When to Repaint Your Cabinets vs Replace Them
A cabinet refinish costs a quarter of replacement and takes a week instead of a month. But it's not always the right call. Here's how to decide.
Cabinet replacement is one of the most common renovation conversations we have — and one of the most over-spent on. Most kitchens we visit don't need new boxes; they need a proper refinish, new hardware, and a colour change.
Repaint when the boxes are sound
If your cabinet boxes are structurally fine (no water damage, doors hang straight, drawers slide), refinishing is almost always the better call. You'll save 70–80% of the replacement cost and finish in days instead of weeks.
We strip the doors and drawer fronts, take them off-site for a dust-controlled spray finish, and brush the frames in place. The result reads as new in every photo.
Replace when the layout doesn't work
If you're tearing out cabinets because the kitchen layout is wrong — narrow aisles, awkward corners, missing storage — paint won't fix that. Replacement makes sense when you're rethinking the floor plan, not just the look.
Otherwise, refinish first. You can always replace later, and you'll have lived with the new colour long enough to know what actually bothers you about the kitchen.
