What Is Cabinet Refacing? What’s Included and What Isn’t
What is cabinet refacing? Cabinet refacing gives your kitchen cabinets a new look by replacing the doors and drawer fronts and putting a new surface on the visible parts of the cabinet boxes. The boxes themselves stay in place, so your layout stays the same. What a refacing package includes depends on the company, which is why two quotes with the same name can cover different work.
What Is Cabinet Refacing? What A Standard Refacing Job Includes
- New doors and drawer fronts. These are the biggest visual change, and they’re usually made to order to fit your existing cabinets.
- A new surface on the visible parts of the boxes. Most often this is veneer, laminate, or thermofoil applied to the face frames and exposed sides, according to This Old House. Home Depot describes the option of painting the boxes or adding veneer.
- New hinges. Kitchen Tune-Up lists new hinges as part of its door-replacement packages, and other sources say refacing usually includes new hinges and pulls too.
- Pulls and knobs. These are often included or offered as an option. Confirm which.
- Installation and adjustment. The doors and drawer fronts get hung and lined up so the gaps are even.
Common add-ons
What is cabinet refacing beyond the standard job? Refacing companies and door suppliers also offer extras. Some are included in certain packages, and many are priced separately, so ask which is which:
- End panels (finished sides for exposed cabinet ends)
- Trim and molding
- Toe kick (the recessed strip at the bottom of base cabinets)
- Light valance (the trim under upper cabinets that hides lighting)
- New drawer boxes
- Soft-close hinges and drawer slides
- Floating shelves
What cabinet refacing doesn’t include
| Not part of refacing | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Countertops | This Old House notes refacing does nothing for them, so replacing them is a separate project |
| Layout changes | The boxes stay where they are, so you can’t add, move, or resize cabinets |
| Repairs to damaged boxes | This Old House says damaged cabinets aren’t good candidates, since the boxes must be structurally sound |
| Flooring, backsplash, appliances | These are separate kitchen projects |
| Cabinet interiors | Ask whether the inside of the boxes is part of the job |
Framed or frameless cabinets
Knowing which type you have affects what gets replaced.
Framed cabinets have a wood frame across the front of the box, and the doors attach to it. Frameless cabinets, also called European-style, don’t have that frame. The doors and drawer fronts mount to the inside walls of the box and cover the whole front, so you don’t see a frame between them.
What is cabinet refacing for either type? Refacing works for both. On frameless cabinets, one DIY supplier describes the job as mostly replacing the doors, drawer fronts, side panels, and toe kick, since there is no frame to cover. To check which you have, open a door and look at the front edge of the box. A visible frame around the opening means framed.
Door suppliers also ask about the overlay of your existing doors, meaning how much of the box front they cover, so new hinges and doors fit. Note this before you order anything.
Refacing, redooring, refinishing, and replacing
These terms get mixed up, and companies do not use them consistently, so it helps to ask what is cabinet refacing before comparing them.
| Term | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Refacing | New doors and drawer fronts, plus a new surface on the visible parts of the boxes. The boxes stay. |
| Redooring | New doors and drawer fronts only. The boxes are left as they are or painted, according to Kitchen Tune-Up. |
| Refinishing or repainting | Your existing doors and boxes get a new finish. Nothing is replaced. |
| Replacing | New cabinets from the boxes up. |
Some companies call a doors-only job refacing, so asking what is cabinet refacing in a particular quote matters. Whatever the label, ask for a written list of what you are getting.
Who refacing suits
What is cabinet refacing best suited to? Refacing makes sense when your layout works and the boxes are sound. In that case, you are paying for a new look rather than new structure. If either of those is not true, replacing or repairing may fit better. We go through those situations in a separate article.
Where to start
Open a door and work out whether your cabinets are framed or frameless, then note the overlay and count your doors and drawer fronts. When you ask for quotes, request a written list split into four parts: doors and drawer fronts, surfaces, hardware, and add-ons. That makes it much easier to see what each company includes.
Frequently asked questions
Does cabinet refacing include new hinges and handles?
Usually new hinges, yes. Pulls and knobs are often included or offered as an option, so confirm in the quote.
Can I replace only the doors and drawer fronts?
Yes. Some companies call this redooring, and others call it refacing. The catch is that the visible parts of the old boxes may not match the new doors. If matching matters to you, the boxes can be painted or covered with veneer.
