Cost, Durability, and Timeline Compared
Cabinet Refinishing vs Refacing
Cabinet refinishing runs $3,500–$9,000 for a typical San Diego kitchen. Cabinet refacing costs $8,000–$20,000 for the same kitchen. Full replacement is $15,000–$40,000+. All three deliver a new-looking kitchen — the right choice depends on your cabinet box condition, the door style you want, and your budget.
Refinishing keeps your existing boxes AND doors, sands and sprays them with a new finish. Refacing keeps your existing boxes but replaces the doors, drawer fronts, and applies a matching veneer to the box faces. Replacement tears everything out and installs new cabinets from scratch.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Refinishing
$3,500 – $9,000
Same doors, new sprayed finish
- 5–10 business days
- 10–15 year lifespan
- Kitchen stays usable
- Lowest cost
Refacing
$8,000 – $20,000
New doors + veneer on boxes
- 5–8 weeks total
- 15–20 year lifespan
- New door style possible
- Keep existing layout
Replacement
$15,000 – $40,000+
Full demo and new install
- 6–10 weeks
- 20–30+ year lifespan
- Change layout entirely
- Highest cost
When to Choose Each Option
Choose Refinishing If…
Your cabinet boxes are solid, you like your current door style, and you want the biggest impact for the lowest cost. This is the right answer for most San Diego kitchens built in the last 20 years. A properly refinished kitchen — adhesion primer, shop-sprayed doors, two-part conversion varnish or urethane topcoat — lasts 10–15 years before showing wear on high-use doors near the sink and stove.
Choose Refacing If…
Your boxes are solid but you want a completely different door style — raised panel to shaker, oak to painted white, slab to inset — and you're willing to pay 2–3x refinishing for that flexibility. Solid wood doors outlast MDF; laminate veneers can lift at edges after a decade in humid coastal homes.
Choose Replacement If…
Your layout is wrong, your boxes are water-damaged particle board, or you're doing a full kitchen remodel with new counters, appliances, and flooring anyway. Full replacement lasts 20–30+ years if you buy quality plywood-box cabinets.
Getting a Real Estimate in San Diego
Any honest cabinet contractor will do an on-site walkthrough before quoting. We count doors and drawers, inspect box condition, photograph the layout, and write a firm line-item estimate. Every Franklin Custom Finish cabinet estimate includes door and drawer count, box prep scope, primer and finish products, spray vs brush method, hardware plan, timeline, and total price with no change-order surprises.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cabinet refinishing cheaper than refacing?
Yes—refinishing typically costs 50–70% less than refacing for the same visual result. Refacing makes sense only when you want a different door style. For matching color changes with existing door styles, refinishing wins on price and timeline.
How long does refinishing vs refacing take?
Refinishing takes 5–10 business days, with the kitchen usable throughout. Refacing takes 3–5 days on-site but requires 3–6 weeks of material lead time, for 5–8 weeks total.
Will refinished cabinets last as long as refaced ones?
Refinished cabinets with adhesion primer and shop-sprayed conversion varnish last 10–15 years. Refaced cabinets typically last 15–20 years because the doors are new. Both are shorter than replacement (20–30+ years).
When should I replace rather than refinish or reface?
Replace when your layout is fundamentally wrong, your boxes are water-damaged particle board, or you're doing a full remodel with new counters and appliances anyway.
Get Your Free Cabinet Estimate
Not sure whether to refinish, reface, or replace? We'll walk your kitchen and give you a firm number.