# What Is Cabinet Refacing and How Does It Work? > Cabinet refacing replaces doors, drawer fronts, and veneers over your existing boxes for a new look at a fraction of the cost. URL: https://columbuskitchenpros.com/guide/what-is-cabinet-refacing/ Last-Modified: 2026-07-01 ![Cabinet being refaced with new door and veneer](/images/misc/close-up-of-cabinet-being-refaced-with-new-door-an.webp) Cabinet refacing is the fastest, most cost-effective way to give an outdated kitchen a brand-new look. If you’ve heard the term and want to know exactly what it involves — what stays, what changes, and whether it’s right for your kitchen — this guide walks through it. ## The plain-language definition Cabinet refacing keeps your existing cabinet boxes in place and replaces the surfaces you can see. That means: - **New cabinet doors** — in your choice of style, wood, and finish. - **New drawer fronts** — matching the doors. - **New veneer** applied to the exposed exterior faces of the cabinet boxes (sides, gable ends, toe kicks). - **New hardware** — pulls, knobs, and often upgraded soft-close hinges and glides. Your existing cabinet boxes — the actual structural cabinet frames attached to your walls — stay right where they are. Because 60-70% of the cost of new cabinets goes into the boxes and installation, refacing typically saves **30-50% versus a full replacement**. ## What stays vs what changes **Stays:** - Cabinet box frames - Cabinet position and layout - Cabinet dimensions - Wall attachments - The plumbing and electrical inside the walls **Changes:** - Doors (any style: shaker, slab, raised panel, glass-front) - Drawer fronts (matching the doors) - Exterior veneer (matches the new doors) - Hardware (pulls, knobs, hinges, glides) - Optional: soft-close hinges and glides - Optional: pull-out shelving retrofits, lazy susans, drawer organizers ## Who refacing suits Cabinet refacing works well when three things are true: 1. **Your cabinet boxes are structurally sound.** No water damage, no warping, no rot, no failing joints. Solid-wood or high-quality plywood boxes from the 1960s onward are usually candidates. MDF or particleboard boxes with water damage generally aren’t. 2. **You’re happy with the current layout.** Refacing doesn’t change where cabinets sit. If you want to move the sink, add a run of cabinetry, or change the footprint, replacement is the better call. 3. **You want a new look on a budget.** Refacing delivers the visual transformation at 30-50% less than replacement. It’s the smart choice when the boxes are working and the surfaces are what’s dated. If any of those don’t apply — boxes are shot, layout doesn’t work, or you’re planning major structural changes anyway — full cabinet replacement [/custom-cabinets/ →](/custom-cabinets/) is the better path. ![Before-and-after of same cabinets showing refacing transformation](/images/misc/before-and-after-of-same-cabinets-showing-refacing.webp) ## The refacing process, step by step 1. **Free in-home consultation.** We inspect your existing cabinet boxes, measure, and confirm refacing is a fit. We show you door style and finish options in real samples. 2. **Design and material selection.** You pick door style, wood or laminate, finish color, veneer to match, hardware, and any storage upgrades. 3. **Fabrication.** Doors, drawer fronts, and veneer material are fabricated to your exact dimensions. 4. **Installation.** Our in-house carpenters remove old doors and hardware, apply new veneer to the exterior box faces, install new doors and drawer fronts, and add new hardware. Typical install: 3-5 days. 5. **Walkthrough.** We do a punch-list walkthrough with you before we call it done. ## The 3-5 day timeline Because the boxes stay in place, refacing takes days, not weeks. Most projects wrap in 3-5 days. Your kitchen is fully usable during the process for most of that time — the only real disruption is during actual door and hardware install. ## What a refacing project looks like finished Between new doors, matching veneer, and updated hardware, a refaced kitchen is visually indistinguishable from a new install. Most homeowners’ friends and family don’t realize refacing was involved — they just see “you got a new kitchen.” Learn more about our cabinet refacing service [/cabinet-refacing/ →](/cabinet-refacing/) and the finishes we offer. For a deeper look at whether refacing or a full replacement is right for you, see our refacing vs full replacement guide [/guide/cabinet-refacing-vs-full-replacement/ →](/guide/cabinet-refacing-vs-full-replacement/) . Or book a free consultation [/contact/ →](/contact/) and we’ll assess your specific kitchen honestly. ## Frequently Asked Questions What exactly gets replaced in cabinet refacing? + Doors, drawer fronts, and the visible veneer surfaces on the cabinet exteriors. Your existing cabinet boxes stay in place. Hardware is also updated during refacing — soft-close hinges, glides, and new pulls. Does refacing look like new cabinets? + Yes. Between new doors, drawer fronts, matching exterior veneer, and updated hardware, refaced cabinets are visually indistinguishable from a new install. Most homeowners are surprised how dramatic the transformation is. Is my kitchen a good candidate for refacing? + If your cabinet boxes are structurally sound (no water damage, no warping, no failing structure) and you're happy with the current layout, refacing is usually a strong candidate. We confirm during the free in-home consultation.