If your kitchen feels dated, you have three main options: paint the cabinets, reface them, or tear them out and replace them. Here's how to decide, based on what we see in kitchens across Philadelphia.
Start with the cabinet boxes
The boxes are the structure behind the doors. Open a few cabinets and check them:
- Solid wood or plywood, square, and dry? You're a great candidate for painting or refacing.
- Swollen particleboard under the sink, or sagging shelves? One damaged sink base can be repaired or replaced. Widespread damage points toward replacement.
Many Philadelphia row homes and Main Line colonials have solid boxes from the 1980s–2000s that are built better than many new budget cabinets.
Option 1: Paint ($3,500–$8,500)
Best when you like your door style. Shaker, flat-panel, and simple raised-panel doors all look great painted. Professional cabinet painting means removing the doors, degreasing, sanding, priming, and spraying a hard enamel finish. It's done in about a week, with no demolition.
Option 2: Reface ($8,000–$18,000)
Best when the boxes are good but you dislike the doors. Arched "cathedral" doors, peeling thermofoil, or heavily detailed doors that look dated are good reasons to reface. You get new doors and drawer fronts, refinished boxes, and new hardware, and the countertops stay in place.
Option 3: Replace ($15,000–$40,000+)
Best when the layout is the problem. If you want to move the sink, add an island, or change the footprint, replacing is the right choice. Expect demolition, disposal fees, likely new countertops, possible plumbing and electrical work, and 4–10 weeks of disruption.
| Your situation | Our recommendation |
|---|---|
| Like the layout and the door style, just hate the color | Paint |
| Like the layout, dislike the door style | Reface |
| Peeling thermofoil doors | Reface |
| Selling within a year and need maximum impact for the money | Paint |
| Want to change the layout or boxes are failing | Replace |
What about DIY?
DIY cabinet painting can work, but it usually takes 2–3 weeks of evenings and weekends with the kitchen out of use. Brush marks and peeling from skipped degreasing are the most common results we're called in to fix. If you do it yourself, don't skip degreasing or the bonding primer.
Not sure which option fits? Text 3–4 photos to (551) 233-6165. We'll tell you honestly whether painting or refacing makes sense, and give you a price for both.
Related: Cabinet painting cost in Philadelphia · Cabinet refacing · Our process