Cabinets set the look of a kitchen more than almost anything else. When they start looking dated or worn, the first instinct is often to rip them out. In many kitchens that isn't necessary. If the cabinet boxes are solid and the layout works for you, refinishing can change the whole room for a fraction of the disruption.
Here's how to tell which way to go.
What's the difference?
Refinishing keeps your existing cabinet boxes, doors and drawer fronts. They're cleaned, sanded, primed and given a new painted or stained finish. Hardware can be swapped at the same time.
Refacing keeps the cabinet boxes but replaces the doors and drawer fronts. The visible frames get a new veneer or finish to match.
Replacing means tearing out the cabinets and installing new ones. It often brings new countertops, plumbing and electrical changes, flooring patches and drywall repair with it.
Refinishing usually makes sense when…
- The cabinet boxes are structurally sound: no sagging shelves, no water-swollen bottoms under the sink, doors that still hang straight.
- You like the layout and have enough storage.
- The doors are a style you can live with, just in the wrong color or finish.
- You want a big visual change without weeks of construction.
- You're getting ready to sell and want the kitchen to show well.
Replacing usually makes sense when…
- There's water damage, swelling or rot, especially in particleboard boxes.
- You want to change the layout: move the sink, add an island, open a wall.
- The cabinets are poorly built and coming apart.
- You're already doing a full kitchen remodel with new counters and appliances.
What does each cost?
Every kitchen is different, and Don Duprey Painting doesn't publish set prices. We give free estimates after seeing the cabinets. For a general idea, Angi publishes national cost data from its contractor network. Their 2026 figures (Angi: How much does it cost to refinish cabinets?) are:
| Option | Angi's national average range (2026) |
|---|---|
| Refinish | about $2,000–$4,500 (national average about $3,117) |
| Reface | about $4,300–$10,000 |
| Replace | about $2,000–$11,000, plus removal and disposal, and more if you change the layout |
These are national averages, not local quotes. Your price depends on how many cabinets you have, their material and condition, the finish you choose, and how much repair they need. Replacement figures often don't include the countertops, plumbing, electrical and flooring work that tends to come with it.
What a professional refinish typically involves
A durable cabinet finish is mostly prep. A typical professional process looks like this:
- Remove doors, drawer fronts and hardware, and label everything so it goes back in the same place.
- Clean and degrease. Kitchen cabinets carry years of cooking residue, and paint won't stick to grease.
- Sand to give the new coating something to grip.
- Repair dings, dents and loose joints.
- Prime with a primer suited to the cabinet material.
- Apply the finish coats, with a cabinet-grade product made to stand up to handling and cleaning.
- Reinstall doors and hardware and adjust the hinges.
Angi notes that a professional cabinet refinish typically takes about 3 to 5 days, longer for big kitchens. Expect the kitchen to be partly out of service during that time.
Before and after
You can see one of Don's kitchen cabinet refinishing jobs, before and after, in the Our Work section of our website. It's the same cabinets with a new finish, and the room looks completely different.
Don't forget the rest of the room
If you're refinishing cabinets, it's a good time to handle the walls and trim too: patching drywall, matching texture and repainting so everything looks fresh together. Custom color matching helps if you want the cabinets to coordinate with an existing color, or you need help picking the right shade.
Thinking about the holidays?
If you want the kitchen done before guests arrive, call early. Cabinet work is indoors, so winter is a good time for it.
Don Duprey Painting refinishes kitchen and bathroom cabinets for homeowners in Reno, Sparks, Carson City, Dayton, Fernley, Silver Springs, Stagecoach, Minden, Gardnerville, Incline Village, Topaz Lake, Yerington and Fallon. Licensed in Nevada (#0080749), fully insured, and painting since 1999.
Call (775) 720-3635 or email [email protected] for a free estimate.