What is the difference between cabinet refacing and replacement?

Refacing keeps your existing cabinet boxes and replaces the doors, drawer fronts and visible surfaces. Replacement removes the old cabinets and installs new ones, which also lets you change the layout.

Can damaged cabinets be refaced?

Not if the boxes themselves are damaged. Swollen sink bases, loose joints or water damage usually point to replacement.

Can I keep my countertops if I reface?

Often, yes. Refacing usually leaves countertops in place. If you plan to replace them anyway, compare both options during your estimate.

How do I know which option is right for my kitchen?

Start with a free in-home estimate. We look at the condition of your cabinet boxes and your layout goals, then walk you through both paths.

November 3, 2026

Cabinet Refacing vs. Replacement: Which Fits Your Kitchen?

Kitchen with wood cabinetry and stone countertops

If your kitchen cabinets look dated but the kitchen otherwise works, you have two main paths: refacing the cabinets you have or replacing them. Refacing updates the visible parts and keeps the existing cabinet boxes. Replacement removes the old cabinets and installs new ones. Here's how to tell which one fits your kitchen.

What changes with each option

Refacing: new doors and drawer fronts, new veneer on the exposed cabinet frames, and usually new hardware. The cabinet boxes and layout stay in place.
Replacement: the old cabinets come out and new cabinets go in. The layout, storage and cabinet sizes can all change.

Start with the condition of the cabinet boxes

Refacing only makes sense if the boxes underneath are worth keeping. Look for:

Swelling, soft spots or water stains, especially under the sink.
Loose or separating joints in the face frames.
Sagging shelves or cabinet bottoms.
Boxes that are out of square, which makes doors hard to align.

If the boxes are solid and dry, refacing is a reasonable option. If they're damaged, new doors won't fix the problem underneath. Some issues only show up once the old doors come off, which is one reason an in-person look matters before you decide.

Do you need a new layout?

Refacing keeps every cabinet where it is. If you want to move the sink, add an island, change the cabinet configuration or add a pantry, replacement is the path that allows it. If the layout already works and you mostly dislike the look, refacing can give you a fresh finish without changing the footprint.

How much disruption works for your household?

Refacing generally involves less demolition, because the cabinet boxes, countertops and plumbing connections usually stay in place. Replacement means removing cabinets, and often the countertops with them, so the kitchen is out of service longer and more trades may be involved. If keeping the kitchen usable matters to you, weigh that alongside the look you want.

Think about countertops and flooring too

Refacing usually leaves the countertops in place. If you plan to replace them anyway, that can tip the decision toward replacement.
With replacement, new countertops are templated after the new cabinets are installed.
Decide early whether new flooring will run under the cabinets or stop at them, since that affects the order of work.

What affects cost

Refacing versus replacing, and how many cabinets are involved.
Door style, material and finish.
Hardware and added features such as pull-outs or soft-close hinges.
Whether the layout changes, which can involve plumbing and electrical work.
Whether countertops, backsplash and flooring are part of the project.

A quick way to decide

Refacing tends to fit when the boxes are solid, the layout works and you want a new look with less disruption.
Replacement tends to fit when the boxes are damaged, the layout needs to change, or you're replacing countertops and want everything new together.

See cabinet options in person

Door styles and finishes look different in person than they do online. Visit Henley's Floor & Home Pros at 15226 W Bell Rd #104 in Surprise to see cabinet options next to countertop and flooring samples, or request a free in-home estimate. We'll look at your existing cabinets and help you decide whether refacing or replacement makes more sense for your kitchen.