Last updated: 2026-07-04
Quick Answer
Enter the linear feet of cabinets and pick a refacing material to get a cost range. Laminate/RTF runs $75-$150/lf installed, wood veneer $150-$275/lf, and solid wood $250-$450/lf. A typical 25-foot wood veneer reface lands around $3,750-$6,875 - about half the price of new cabinets. The material drives the price far more than the size of the room.
Inputs you'll need
- Linear feet of cabinets (add up base and wall runs - most kitchens are 25-30 lf)
- Refacing material: laminate/RTF, wood veneer, or solid wood
- Whether new hardware - knobs and pulls - is included ($8-$20/lf)
- Whether crown molding and trim are added ($12-$25/lf)
- Whether soft-close hinges and slides are an upgrade ($10-$22/lf)
- Your location, to adjust pricing for your regional labor market
Related tools: Kitchen Cabinet Cost Calculator to compare against new cabinets, Kitchen Remodel Cost Calculator for the whole project.
Measure base + wall cabinet runs. A typical kitchen is 25-30 linear feet.
Real wood veneer over the boxes with new solid or veneered doors - the most common reface
Enter the linear feet of cabinets to see a detailed refacing cost estimate.
Cabinet Refacing Cost Guide
Per-linear-foot costs by material, how refacing compares to replacement, and what reface quotes leave out.
How Much Does Cabinet Refacing Cost in 2026?
Cabinet refacing costs $4,000 to $10,000 for an average kitchen in 2026, or roughly $75 to $450 per linear foot installed. Refacing keeps your existing cabinet boxes and swaps the doors, drawer fronts, and outside veneer - so it runs about half the price of new cabinets.
- Laminate / RTF reface: $75–$150/linear foot installed
- Wood veneer reface: $150–$275/linear foot installed
- Solid wood reface: $250–$450/linear foot installed
- Typical 25-foot kitchen, wood veneer: $3,750–$6,875
- New cabinets, same kitchen: $8,000–$20,000+
Most kitchens have 25 to 30 linear feet of cabinet frontage when you add up the base and wall runs. Measure the actual cabinet runs, not the room - and remember refacing only works if the boxes underneath are sound.
Key Takeaways
- Refacing costs $75–$450 per linear foot installed
- Average kitchen runs $4,000–$10,000
- Refacing is about half the cost of new cabinets
Laminate vs. Wood Veneer vs. Solid Wood Refacing
The refacing material drives most of the cost. All three methods reuse the existing boxes - the difference is what goes on the front and how it holds up.
- Laminate / RTF ($75–$150/lf): Rigid thermofoil or plastic laminate doors with matching veneer. Cheapest, wipes clean, and holds up in rentals and flips. It can peel near heat over time.
- Wood veneer ($150–$275/lf): Real wood veneer over the boxes with new solid or veneered doors. The most common reface - it looks like new wood cabinets for far less.
- Solid wood ($250–$450/lf): Solid hardwood doors and drawer fronts with matching wood veneer. The premium look, closest to a full cabinet replacement.
Refacing is sold installed, so labor is already baked into these per-foot rates. New hardware, crown molding, and soft-close upgrades are add-ons on top.
Key Takeaways
- Refacing material is the biggest cost driver
- Wood veneer is the most popular reface method
- Rates are installed - labor is already included
Refacing vs. Replacing: Which Makes Sense?
Reface when the boxes are solid and the layout works. Replace when they are not. This is the honest call, not the cheap one - and it protects the homeowner from paying twice.
- Reface if: the cabinet boxes are structurally sound, the layout works for the kitchen, and the homeowner mainly wants a new look.
- Replace if: the boxes are water-damaged or particleboard swollen, the layout is wrong, or the homeowner wants to move the sink, add an island, or change cabinet sizes.
- Cost gap: refacing runs $4,000–$10,000; new cabinets run $8,000–$20,000+ for the same kitchen.
- Timeline: refacing takes 3–5 days; new semi-custom or custom cabinets take 6–12 weeks of lead time.
Prices vary by region. Get multiple bids from local shops and confirm each one covers the same scope - doors, drawer fronts, veneer, hardware, and trim - before you compare them.
Key Takeaways
- Reface when boxes are sound and layout works
- Replace for water damage or a layout change
- Refacing takes days; new cabinets take weeks
Cabinet refacing cost by material and size (2026)
Installed refacing cost ranges including doors, drawer fronts, and veneer. Excludes new hardware, crown molding, countertops, and any layout changes. Linear feet are total base plus wall cabinet runs.
| Refacing Material | 20 lf (small) | 25 lf (typical) | 35 lf (large) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate / RTF | $1.5K - $3K | $1.9K - $3.8K | $2.6K - $5.3K |
| Wood Veneer | $3K - $5.5K | $3.8K - $6.9K | $5.3K - $9.6K |
| Solid Wood | $5K - $9K | $6.3K - $11.3K | $8.8K - $15.8K |
Prices vary by region - get multiple bids from local refacing shops before you commit.
What gets left out of refacing quotes
- Countertops. A separate trade and a separate price - $40-$200/sq ft installed. Refacing does not touch the counter, so if it is dated, that is its own line item.
- Damaged or out-of-square boxes. Veneer covers a face, not a problem. If the boxes are water-damaged near the sink or racked out of square, that has to be fixed or replaced first. I have seen homeowners pay to reface cabinets that should have come out.
- New drawer boxes and organizers. Refacing swaps the fronts, not the boxes behind them. If the drawer boxes are shot, or they want pull-outs and dividers, budget those separately.
- Layout changes. Moving the sink, adding an island, or changing cabinet sizes is a replacement job, not a reface. Once you change the footprint, refacing is off the table.
- Interior finishing. Most refaces leave cabinet interiors as-is. If the homeowner wants the insides refinished or relined, that is extra labor a per-foot price ignores.
Related tools
- Kitchen Cabinet Cost Calculator - Compare refacing against the cost of all-new cabinets
- Kitchen Remodel Cost Calculator - Price the whole kitchen project, not just the cabinets
- Countertop Cost Calculator - Price the next big line item after cabinets
- Cabinet Install Labor Hours Calculator - Estimate crew hours on a cabinet job
- Contractor Estimate Template - Turn these numbers into a line-item bid for the client
Once your refacing numbers are dialed in, EstimationPro turns the estimate into a proposal, sends it automatically, follows up with the homeowner, and handles invoicing and deposit collection - so you win more of the bids you already send and spend less time chasing paperwork.
How to Use This Calculator
Measure Your Cabinet Runs
Add up the linear feet of base and wall cabinets. Most kitchens run 25 to 30 linear feet. Measure the actual cabinet runs, not the room size.
Select Refacing Material
Choose laminate/RTF, wood veneer, or solid wood. The material is the biggest cost driver - solid wood can cost three times a laminate reface for the same run.
Add Hardware and Upgrades
Toggle new knobs and pulls ($8-$20/lf), crown molding and trim ($12-$25/lf), and soft-close hinges and slides ($10-$22/lf) on or off depending on the scope.
Review Cost Breakdown
See refacing, hardware, trim, and cost per linear foot as separate line items with low-to-high ranges so you can build a clean bid.
Cabinet Refacing Cost Formula
Total = Linear Feet x (Reface Cost/LF + Hardware/LF + Crown/LF + Soft-Close/LF)Where:
- Laminate / RTF
- = $75-$150/lf installed
- Wood Veneer
- = $150-$275/lf installed
- Solid Wood
- = $250-$450/lf installed
- New hardware
- = $8-$20/lf (optional)
- Crown molding & trim
- = $12-$25/lf (optional)
- Soft-close hinges & slides
- = $10-$22/lf (optional)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does cabinet refacing cost per linear foot?
Cabinet refacing costs $75 to $450 per linear foot installed in 2026. Laminate/RTF runs $75-$150/lf, wood veneer $150-$275/lf, and solid wood $250-$450/lf. The material you pick drives the price far more than the size of the kitchen.
How much does it cost to reface cabinets in an average kitchen?
An average kitchen has about 25 to 30 linear feet of cabinets and refaces for $4,000-$10,000 installed. A 25-foot wood veneer reface runs $3,750-$6,875, while solid wood on the same kitchen runs $6,250-$11,250. Hardware, crown molding, and soft-close upgrades add to that.
Is it cheaper to reface or replace cabinets?
Refacing costs $4,000-$10,000 for an average kitchen versus $8,000-$20,000+ to replace with new boxes. Refacing keeps the existing cabinet boxes and swaps doors, drawer fronts, and veneer. It only makes sense when the boxes are structurally sound and the layout works. If the layout is wrong or the boxes are water-damaged, replacement is the honest call.
How do contractors price a cabinet refacing job for a client?
I price refacing by the linear foot of cabinet frontage, then add hardware, crown, and soft-close as separate line items. For a wood veneer reface I start at $150-$275/lf, add $8-$20/lf for new knobs and pulls, and $12-$25/lf if they want crown molding. Then I layer in my overhead and profit. Use our Contractor Estimate Template to turn those line items into a bid the homeowner can actually read.
How long does a cabinet refacing job take?
A typical kitchen reface takes 3 to 5 days on site once the doors and veneer are ordered. New semi-custom or custom cabinets take 6 to 12 weeks of lead time before install even starts. That speed is a big part of why homeowners reface - the kitchen is only torn up for a few days. Estimating the job takes me 20 to 30 minutes by hand, or a few minutes in EstimationPro from photos and a walkthrough.
What is not included in a cabinet refacing price?
A reface price covers the doors, drawer fronts, and veneer - not the rest of the kitchen. Countertops ($40-$200/sq ft), new drawer boxes, interior organizers, and any layout changes are all separate. So is fixing water-damaged or out-of-square boxes. Always confirm a quote covers the same scope before comparing it - use our Countertop Cost Calculator to price the next line item.
Does refacing work on particleboard or laminate cabinets?
Yes, as long as the boxes are structurally solid and not swollen from water. Refacers apply veneer or laminate right over existing particleboard or old laminate faces. If the boxes are sagging, delaminating, or water-damaged near the sink or dishwasher, veneer will not fix that - those cabinets should be replaced, not refaced.
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