
Three Questions That Settle It
- Are the boxes solid? If you see water damage or swelling, replace or reface only after the cause is fixed.
- Do you want new door profiles? Painting keeps your current door style. Refacing changes it.
- Is the layout working? If not, replacement is the only option that fixes it.
Add-Ons That Change the Budget
Decide on extras before you compare quotes, because they can swing the total on any route. Kitchen Cabinet Kings puts crown molding at $12 to $20 per linear foot and lazy Susans at $80 to $300. Under-cabinet lighting is listed at $230 to $300 per light. Ask each contractor which extras are in the scope and which are priced separately.
Choosing a Finish and Color
Color and sheen matter as much as the route you pick. We run a color and finish consultation that weighs your lighting, style and long-term appeal, since kitchen light changes how a shade reads through the day. Benjamin Moore's contractor guide to cabinet refinishing suggests sample boards painted in sections, from existing surface to primed to finished coats, so you can see the process before work starts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is kitchen cabinet refacing cheaper than replacing?
Yes, in the sources we reviewed. Kitchen Cabinet Kings says a standard cost per opening is about half as much as replacing the same number of cabinets. Painting costs less again when the doors and boxes are sound.
How long does kitchen cabinet refacing last?
Granite Transformations says refacing can last up to 10, even 20 years or more if it is professionally installed and maintained properly, in its guide to whether refacing is worth it.
Does PaintPro Tennessee Offer Refacing?
No. We paint and refinish kitchen and bathroom cabinets as an alternative to replacement. Financing for cabinet refinishing is available through WiseTack and Acorn, subject to lender approval.
How long should painted cabinets cure before heavy use?
Longer than they feel dry. Benjamin Moore advises contractors to put language in the contract about letting cabinet paint cure before returning to service. We let the finish cure before rehanging doors, then walk the kitchen with you, so the first weeks of daily use do not mark a fresh finish.