Kitchen comparisons
Cabinet refacing costs $4,000-$9,500 (about $100-$250 per linear foot) versus $4,000-$13,000 and up for full replacement, and can run as much as 78% less than replacing, per Modernize. Refacing only makes sense if the existing boxes are sound and the layout works. If either is false, refacing is money spent to keep a kitchen you already dislike.
Refacing vs. replacing. Refacing keeps your cabinet boxes and swaps doors, drawer fronts, and veneer. Modernize puts it at $4,000-$9,500, around $6,750 nationally, or $100-$250 per linear foot, versus $4,000-$13,000-plus for replacement, and reports homeowners typically recoup roughly 70-80% of a refacing investment at sale. The decision is simple: open a cabinet, pull a drawer, look at the bottom of the sink base. Solid boxes and a layout you like means reface. Water-swollen particleboard, sagging shelves, or a layout that annoys you daily means replace.
Stock vs. semi-custom vs. custom. Fixr's per-linear-foot ranges are $100-$300 stock, $150-$650 semi-custom, $500-$1,200 custom. Stock is fine in a standard rectangular kitchen. Semi-custom buys you sizes and finishes that fit awkward walls. Full custom is worth it when your kitchen has real geometry problems - odd angles, deep soffits, unusual ceiling height - and not much otherwise.
Quartz vs. granite. Similar money ($40-$150 granite, $50-$200 quartz per square foot, per Fixr), different maintenance. Quartz does not need sealing and shrugs off stains; granite tolerates heat better and no two slabs match. NAHB rates natural stone countertops as lasting a lifetime. Neither is a mistake.
Refinishing vs. refacing. Refinishing is paint or stain on your existing doors - the cheapest option of all and the right call on solid wood doors in good shape. It does nothing for damaged doors or a dated door profile, and painted cabinets in a heavy-use kitchen will need touch-ups.
Choosing kitchen remodeling between the options
The judgement calls that decide the bill, before anyone quotes you.
- Inspect the boxes before you choose refacing Pull out the drawers and look at the sink base floor. Swelling, delamination, or mold there means the boxes are done and refacing is throwing money at them.
- If the layout frustrates you, do not reface Refacing locks in your current layout for another decade. Only reface a kitchen that works.
- Compare per-linear-foot, not per-project Kitchens differ in size. Ask every cabinet bid for a per-linear-foot number so you are actually comparing prices.
- Get the same material quoted by two fabricators Stone and quartz pricing varies more between fabricators than between materials. The same slab can differ by thousands installed.
All kitchen remodeling comparisons
Quartz vs Granite
Marble vs Quartz
Cabinet Refacing vs Replacement
Stock vs Semi Custom vs Custom Cabinets
Butcher Block vs Stone Counters
Open Concept vs Closed Kitchen
DIY Kitchen Remodel vs Pro
Laminate vs Quartz Cost Value
Gas vs Induction Cooktop Kitchen
Painted vs Stained Cabinets
Where these figures come from
Sources last checked
- Modernize - Cabinet Refacing Cost · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Fixr - Kitchen Remodel Cost (cabinet and countertop pricing) · retrieved 2026-07-26
- NAHB - Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components · retrieved 2026-07-26
You know more than the last homeowner they quoted.
That is worth something only while you are still choosing. Tell us what is going on and we will match you with a few kitchen remodeling pros whose licence and insurance we have already checked - free, no obligation.
Free · No pressure · Only your matched pros get your details