Cabinet Refacing Cost Calculator
How much does it cost to reface kitchen cabinets? This calculator prices your job the way refacing contractors quote it: per door and drawer front, multiplied by your material tier (laminate, thermofoil, or real wood veneer), plus end panels, crown molding, hardware upgrades, and regional labor. Four tabs below — the estimator, a material-tier shootout, a reface-vs-replace breakeven check, and a resale-ROI estimate.
Per-door bands: laminate $45–$80 (rep $62), thermofoil $55–$95 (rep $75), wood veneer $90–$145 (rep $118). Drawer fronts price at 60% of a door, end panels at 75%. Labor covers removal, surface prep, veneer/door installation, and finishing.
Your inputs from the Estimate tab are priced in all three materials:
Contractor rule of thumb: refacing is worth it while it costs roughly 30–50% of new cabinets. Past about 65%, you are paying replacement money without getting new boxes.
Based on a 70–85% cost-recoup band (representative 78%) for cabinet refacing at resale.
What cabinet refacing actually is
Refacing keeps your existing cabinet boxes and replaces everything you see: doors, drawer fronts, exposed end panels, and usually the hardware. The installer skins the face frames and sides of the old boxes with matching veneer or laminate, then hangs new doors. It is a cosmetic transformation — the layout, the box structure, and the storage volume stay exactly the same. A typical professional job takes 3–5 days; there is no demolition, no plumbing, and no permit in most jurisdictions.
Refacing only makes sense when the boxes are sound: square, solid, and with a layout you are happy with. If the boxes are water-damaged, the layout needs to change, or you want deeper drawers and full-extension slides, price replacement instead.
Refacing materials: laminate vs thermofoil vs wood veneer
| Material | Cost per door (this tool) | Look & feel | Lifespan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate | $45–$80 (rep $62) | Printed/plastic layer; huge color range, flat modern look | ~15 years | Budget refreshes, rentals |
| Thermofoil (RTF) | $55–$95 (rep $75) | Vinyl heat-molded over MDF; smooth, seamless, no grain | ~20 years | Midrange kitchens, clean slab styles |
| Real wood veneer | $90–$145 (rep $118) | Real wood face; can be stained and refinished later | 25+ years | High-end look without custom-cabinet prices |
Drawer fronts are priced at 60% of a door and exposed end panels at 75% of a door — standard trade practice, since fronts are smaller and panels are flat skins with no joinery.
What drives the price
| Factor | Effect on cost |
|---|---|
| Number of doors & drawers | The dominant driver — every opening is priced individually |
| Material tier | Veneer runs ~90% more than laminate for the same kitchen (compare tabs) |
| Hardware upgrade | Knobs ~$8/pc, pulls ~$15/pc, soft-close hinges ~$18/door |
| Crown molding & trim | ~$4.50 per linear foot installed |
| Region | Northeast ~18% above Midwest baseline; South ~8% below |
| Box condition | Repairs to damaged boxes are extra — get them quoted separately |
Worked examples (from this calculator)
Example 1 — small kitchen, laminate. 12 doors, 2 drawer fronts, 2 end panels, laminate, keep the existing hardware: $4,967.40 representative, planning range $3,906.30–$6,246 (Midwest baseline).
Example 2 — veneer plus hardware. The same 12-door kitchen in real wood veneer with new pulls and soft-close hinges: $6,216.60 (range $4,851.80–$7,781.50). The hardware alone adds $426 for 14 fronts and 12 hinge sets.
Example 3 — reface or replace? A $5,000 refacing quote against a $14,000 replacement quote is 35.71% — comfortably inside the 30–50% rule, so reface and pocket the $9,000 difference. Enter your own two quotes in the Reface vs replace tab.
Example 4 — resale value. Spending $4,967.40 on refacing for a $400,000 home adds roughly $3,874.57 in resale value (range $3,477.18–$4,222.29 at 70–85% recoup) — about 0.97% of the home's value.
Example 5 — material shootout. A typical 20-door / 6-drawer kitchen with 4 end panels and 20 ft of crown molding: laminate $7,007.20, thermofoil $7,353, wood veneer $8,496.80.
Refacing vs replacing vs painting
Refacing ($4,200–$9,500 nationally) keeps the boxes and replaces the visible surfaces — the sweet spot when the layout works and the boxes are solid. Replacement ($8,000–$25,000+) gives you new boxes, new layout options, and a full warranty, but costs two to three times more and takes weeks. Painting ($3,000–$7,500 pro; a few hundred DIY) is cheapest but keeps the old door style and wears fastest.
The breakeven rule contractors quote: refacing is worth it at 30–50% of the cost of new cabinets. Cross 65% and you are paying replacement money for old boxes — replace instead. Use the Reface vs replace tab with your actual quotes.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to reface kitchen cabinets?
Nationally, cabinet refacing runs about $4,200–$9,500 for a full kitchen, averaging near $7,157. This calculator prices a typical 20-door kitchen at $7,007.20 in laminate, $7,353 in thermofoil, and $8,496.80 in real wood veneer (Midwest baseline, installation included).
What is the per-door cost to reface cabinets?
Laminate runs $45–$80 per door (representative $62), thermofoil $55–$95 (rep $75), and real wood veneer $90–$145 (rep $118). Drawer fronts price at 60% of a door and exposed end panels at 75% — the trade-standard fractions this calculator uses.
How much does it cost to reface 12 doors and 2 drawers?
In laminate with no hardware change: $4,967.40 representative, planning range $3,906.30–$6,246 (2 end panels included, Midwest baseline; installation labor is $4,056 of the representative total).
Is it cheaper to reface or replace kitchen cabinets?
Almost always refacing: contractors use the 30–50% rule — refacing is worth it while it costs roughly a third to a half of new cabinets. Example: a $5,000 refacing quote against a $14,000 replacement quote is 35.71%, so reface and save $9,000. Past about 65%, replace instead.
How much does upgrading to wood veneer plus new hardware add?
On the 12-door kitchen above: veneer with new pulls and soft-close hinges comes to $6,216.60 versus $4,967.40 in laminate. The hardware alone adds $426 (14 pulls at $15 each plus 12 soft-close hinge sets at $18).
What is the difference between laminate, thermofoil, and wood veneer refacing?
Laminate is a printed layer — cheapest ($7,007.20 for the typical kitchen) with the most color options. Thermofoil is vinyl molded over MDF — seamless and midrange ($7,353). Wood veneer is real wood — stainable and refinishable, premium ($8,496.80). Compare them for your own kitchen in the Material tiers tab.
Does cabinet refacing increase home value?
Partially — expect 70–85% of the cost back at resale (78% representative). A $4,967.40 refacing job on a $400,000 home adds about $3,874.57 in resale value (range $3,477.18–$4,222.29), roughly 0.97% of the home's value.
How long does cabinet refacing last?
Roughly 15 years for laminate, 20 for thermofoil, and 25+ for real wood veneer with normal care — veneer can be refinished, which extends its life further.
Can I reface my kitchen cabinets myself?
DIY refacing kits exist, and doing it yourself drops the installation-labor line — on the 12-door example that is $4,056 of the $4,967.40 total, leaving about $911.40 in materials. The catch is skill: veneer work shows every bubble and seam, so most homeowners hire a pro.
How long does it take to reface kitchen cabinets?
A professional crew typically finishes in 3–5 days. DIY usually stretches to 2–3 weekends because surface prep and veneer application are slow, fussy work.
When should I replace cabinets instead of refacing them?
Replace when the refacing quote passes about 65% of a replacement quote, when the boxes are water-damaged or out of square, or when you want to change the layout — refacing cannot move a single box. Use the Reface vs replace tab with your actual quotes.
What is NOT included in this estimate?
Countertops, appliances, plumbing and electrical work, permits, and repairs to damaged cabinet boxes — all quoted separately. This tool prices the refacing scope only: doors, drawer fronts, end panels, molding, hardware, and installation.
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