Not long ago, the only alternative to cabinet replacement was to paint the cabinets—an adequate substitute but difficult when you are confronted with largely unpaintable thermofoil cabinets. Now, cabinet refacing and cabinet replacement are both equally viable options when your cabinets are looking the worse for wear. Cabinet refacing has been around for a long time—essentially it is wood-veneering taken to the next level—but cabinet refacing as a cottage industry is new. Since cabinet refacing is a close substitute for replacement, the differences tend to blur. The main difference is that refaced cabinets have a look that is new, but the cabinet boxes, and therefore the entire cabinet layout, are not new.
What Cabinet Refacing Is
Cabinet refacing consists of two major components: one, installation of new drawer fronts and cabinet doors; two, veneering of the cabinet boxes. In addition, new cabinet hardware is usually installed. The insides of the cabinets usually remain the same.
What Cabinet Replacement Is
With cabinet replacement, all of the existing cabinets are removed. Experienced installers set and precisely level your base cabinets, a critical task to ensure that counters remain level enough so that the eggs don’t roll. Improperly leveled bases might result in counters cracking years down the road. Wall cabinets are hung. Doors and hardware are installed.
Cabinet Replacement
Cabinet replacement is partially about the heavy lifting of wall cabinets, but mostly about precise leveling of base cabinets. Professionals will always do a better job than you, but you can save money by doing it yourself.
Professional Installation
Cabinet Refacing
Fewer companies reface cabinets than replace cabinets, though the balance is slowly shifting as more homeowners discover refacing. Some franchises provide refacing services throughout the United States. Cabinet refacing is a niche industry, so don’t expect a general carpenter or handyman service to be able to provide this service.
Cabinet Replacement
From home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s to local kitchen remodel centers to individual contractors who will install for a price, there is no shortage of companies that replace cabinets.
Cost
In some cases, cabinet refacing can be just as expensive as cabinet replacement. If that’s the case and you’re trying to save on costs, painting cabinets is another alternative.
Cabinet Refacing
Cabinet refacing costs range from $7,000 to $10,000 at a minimum to reface kitchen cabinets in a 10-foot by 10-foot kitchen. Cabinet refacing costs about 30-percent to 50-percent less than the cost of replacing cabinets in a full kitchen.
Cabinet Replacement
Costs for kitchen cabinet replacement range from $13,000 to $30,000 for contractor-grade, budget cabinets.
When Cabinet Refacing Is Best
When the cabinet boxes are in solid shapeWhen cost is an issueWhen remodeling, as opposed to building a new houseWhen you like your current kitchen layout
When Cabinet Replacement Is Best
When constructing a new house, bumping out your kitchen, or building a new addition containing a kitchenWhen changing the current kitchen layoutWhen cabinet boxes, drawers, or doors are in bad shapeWhen doing a whole-kitchen remodel
How Environmentally Friendly Are They?
Cabinet Refacing
The only items that get landfilled are cabinet doors and drawer fronts, making cabinet refacing an eco-friendly option.
Cabinet Replacement
Often, every bit of the cabinets—from boxes to hardware—gets landfilled. It’s possible, though, to donate good cabinets to recycling yards such as Habitat for Humanity’s ReStores.
