The Secret to New Cabinets for a Fraction of the Price

On average, new cabinets for a standard size kitchen cost anywhere between $4,000 and $13,000. The average cost to install kitchen cabinets is a little more than $5,000, though the job can run as high as $30,000. The bottom line is new cabinets are expensive.

If you’re like most middle-class, homeowning Americans these days, you can barely afford the cost of new cabinetry, let alone the install price. This doesn’t mean, however, that you cannot afford to give your kitchen or bathroom a fresh, new look. Rather, it merely means you must think outside the box. One creative and cost-saving solution is cabinet refacing.

What Is Cabinet Refacing? 

Refacing cabinets essentially refers to the process of removing the face of cabinets and replacing them with new ones. Cabinet “faces” include the veneers, drawer fronts, doors and/or any other cabinet “surfaces.” Refacing also often entails replacing old hardware, such as the handles, hinges and drawer pulls, with new ones.

Why Should You Reface Your Cabinets Rather Than Replace Them? 

There are several reasons homeowners decide to reface their cabinets rather than replace them. The biggest reason is cost. Refacing all the cabinets in a standard sized kitchen can start as low as $1,000 and can run as much as $9,000. Even on the high end, however, refacing costs a fraction of the price to buy and install entirely new cabinets.

The second biggest reason to reface cabinets is time. Refacing cabinets can be done in just a single weekend. While installing new cabinets also only takes two to three days, new cabinets require new countertops. To get a countertop from template to install can take another three weeks.

The third and final reason to reface cabinets is aesthetics. Though cabinet refacing requires a fraction of the time and monetary investment of installing entirely new cabinets, the end result is essentially the same: an entirely new look and feel in your kitchen or bathroom.

Replacing cabinets can be a costly and time-consuming endeavor. Refacing them, on the other hand, is an entirely different story, which is why it’s a popular option for money-tight homeowners.