Cabinet Refacing Cost in 2026: Refacing vs Replacing

As of October 2026, cabinet refacing for an average Orlando-area kitchen typically costs $7,000 to $15,000 installed, which is usually 40 to 50 percent less than comparable new cabinets. Refacing means new doors and drawer fronts, a matching veneer over the existing cabinet boxes, and new hardware, while the boxes and countertops stay in place. It is the right choice when the boxes are solid and you like the layout; it is the wrong one when the boxes are damaged or the layout needs to change.

Cabinet refacing cost at a glance (Orlando, 2026)

Option	Typical cost	What you get
Cabinet refacing, average kitchen	$7,000 to $15,000	New doors, drawer fronts, box veneer, hardware
Cosmetic kitchen refresh (refacing or refinishing plus new counters, backsplash, sink, faucet, lighting)	$15,000 to $35,000	Same layout, mostly new look
Mid-range full remodel with new cabinets	$35,000 to $75,000	New cabinets, stone tops, backsplash, flooring, lighting, appliances
Cabinets’ share of a full remodel	Roughly 30 to 40 percent	The largest single line item

By simple arithmetic, cabinets in a $35,000 to $75,000 remodel come to roughly $10,500 to $30,000. That is the number refacing is competing with.

What is included in cabinet refacing

A complete refacing job usually includes:

• New doors and drawer fronts, made to the measured sizes of your openings.
• Veneer on the exposed box surfaces: face frames, end panels and visible sides, in a finish that matches the new doors.
• New hinges and drawer hardware, often upgraded to soft-close hinges.
• New pulls and knobs.
• Matching trim: toe kicks, crown molding, light rail and filler strips.

Common add-ons that raise the price:

• New drawer boxes with full-extension, soft-close slides.
• Roll-out shelves, trash pull-outs and corner systems.
• Converting a base door cabinet to drawers.
• Adding a cabinet or two at the end of a run, built to match.
• Glass-front upper doors.

What drives cabinet refacing cost

Kitchen size and number of openings

Price follows the number of doors and drawer fronts and the linear feet of face frame. A galley with ten doors costs far less than a large L-shape with an island and a pantry wall.

Door material and style

• Thermofoil or laminate doors sit at the low end.
• Painted MDF Shaker doors are the most popular middle option. Our Shaker cabinets guide explains the style and construction choices.
• Real wood veneer and solid hardwood doors, especially stained, sit at the high end.
• Inset-look or custom profiles cost more.

Condition of the boxes

Refacing assumes the boxes are sound. Minor repairs (a loose face frame, a replaced sink base floor) add a little. Widespread damage means refacing is not the right choice.

Accessories and changes

Each pull-out, organizer or door-to-drawer conversion adds parts and labor. They are often the best money you spend, because they fix how the kitchen works, not only how it looks.

Refacing vs replacing cabinets: how to decide

Question	Reface	Replace
Are the boxes solid, dry and square?	Yes	No, or not sure
Happy with the layout?	Yes	Want to move the sink, range or walls
Keeping current countertops?	Usually possible	Usually replaced
Budget	Lower	Higher
Disruption	Several days on site, kitchen partly usable	Weeks, kitchen out of service
Storage improvement	Limited to accessories	Full redesign

Reface if the cabinets are plywood or solid particleboard that has stayed dry, the layout works, and the main problem is that the doors look dated.

Replace if you see any of these:

• Swollen or crumbling particleboard, especially at the sink base and dishwasher.
• Sagging shelves or boxes that are out of square, so doors never line up.
• You want an island, a new layout, or to move plumbing. Most Central Florida homes are slab-on-grade, so moving a sink or other plumbing means cutting concrete and typically costs $1,500 to $4,000 or more.
• You want taller uppers, deeper drawers or more pantry space than the current boxes allow.

Refacing vs painting or refinishing

Painting keeps the original doors, so it only changes color. If your doors are an arched raised panel style you dislike, paint will not change that shape. Refacing replaces the doors, so you can switch to Shaker or slab. Painting also leaves the old hinges and wear spots unless you replace them separately. In a humid climate, a factory-finished new door generally holds up better than paint brushed or sprayed on site, provided the surface prep on the painted doors was done well.

What refacing cannot fix

Refacing changes the surfaces you see, not the structure behind them. It will not:

• Change cabinet heights or depths, so short uppers stay short unless you add stacked cabinets above them.
• Fix a layout that puts the dishwasher in a corner or leaves no landing space beside the range.
• Repair a sagging countertop or an uneven floor under the cabinets.
• Add storage beyond what the boxes hold, other than through pull-outs and organizers.

If any of these are the real complaint, price new cabinets alongside refacing so you can compare.

Florida and Orlando considerations

• Humidity and the sink base. Inspect the floor of the sink cabinet before you commit. Slow leaks are common, and a swollen base is the first box that needs replacing. A single replacement sink base is often possible within a refacing job.
• Permits. Refacing is cosmetic, so it usually does not need a building permit. Moving plumbing or electrical does. Confirm with your city or county building department.
• HOAs and condos. Interior cabinet work rarely needs HOA approval, but condo associations may set work hours and rules about debris and elevator use.
• Rentals. In short-term rental areas around Kissimmee and Davenport, refacing is a common way to update a kitchen between bookings because the kitchen is out of service for less time.

How to get an accurate refacing quote

1. Ask the contractor to inspect every box, especially the sink base, before quoting.
2. Get the door material, finish and hardware specified in writing.
3. Ask whether crown, toe kicks, end panels and filler strips are included.
4. Price accessories separately so you can see what each one costs.
5. Confirm lead time for the doors and the number of on-site days.

If you are still comparing options, our Orlando kitchen remodel cost guide shows what each budget level typically buys.

Planning cabinet refacing in Orlando?

The decision between refacing and new cabinets starts with an honest look at your cabinet boxes. Prime Construction measures your kitchen, checks the boxes and plumbing, and gives you a written estimate for refacing, new cabinets or both so you can compare. See our cabinet refacing and kitchen cabinets pages, call (407) 404-3944, or request an estimate.