What is the difference between cabinet refacing, refinishing, and buying new cabinets?

Cabinet refacing replaces your doors, drawer fronts, hinges, and handles while keeping your existing cabinet boxes, plus veneers the visible box surfaces. Refinishing strips and re-coats existing surfaces. New cabinets tear everything out. Each option sits at a different price point, timeline, and level of transformation, so choosing the right one depends on what your kitchen actually needs.

Cabinet Refacing

Refacing is a mid-range renovation that gives your kitchen an entirely new look without demolition. Your existing cabinet boxes stay in place. We remove every door and drawer front, then install brand-new replacements in your chosen style (shaker, flat panel, raised panel, or modern slab). The visible face frames and side panels get covered with matching veneer. New hinges, handles, and soft-close hardware complete the update.

In Edmonton, a full kitchen refacing typically costs $6,000 to $15,000 and takes 3 to 5 days. Because your boxes, countertops, plumbing, and electrical remain untouched, there is far less disruption than a full replacement. You keep using your kitchen throughout most of the project.

Cabinet Refinishing

Refinishing (which includes painting and staining) works with what you already have. Every door, drawer front, and visible surface gets thoroughly cleaned, degreased, sanded, primed, and coated with premium cabinet-grade paint or stain. At iPaint, we use products from Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, and Cloverdale, applied with HVLP spray equipment for a factory-smooth finish.

Refinishing is the most affordable option, typically $3,000 to $8,000 for a standard Edmonton kitchen, and it works beautifully when your cabinet construction is solid but the colour or finish is dated. Think honey oak that needs to become modern white, or cherry stain that you want updated to a clean grey.

New Cabinets

Full cabinet replacement means tearing out every box, shelf, and mounting bracket, then installing completely new cabinetry from scratch. This is the most expensive and disruptive option, typically $15,000 to $40,000+ in Edmonton depending on material and customization. The project usually takes 2 to 4 weeks, and your kitchen will be out of commission for most of that time. Countertops often need replacing too, since new cabinet dimensions rarely match the old ones exactly.

Replacement makes sense when your cabinet boxes are structurally compromised, when you need a completely different layout, or when you want features that only new construction can provide (like pull-out pantry towers or custom corner solutions).

Which Option Is Right for Your Kitchen?

The honest answer depends on the condition of your existing cabinets and what you want to achieve. If the boxes are solid and you love the layout, refinishing or refacing will save you thousands while delivering a dramatic transformation. If the structure is failing or the layout needs to change, replacement is the way to go. During your free in-home consultation, Mourad will inspect your cabinets and walk you through the best option for your situation and budget.