The short answer: refacing keeps your existing cabinet boxes and swaps the doors, drawer fronts and hardware — faster and less expensive, but the layout stays the same. Replacement removes the boxes entirely, which is the only way to change the layout or fix damaged cabinets, and costs more with a longer lead time. Which one fits depends on whether your current boxes are sound and whether the layout itself is the problem.
Most cabinet calls we get fall into one of two camps: homeowners who like their kitchen's layout but are tired of how it looks, and homeowners whose layout has never worked and never will no matter what finish goes on the doors. Those are two different projects with two different price tags, and confusing them is the most common way a cabinet budget goes sideways. Here's how to tell which one you actually need.
What is the difference between cabinet refacing and replacement?
Refacing leaves your cabinet boxes exactly where they are and replaces everything you see and touch: new doors, new drawer fronts, new hardware, and often a matching veneer applied to any exposed box sides. The layout, the number of cabinets, and the interior storage stay the same. Replacement takes the boxes out entirely — old cabinets go, new ones go in, which is the only path if you want to change the footprint, add or remove cabinets, or fix boxes that are structurally compromised.
How much does cabinet refacing typically cost?
Refacing is consistently the lower-cost path because the most expensive part of a cabinet — the box — is reused rather than rebuilt. A laminate door-and-drawer-front package typically runs toward the lower end of a few thousand dollars for an average kitchen; a solid-wood package typically runs several thousand dollars more, since the materials and finishing labor cost more. Full replacement starts well above refacing pricing because every box, not just the doors, is new — semi-custom cabinets generally land in a mid-range per-linear-foot cost, and full custom cabinetry costs the most per linear foot of anything on the market. We give you an exact number for your kitchen during the estimate; these are typical starting ranges for budgeting, not a quote.
Is cabinet refacing worth it, or should you replace?
Ask two questions before deciding:
- Are the boxes sound? Open a door and check the box sides and the cabinet floor. Plywood boxes that are square, dry, and free of water damage are good candidates for refacing. Particleboard boxes that have swelled from a past leak, or boxes that are visibly out of square, are not — refacing a bad box just puts a new face on the same problem.
- Do you actually like the layout? If the cabinets are in the right places and you just want a different look, refacing gets you there for less money and less disruption. If you've always wanted an island, more corner storage, or a completely different flow, no amount of refacing solves that — only replacement does.
A kitchen that's five to ten years old with solid boxes and a layout you're happy with is usually the best refacing candidate we see. A kitchen with an awkward galley layout, or original builder-grade boxes from a much older home, is usually better served by full replacement.
Custom or semi-custom cabinets — which is right for your kitchen?
When replacement is the right call, this is the next decision:
| Semi-custom | Custom | |
|---|---|---|
| Sizing | Standard box sizes with fill panels | Built to your exact dimensions |
| Best for | Standard or near-standard layouts | Awkward spaces, corners, tight or unusual footprints |
| Lead time | Shorter | Longer — often the schedule's long pole |
| Cost | Lower per linear foot | Higher per linear foot |
Most Vero Beach kitchens we build land on semi-custom — it covers the vast majority of standard and near-standard layouts at a lower cost with a shorter wait. Custom earns its price when a kitchen has an odd angle, a tight footprint, or storage needs a standard box size genuinely can't solve. See what our kitchen remodeling service includes →
What's trending in cabinets for 2026
If you're choosing a new door style regardless of which path you take, wood-tone finishes are overtaking all-white as the most requested look this year, with slim Shaker and flat-slab doors replacing wider traditional rail styles. Aged brass and brushed hardware are the common pairing. None of that should override what actually fits your kitchen and your budget, but it's worth seeing samples in both a painted and a wood-grain finish before you commit.
What we recommend
Start by opening a few cabinet doors and looking honestly at the boxes before falling in love with a new door style. If the boxes are sound and the layout works, refacing gets you nearly all of the visual change for a fraction of the cost and the disruption. If the layout is the actual complaint, don't spend refacing money on a problem it can't fix — go straight to semi-custom replacement, and reserve custom for the specific corners or dimensions that genuinely need it. We'll walk your kitchen with you and tell you honestly which camp yours falls into before you spend anything.
Cabinetry as part of a bigger project
Vanities are cabinetry too, and the same refacing-vs-replacement logic applies in a bathroom — sound boxes in the right footprint are good refacing candidates, a layout change means starting over. See what our bathroom remodeling service includes → And if you're touching flooring at the same time as cabinets, plywood boxes and moisture-stable flooring solve the same Florida-humidity problem from two different directions — see our flooring guide →.
Cabinetry across the Treasure Coast
Urban Remodeling builds and installs cabinetry — refacing, semi-custom and full custom — for homeowners in Vero Beach, Sebastian, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Stuart and Melbourne. The estimate is free, and you get an honest read on refacing versus replacement before you spend a dollar. See our full Kitchen Remodeling Cost Guide →
Thinking about this project?
We’ll open a few doors, look at your boxes, and tell you honestly whether refacing or replacement fits your kitchen. No cost, no pressure.
Call (772) 404-8397 Request a Free Estimate