Price a 2026 cabinet refacing job by linear feet, finish (veneer / laminate / RTF / solid wood), door style, and region — then compare 3 licensed refacing quotes.
Kitchen Size
LF
pcs
Finish & Style
Scope Notes
Refacing keeps your existing cabinet boxes and replaces doors, drawer fronts, end panels, and hardware. New countertops, interior rollouts, or carcass replacement are priced separately by your installer.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q
How much does cabinet refacing cost in 2026?
Professional cabinet refacing runs $100-$500 per linear foot installed, with most 20-30 LF kitchens landing $4,000-$12,000 in wood veneer. Laminate refacing is cheapest at $2,500-$8,000; rigid thermofoil (RTF) $3,500-$10,000; solid-wood doors $8,000-$18,000. Labor is 40-55% of the quote and regional rates shift totals 20-40%.
Refacing vs painting vs replacement — which is right for me?
Refacing ($4K-$12K) keeps existing cabinet boxes, replaces doors + drawer fronts + end panels, and resurfaces visible frames with veneer or laminate. Painting ($1K-$3.5K) is cheaper but lasts 5-8 years vs 15-20 for refacing. Full replacement ($8K-$35K) is 50-150% more than refacing. Choose refacing if boxes are solid, layout works, and you want a 15+ year refresh at half the cost of new cabinets.
Refacing: $4K-$12K, 15-20 year lifespan
Cabinet painting: $1K-$3.5K, 5-8 year lifespan
Stock cabinet replacement: $8K-$20K
Semi-custom replacement: $15K-$35K
Refacing wins when boxes are solid + layout works
Option
Typical cost (mid-size)
Lifespan
Box disturbance
Cabinet painting
$1,000-$3,500
5-8 years
None
Refacing (veneer)
$4,000-$12,000
15-20 years
None — boxes stay
Refacing (solid wood)
$8,000-$18,000
20-25 years
None — boxes stay
Stock replacement
$8,000-$20,000
20+ years
Full teardown
Semi-custom replacement
$15,000-$35,000
25+ years
Full teardown
Q
What does a cabinet refacing job actually include?
A standard refacing bid covers: removal of existing doors, drawer fronts, and hardware; new doors + drawer fronts in chosen style + finish; veneer or laminate skin applied to visible face frames and end panels; new hinges (soft-close standard in 2026); new cabinet pulls or knobs; reinstallation and alignment. NOT included: new countertops, sink replacement, interior rollouts, carcass rebuilding, or drawer box replacement.
New doors + drawer fronts (all openings)
Veneer/laminate on face frames + end panels
New soft-close hinges + pulls
Door + drawer alignment included
NOT included: countertops, sink, rollouts, new drawer boxes
Q
Why do refacing quotes vary 2-3x between contractors?
Material choice drives the biggest spread: solid-wood shaker doors cost 3-5x more than laminate slab doors ($60-$150 per opening vs $15-$35). Door count matters — a 25-door kitchen has 15-20% more material than a 20-door kitchen at the same LF. Local labor rate swings $30-$80/hour between markets. Watch for scope gaps: bids under $100/LF often skip end panels, use low-grade laminate, or quote thermofoil as "wood."
Solid wood vs laminate doors: 3-5x cost spread
Door count: +15-20% material for denser layouts
Local labor: $30-$80/hr market range
Under $100/LF = scope gap (end panels, low-grade veneer)
RTF often misrepresented as "real wood"
Q
How long does cabinet refacing take and can I stay in the kitchen?
A typical refacing job takes 3-5 working days on site for a 25 LF kitchen. Day 1: doors and hardware removed, prep begins. Days 2-3: veneer or laminate applied to face frames and end panels. Days 4-5: new doors hung, alignment, hardware, punch list. Kitchen is unusable 2-3 of those days (veneer adhesives cure, doors off). Plan take-out meals or a temporary microwave/toaster station in another room.
Total timeline: 3-5 working days on site
Kitchen unusable: 2-3 of those days
Lead time for doors: 3-6 weeks before start
No demolition or drywall damage (vs replacement)
Plan: take-out, paper plates, temp coffee station
Q
What should a written cabinet refacing quote include?
Require five line items: finish material (brand + grade of veneer, laminate, or wood species); door style + finish color; exact door + drawer count; hinge + pull brand and spec (soft-close rated?); and lead time with start/end dates. Vague bids skipping any of these five items are the #1 cause of change-order surprise billing. Bids should also list warranty: 1-5 years on workmanship, plus door manufacturer warranty (often 25 years on solid wood).
Finish material brand + grade spelled out
Door style + color locked in writing
Exact door + drawer count (not "approximate")
Hinge + pull brand with soft-close rating
Warranty: 1-5 years workmanship, 25 yr door
Find a Contractor Near You
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Refacing quotes decompose into four parts. Doors + drawer fronts (typically 40-55% of total, $30-$150 each depending on material), veneer or laminate face-frame skins (10-15%), hardware — hinges + pulls (5-10%), and installation labor (30-40%). End panels on exposed cabinet ends add $80-$250 per panel.
Veneer / laminate= Face-frame skins $3-$8/LF for laminate, $8-$18/LF for veneer
Hardware= Soft-close hinges $8-$20 per door, pulls $3-$15 each
Labor= Installer rate $40-$80/hour; 25-35 hours for 25 LF kitchen
Cabinet Refacing Costs in 2026: What Kitchens Actually Pay
1
2026 Cabinet Refacing Costs: Per Linear Foot and By Kitchen Size
Professional cabinet refacing runs $100-$500 per linear foot installed in 2026, with most mid-size kitchens landing $150-$300/LF. A typical 25 linear foot kitchen in wood veneer with shaker doors costs $4,000-$12,000 installed; the same kitchen in laminate runs $2,500-$8,000, while solid-wood doors push the quote to $8,000-$18,000. Refacing replaces doors, drawer fronts, end panels, and hardware, and resurfaces visible face frames with veneer or laminate — cabinet carcasses (the boxes behind your doors) stay in place. That scope is what keeps refacing at roughly half the cost of full cabinet replacement, which runs $8,000-$35,000 for the same kitchen depending on whether you choose stock, semi-custom, or custom cabinetry.
Labor accounts for approximately 40-55% of total refacing cost — less than the 70-85% share you see on pure-labor trades like drywall or interior paint, because refacing involves meaningful factory-made materials (doors, drawer fronts, veneer sheets, hardware). Materials make up the other 45-60%: doors and drawer fronts alone run 40-55% of the total ($30-$150 per opening depending on material), veneer or laminate skins for face frames are 10-15%, and hardware (soft-close hinges plus cabinet pulls) runs 5-10%. End panels on exposed cabinet ends — most kitchens need 2-4 of these — add $80-$250 per panel beyond the per-LF quote.
Use the calculator above to price your specific kitchen size, finish, and door count. Then read on for the refacing-vs-painting-vs-replacement comparison that drives the biggest budget decision, the four finish-material categories with real 2026 pricing, and the six-factor checklist that separates a legitimate $8,000 refacing bid from a $5,500 contractor who will surprise you with end-panel and hardware add-ons mid-project. Companion scope pricing lives in the interior painting cost calculator for the main alternative, and in the home renovation estimator for bundled kitchen work.
Cabinet refacing cost by kitchen size and finish, 2026 installed pricing. Source: HomeAdvisor, Angi, HomeGuide.
Kitchen size
Linear feet
Laminate
Wood veneer
Solid wood doors
Small / galley
15 LF
$1,500-$4,500
$2,250-$6,750
$4,500-$10,500
Mid-size
25 LF
$2,500-$7,500
$3,750-$11,250
$7,500-$17,500
Large
35 LF
$3,500-$10,500
$5,250-$15,750
$10,500-$24,500
X-large / open plan
45 LF
$4,500-$13,500
$6,750-$20,250
$13,500-$30,000
2
Refacing vs Painting vs Replacement: The Big Decision
The three paths to a refreshed kitchen sit at very different price points, lifespans, and scope levels. Cabinet painting is the cheapest refresh at $1,000-$3,500 for a mid-size kitchen because it touches only the finish — no new doors, no new hardware, no new end panels. Paint lasts 5-8 years on cabinets before visible wear (chipping at corners, yellowing of white finishes, hinge-area scuffing) forces a redo. Professional painters use specialty cabinet paint (Benjamin Moore Advance, Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane) and must remove doors, sand, prime, and spray-finish in a dust-controlled space — bargain bids that paint doors in place always fail within 2-3 years.
Cabinet refacing is the middle path at $4,000-$12,000 for a mid-size kitchen in wood veneer, lasting 15-20 years with normal kitchen use. Refacing replaces all the visible pieces — new doors, new drawer fronts, new end panels, new hardware — and resurfaces face frames with matching veneer or laminate. The boxes behind those doors stay put, which means no plumbing disconnect, no countertop demolition, and no drywall patching. That scope split is why refacing wins when cabinet boxes are structurally solid and the kitchen layout works; it fails when boxes are particleboard-sagging, layout needs change, or countertops are already due for replacement anyway (at which point the demolition scope for counters makes full cabinet replacement only marginally more work).
Full cabinet replacement runs $8,000-$20,000 for stock cabinets and $15,000-$35,000 for semi-custom in a mid-size kitchen — roughly 50-150% more than refacing at the same finish quality. Replacement wins when the layout is changing, boxes are damaged or moldy, or you’re gutting the kitchen anyway for counters, flooring, and appliances. Replacement lifespan is 20-25+ years with decent quality cabinets, so the per-year cost difference between refacing and replacement narrows if you’re planning to own the home long-term. For the companion painting-path pricing that covers the cheaper alternative, the interior painting cost calculator handles cabinet paint economics in detail alongside wall and trim scope, and the home renovation estimator benchmarks full-kitchen-gut costs when replacement beats refacing.
The refacing decision hinges on cabinet box condition. If boxes are solid plywood, doors close square, and layout works for how you cook — reface. If boxes are particleboard, sagging, water-damaged, or layout needs change — replace. Refacing rotten boxes is a $10K mistake that needs redoing in 3-5 years.
3
Finish Material Guide: Laminate, Veneer, RTF, and Solid Wood
The four main refacing finish categories sit at very different price points and quality bands. Laminate refacing is the budget option at $2,500-$8,000 for a mid-size kitchen. It uses high-pressure laminate (same family as countertop laminate but thinner) adhered to MDF or plywood door cores. Modern laminate comes in hundreds of wood-grain patterns and is more durable than painted surfaces — resistant to moisture, heat, and daily wear. Main knock: it looks like laminate on close inspection, and the thin edge banding can delaminate over 10+ years of heavy use.
Wood veneer refacing is the most popular mid-tier choice at $4,000-$12,000 mid-size. Real wood veneer (1/28 to 1/40 inch thick) is laminated onto MDF or plywood door cores, then finished with catalyzed conversion varnish. The result looks like solid wood but at 40-60% of the cost. Veneers come in oak, maple, cherry, walnut, and rift-cut white oak (the 2026 design trend); stain colors follow current kitchen trends. Knock: veneer can chip at edges if hit, and wet dishrags left on the surface can lift the finish over time.
Rigid thermofoil (RTF) refacing sits between laminate and wood veneer at $3,500-$10,000 mid-size. It uses PVC vinyl film heat-pressed onto shaped MDF doors, which means RTF can produce raised-panel and shaker profiles cheaper than real wood. RTF is fully sealed against moisture, making it a strong choice for kitchens with high humidity (coastal markets, basements). Knock: extended heat exposure (oven vent, dishwasher vent) can cause delamination over 10-15 years, and once damaged, RTF cannot be refinished — only replaced. Avoid RTF doors adjacent to built-in ovens.
Solid-wood-door refacing is the premium tier at $8,000-$18,000 mid-size, using real hardwood doors (oak, maple, cherry, walnut, alder) mounted on existing boxes, with matching wood veneer on face frames. This is the highest-quality refacing finish and lasts 20-25 years with normal use. Solid wood can be refinished or repainted if design tastes change — the other three finishes cannot. Knock: real-wood doors telegraph humidity cycles (slight expansion and contraction with seasons), and matching stain color across factory-finished doors and on-site-applied veneer can show subtle variation in raking light. For companion scope where paint economics matter separately (walls, trim, ceiling), the interior painting cost calculator runs adjacent-trade pricing.
Material choice is the biggest lever, producing 3-5x spread between laminate slab doors and solid-wood shaker doors — the same 25 LF kitchen can run $2,500 on the low end or $17,500 on the high end purely on material spec. Door count is the second driver: a 25-door kitchen carries 15-20% more cost than a 20-door kitchen at the same linear footage because each opening adds door + drawer-front + hinges + pulls + finishing labor. Kitchens with lots of narrow drawer stacks or glass-front upper cabinets pack more openings into fewer linear feet.
Door style complexity runs the third-biggest cost lever. Flat-panel (slab) doors are cheapest to manufacture — baseline. Shaker doors add 5-10% over slab because of the rail-and-stile construction. Raised-panel doors add 10-15% because of the additional shaped center panel. Mission or beadboard styles add 15-20% because of extra router passes. On a 25 LF mid-size kitchen with 22 doors, going from slab to raised panel adds roughly $400-$1,200 to the bid.
Regional labor variance is the fourth factor. Installer hourly rates run $40-$80 nationally; Northeast metros (Boston, NYC, Philadelphia) and West Coast urban centers (San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles) run 20-35% above the median at $60-$80/hour, while South and Plains states run 10-25% below at $35-$55/hour. A $8,000 Midwest refacing bid lands at $9,600-$10,800 in Boston or $6,400-$7,200 in Dallas for identical scope and material. Fifth factor: hardware grade — standard soft-close hinges run $8-$12 each, but German-made Blum or Grass soft-close hinges cost $15-$25 each; decorative pulls range $3 (basic chrome) to $40+ (designer brass or hand-forged). On a 22-door kitchen the hardware upgrade alone can swing $400-$800.
Sixth: access and demolition scope. Refacing normally doesn’t touch walls, flooring, or counters — that’s the whole point. But kitchens with tile backsplashes that run tight against cabinet face frames may need partial tile removal and re-grouting ($200-$600 extra), and kitchens where existing granite or quartz overhangs slightly onto cabinet face frames may need countertop-edge grinding to fit new veneer (skilled work, $300-$800 premium). Ask your refacer to inspect these interfaces before locking the bid. For broader scope where paint, backsplash, or countertops bundle into the project, the home renovation estimator anchors multi-trade budgeting, and the drywall install cost calculator handles any drywall repair that comes up during cabinet work.
Regional labor: $40-$80/hour baseline, metros +20-35%
Hardware grade: soft-close basic $8-$12 vs Blum/Grass $15-$25 per hinge
Access: backsplash or countertop interference adds $200-$800
5
Five Smart Ways to Cut the Refacing Bill
First savings lever: choose laminate or RTF instead of wood veneer for rooms that won’t be refinished later anyway. Laminate refacing runs 30-40% below wood veneer at the same labor hours — savings of $1,500-$4,500 on a 25 LF kitchen. The aesthetic gap between premium laminate and mid-grade veneer is smaller than pricing suggests; modern laminate in woodgrain patterns reads as real wood at normal viewing distance. Skip this savings if you plan to restain or refinish down the road — laminate and RTF can’t be refinished, only replaced.
Second: stick with shaker or slab door styles and skip raised-panel or mission profiles. Shaker doors add just 5-10% over slab but read as premium to most buyers; raised-panel adds 10-15% and is a polarizing style that may date your kitchen in 10 years. Third: keep existing cabinet layout — don’t add, remove, or resize cabinet openings. Any layout modification forces face-frame modifications (or full cabinet replacement), which eliminates refacing savings entirely. If layout needs a change, full replacement at $8K-$20K usually beats refacing-plus-modification economically.
Fourth: bundle refacing with backsplash or countertop work through the same general contractor. GCs running 2-3 coordinated trades typically discount 10-15% off refacing labor because crew mobilization costs spread across more work. Fifth: schedule during off-peak months (January-March or September-October in most markets) — refacing demand peaks in late spring and early fall when homeowners target holiday or entertaining deadlines. Off-peak scheduling saves 10-15% because installer schedules have open slots. Avoid December and July, which are the two dead months for kitchen work because of holidays and vacations — but also the two months when contractor schedules are most willing to negotiate.
Sixth bonus savings lever worth mentioning: request a sample-door quote before committing. Reputable refacing companies will ship a free or $50-$150 sample door in your chosen finish so you can verify color, grain, and quality in your actual kitchen light before the full bid is locked. Installers who resist sending samples or quote without samples almost always produce color mismatch or finish-quality surprises on install day. Fifth-grade veneer and second-grade RTF are real product tiers, not marketing — verify quality with a physical sample every time. For broader bundled-remodel pricing where refacing is one of several trades, the home renovation estimator handles multi-trade budgeting, and the drywall install cost calculator covers any drywall repair that surfaces during a kitchen refresh.
1
Step 1 — Laminate over veneer when possible
Modern laminate reads as wood at normal viewing distance. Saves 30-40% vs veneer ($1,500-$4,500 on 25 LF kitchen).
2
Step 2 — Shaker or slab doors, skip raised panel
Shaker adds just 5-10% over slab but reads premium. Raised panel adds 10-15% and dates faster.
3
Step 3 — Keep existing cabinet layout
Any layout mod forces face-frame or full cabinet work. If layout changes, full replacement usually beats refacing-plus-mods.
4
Step 4 — Bundle with backsplash or counters
Coordinated 2-3 trade projects with same GC discount 10-15% on refacing labor.
5
Step 5 — Off-peak scheduling (Jan-Mar, Sep-Oct)
Peak refacing demand is late spring and early fall. Off-peak saves 10-15% on installer rate.
This calculator is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Results are estimates and should not be considered professional financial, medical, legal, or other advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making important decisions. UseCalcPro is not responsible for any actions taken based on calculator results.
