The short answer
The plain answer: replace when the layout or boxes fail
Refacing makes sense when the cabinet boxes are solid, the layout works and you mainly want a new look. Replacing makes sense when the boxes sag, storage runs short or you want to move things around.
If you are changing the layout or adding an island, replace. New doors cannot fix a floor plan. If you are only after a different finish, refacing is worth pricing.
Our kitchen cabinet installation page covers stock, semi-custom and custom options.
New doors cannot fix a floor plan.
Refacing and replacing side by side
Same kitchen, two routes. This is how they differ in practice.
| Question | Refacing | ReplacingFixes layout and storage |
|---|---|---|
| Keeps your current layout | Yes | No |
| Changes layout or adds an island | No | Yes |
| New cabinet boxes and storage | No | Yes |
| Fixes sagging or damaged boxes | No | Yes |
| New door style and finish | Yes | Yes |
| Cabinet lead time of 8 to 14 weeks | Usually shorter | Yes |
Ask for a refacing lead time in writing too.
Quick check
Reface or replace? A quick check
Answer these about your own kitchen to see which route the post points you toward.
Do you want to change the layout or add an island?
Are your cabinet boxes sagging or damaged?
Is your storage running short?
Does your current layout work for you?
Are you mainly after a new door style and finish?
0 of 5 answered
What does each one cost?
Published Boston figures put refacing at $10,000 to $40,000 and a full remodel with new cabinets at $20,000 to $60,000. Those are wide ranges, and they come from different sources with different scopes.
Installed cabinets run $100 to $1,200 per linear foot. An average kitchen has 24 linear feet, so $2,400 to $28,800. Custom cabinets add 50 to 100 percent.
For wider Greater Boston jobs, published figures show semi-custom cabinets with stone counters at $70,000 to $110,000 and a gut remodel with custom cabinets and a layout change at $110,000 to $180,000 or more.
Installed cabinets run $100 to $1,200 per linear foot. Enter your run of cabinets to see the published range.
Installed cabinets: $100 to $1,200 per linear feet
Published ranges are a guide, not a quote. Custom cabinets add 50 to 100 percent. Check whether it covers countertops, appliances, permits, lead-safe work and electrical changes.
Request my free estimate- Cabinet refacing$10,000 to $40,000
- Remodel with new cabinets$20,000 to $60,000
- Semi-custom cabinets with stone counters$70,000 to $110,000
- Gut remodel with custom cabinets and a layout change$110,000 to $180,000 or more
- Per linear foot$100 to $1,200 per linear foot
- Average kitchen, 24 linear feet$2,400 to $28,800
Published ranges are a guide, not a quote.
What to ask any estimate to state
Whichever route you choose, get these in writing.
Should be stated
Often priced separately
- Countertops
- Appliances
- Electrical upgrades
- Hidden damage found behind walls
How do older houses change the answer?
In Stoneham, capes and 1950s to 1970s splits often have closed-off kitchens. If you want the wall to the dining room gone, you are replacing cabinets, not refacing them.
In Somerville, triple-decker galleys are narrow, and the layout is usually the complaint. Refacing keeps that tight plan. Replacing lets you rethink it, within your building's rules if it is a condo.
In Lexington, housing is mostly pre-1978, so lead-safe rules apply to paid work that disturbs painted surfaces. Raise that when you compare prices.
The finishes you are choosing between
When should you start?
New cabinets usually take 8 to 14 weeks to arrive, and the rest of the job follows them. Stock cabinets can be quicker, and semi-custom can run 16 weeks or more.
If you want a finished kitchen by the holidays, sign in spring or early summer. Then request a free estimate, and ask for the lead time in writing.
- Stockabout 2 to 3 weeks
- Typical order8 to 14 weeks
- Semi-custom16+ weeks
Ask for the lead time in writing.
Refacing vs replacing questions
Usually, but not always. Published Boston figures are $10,000 to $40,000 for refacing and $20,000 to $60,000 for a remodel with new cabinets. The ranges overlap, so scope matters more than the label.
No. An island or a moved wall means a new layout, so new cabinets. Layout changes can involve structural work.
Installed cabinets run $100 to $1,200 per linear foot. At 24 feet, that is $2,400 to $28,800. Custom adds 50 to 100 percent.
They can in houses built before 1978 when the job disturbs more than 6 square feet of painted surface in a room. Ask any contractor how they handle it.
Send the form with your town and what you want to change. We price it with a free estimate.