Kitchen cabinet refacing cost is the number most Seattle homeowners want before deciding whether to keep their cabinets or start over. Here’s the short version: refacing typically runs $4,000 to $9,500, full replacement runs $4,000 to $13,000 and up, and professional painting comes in around $3,000 to $6,000 for a standard kitchen. All estimates — and the right choice depends entirely on one thing: whether your cabinet boxes are worth keeping.
Cabinets are usually the biggest single line item in a kitchen project, so this decision moves your budget more than almost any other. We’ve opened up a lot of Seattle kitchens — here’s how we walk homeowners through it, with real 2026 numbers.
Refacing vs. Replacement Costs at a Glance
| Option | Typical cost (estimate) | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Professional painting / refinishing | $3,000 – $6,000 | Boxes and doors are solid; you want a color change |
| Cabinet refacing | $4,000 – $9,500 ($100 – $450 per linear ft) | Boxes are sound; doors are dated |
| Replacement — stock cabinets | $100 – $400 per linear ft installed | Boxes are failing or layout changes |
| Replacement — custom cabinets | $500 – $1,200 per linear ft | Full remodel, maximum storage and fit |
Ranges compiled from 2026 national cost data (Angi, HomeGuide, HomeAdvisor, Fixr, Modernize). Estimates only — Seattle labor tends to price toward the upper end of national ranges.
What Does Kitchen Cabinet Refacing Cost?
Refacing keeps your existing cabinet boxes and replaces everything you see: new doors, new drawer fronts, new hinges and hardware, and matching veneer over the exposed frames. Most projects land between $4,000 and $9,500 (estimate), with the national average around $6,750.
The material drives the number. Laminate refacing starts around $80 to $125 per linear foot; wood veneer sits in the middle; solid wood doors push toward $500 per linear foot (estimates). A typical Seattle kitchen has 20 to 30 linear feet of cabinets, so the math scales fast.
What refacing does not fix: sagging shelves, water-swollen particleboard, drawers that never closed right, or a layout that doesn’t work. New doors on bad boxes is money you’ll spend twice.
What Full Cabinet Replacement Costs
Replacement means new boxes, new everything. Stock cabinets run roughly $100 to $400 per linear foot installed; semi-custom sits above that; true custom runs $500 to $1,200 per linear foot (estimates). For a whole kitchen, replacement typically starts around $4,000 with stock lines and climbs past $13,000 quickly with custom work.
What you’re buying for that money: any layout you want, soft-close everything, pull-outs and organizers where you actually need them, and boxes built for the next 30 years. If you’re already changing the layout, moving appliances, or opening walls, replacement is almost always the right call — the cabinets come out anyway. That’s the territory of a full remodel; see our kitchen remodel cost guide for the complete picture, and our overview of kitchen cabinet types if you’re comparing box construction.
How to Tell Which One Your Kitchen Needs
Here’s the check we do on every estimate visit — you can do most of it yourself:
- Open every door and push on the box sides. Solid plywood boxes that don’t flex are refacing candidates. Particleboard that’s soft, swollen, or crumbling at the corners is not.
- Look under the sink. This is where water damage shows first. A swollen, delaminating sink base usually means that box — at minimum — needs replacing. (We’ve repaired plenty of these; here’s a cabinet repair project in Tukwila.)
- Check the drawer slides and shelf pins. Hardware can be upgraded during refacing, but if the box holes are stripped and shelves sag, the structure is telling you something.
- Ask yourself about the layout. If you’d move the stove, add an island, or open a wall — stop. Reface nothing. Put that money toward the remodel you actually want.
The honest rule of thumb: refacing saves 30 to 50 percent compared to replacement — but only when the boxes deserve saving. We’ll tell you plainly which side of the line your kitchen is on, even when the answer is the cheaper one.
The Seattle Factor
Two local notes worth knowing. First, our damp climate is hard on cheap cabinet boxes — particleboard near a leaky sink or a poorly vented dishwasher fails faster here than in dry climates, which is why so many 1990s and 2000s kitchens around Seattle have solid-looking doors on failing boxes. Second, labor in the Seattle market prices toward the top of national ranges, so the per-linear-foot numbers above tend to land in the upper half here (estimate). Neither changes the decision logic — it just raises the stakes on choosing right the first time.
What About Just Painting?
If the doors and boxes are both structurally sound and you simply want a new look, professional painting is the budget play: roughly $3,000 to $6,000 for a standard kitchen (estimate). Done properly — degreased, sanded, sprayed with cabinet-grade enamel — it holds up well. Done with a brush and a weekend, it peels at the handles within a year. Painting is also the one option that keeps your existing door style, so if the doors themselves are dated, refacing gets you further for the extra money.
FAQ
How much does kitchen cabinet refacing cost?
Most projects run $4,000 to $9,500, or roughly $100 to $450 per linear foot depending on materials (estimates). Laminate is the budget end; solid wood doors are the top end.
Is refacing cheaper than replacing cabinets?
Usually 30 to 50 percent cheaper — if your boxes are sound. If boxes are damaged or the layout is changing, replacement is the better spend.
How long does cabinet refacing take?
Typically 3 to 5 working days for an average kitchen, versus one to several weeks for full replacement — and your kitchen stays usable through most of a refacing job.
Is cabinet refacing worth it?
When the boxes are solid plywood and the layout works, yes — it delivers most of the visual impact of new cabinets at a fraction of the cost. On failing particleboard boxes, no — it’s new doors on a bad foundation.
Should I reface or replace if I’m remodeling anyway?
Replace. If walls, plumbing, or layout are changing, the cabinets come out regardless — refacing first would waste the money.
Get a Straight Answer on Your Cabinets
Not sure which side of the reface-or-replace line your kitchen is on? Send us a few photos — including one under the sink — and we’ll give you an honest read before you spend anything. Call 206-851-4233 or reach out here. Licensed and insured, serving Seattle, King County, and Snohomish County.
