Cost Difference for Refinishing, Re-facing and Replacing Cabinets
At Brooks Painting we do a lot of cabinet refinishing and painting. We talk to a lot of people about cabinets and what is involved in the process. One thing that comes up over and over is what the cost difference is between refinishing, re-facing, and replacing cabinets. There is a huge difference between these three choices.Cabinet Refinishing and Painting
Cabinet refinishing and painting involves quite a bit of work. First we take the doors and drawers off the bases, and remove the hinges. We clean the surfaces to ensure that the surface is ready for the next step. Then we mask off the interiors of the cabinets, the interior of the drawers, and all surrounding areas. At this point we will either prime the surfaces or put the first coat of stain/toner on. When we prime them, the next step is to sand the surfaces, and dust them. Then we would paint them with 2 coats of high quality semi gloss paint. At that point we put everything back together, clean up, and make sure it shines. If we are staining the cabinets, we apply anywhere from 1-3 coats to get the desired color and depth. Then we use conversion varnish as our finish coats. The overall process of painting or staining cabinets is very similar, except for the products. The cost for refinishing an average kitchen is about $4,000.00
Re-Facing Cabinets
Re-facing cabinets is very different than refinishing. It includes replacing all of the doors & drawers with new doors & drawers. You also put a veneer over the cabinet bases. When re-facing cabinets, the hinges, drawer slides, and hardware is all replaced. The average cost of re-facing is usually double a refinish job, so around $8,000.00
Replacing Kitchen Cabinets
Replacing kitchen cabinets can vary a lot depending on the quality of the cabinets, and the species of woods. You can buy very inexpensive cabinets at Home Depot, or custom from a cabinet maker. With replacing cabinets, you also have the additional costs of new countertops, some electrical, plumbing and flooring. So the price adds up very quickly. An average kitchen can range from $10,000 (think IKEA) to $50,000 in cabinets alone.
A Word of Caution
Be very careful when you consider refinishing cabinets. Any painter or company can paint walls, but most painters should never touch cabinets. Make sure you check their references of cabinet jobs they have done over the past 5 years. You want to know that they looked good when completed, and that they held up long term. Brooks Painting refinishes cabinets all over the Sacramento Valley. So if you are in Davis, Woodland, or Sacramento, give us a call for a free estimate on your cabinet refinishing job. 530-753-5074.
Painted cabinet
Stained cabinets
