Compare Refacing vs Buying New Cabinets Costs

Refacing Cabinets

Cabinet refacing is a quick and cost-effective way to give your kitchen a makeover. Typically, it involves keeping the base structure of the cabinets but replacing all cabinet doors, drawer fronts and hardware.

Refacing is a much bigger project than simply refinishing your cabinets, but it’s faster and easier than a complete cabinet replacement. Refacing is ideal if you don’t like the look of your cabinets but they’re in great shape structurally.

How Much Does Cabinet Refacing Cost?

Most cabinet refacing projects cost about $4,000 to $10,000. The price varies based on the materials you select and the size and configuration of your kitchen. Wood veneer doors, for example, will cost less than solid wood doors.

Looked at another way, most contractors charge $125 to $175 per “opening” for cabinet facing projects. Every door, drawer front and false front counts as an opening. Double doors count as two openings.

Cabinet Refacing Pros

• Quick turnaround - Most refacing projects can be completed in three to five days, not a matter of weeks or months.
• Cost - Refacing transforms your kitchen for significantly less than the cost of a complete cabinet replacement. You’ll get a completely new look for a fraction of the price of replacement.

Cabinet Refacing Cons

• Can’t reconfigure - Refacing doesn’t allow you to change the layout and design of your cabinet space. It’s purely a cosmetic fix, not a functional improvement. The amount of storage you have when the job is done will be identical to the amount of storage you had before.
• Does not fix all damage - If your cabinets or drawers are damaged on the inside, refacing won’t fix that. Make sure to repair any damage before you have the cabinets refaced.

Buying New Cabinets

New cabinets can completely transform a kitchen. They can make an outdated space look modern. They can also improve the design and configuration of your kitchen by creating more storage and better storage.

Purchasing new cabinets and having them installed can be a complex and time-consuming process. The reward is having a kitchen designed exactly to match your style and storage needs.

How Much Do New Cabinets Costs?

The price of new cabinets varies widely depending on the type of cabinets you select and the size and configuration of your kitchen. For an average-sized kitchen, expect to pay around $5,000 for stock cabinets from a big box store, $10,000 for semi-custom cabinets and $20,000 to $30,000 for custom-built cabinets.

New Cabinets Pros

• Fresh start - New cabinets offer the opportunity to design your kitchen exactly as you want it. You can choose among a variety of sizes and styles. And you won’t have to worry about making repairs to existing cabinets that are breaking or falling apart.
• Design options - With new cabinets, you can design the layout for optimum functionality. You can add modern, convenient features such as rollout shelves, lazy Susans and pullout trash cans.

New Cabinets Cons

• Price - New cabinets can cost more than double the price of a cabinet refacing project.
• Time commitment - Tearing out old cabinets and installing new ones can be a time-consuming process. The project could take weeks, particularly if it is part of a complete kitchen remodel.

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