Cabinet Refacing in Irvine, CA

Cabinet refacing replaces everything you see on the front of a cabinet and keeps everything you do not. The doors and drawer fronts come off and new ones go on. The face frames and exposed side panels get a new surface, either a wood veneer, a rigid thermofoil or a painted finish matched to the doors. Hinges, pulls and usually drawer slides are replaced at the same time. The boxes themselves, the countertops sitting on them and the plumbing running through them all stay put.

Done on the right kitchen, it looks like new cabinetry. Done on the wrong one, it is money spent covering a problem. Most of this page is about telling those apart.

When Refacing Is the Right Call

Refacing works when three things are true at once.

The boxes are sound. The sink base floor is dry and firm, not swollen or soft. The cabinet sides are not delaminating. The face frames are tight and the cabinets are fastened securely to the wall studs. A lot of the original oak kitchens in Woodbridge, Northwood and the older parts of University Park pass this test easily, because the boxes were built from plywood or dense particleboard with solid face frames.

The layout already works. Refacing does not move anything. If the sink, range and refrigerator form a reasonable work triangle, the aisles are somewhere in the 42 to 48 inch range and there is enough counter beside the cooktop to set down a hot pan, the layout is doing its job and does not need to change.

The counters are staying, or you are fine replacing them separately. Refacing pairs naturally with countertops that are in good shape. If you plan to replace the counters too, that is still possible, but the price gap between refacing and replacement narrows.

When It Is Not

We will steer you away from refacing if water has damaged the sink base, if the cabinets are frameless boxes built with staples and thin particleboard that is already sagging, or if you want an island, a wider aisle, a larger refrigerator opening or a moved sink. It is also a poor fit when the cabinets are so out of level that new doors will never line up, because the new doors show every uneven gap more than the old ones did.

What the Work Includes

A typical refacing job in Irvine covers:

• New doors and drawer fronts in the style you choose, from flat slab and shaker to raised panel
• Veneer or matching finish on face frames, end panels and any exposed backs of islands or peninsulas
• Concealed soft-close hinges adjusted after installation
• New pulls and knobs, with holes drilled from a template so they line up across the room
• Full-extension soft-close drawer slides where the existing drawer boxes are worth keeping
• Optional additions such as roll-out trays in base cabinets, a trash pullout, crown molding or a new toe kick

If a single box has failed, usually the sink base, we replace that one box with a new cabinet sized to match and reface it along with the rest, so the kitchen reads as one piece.

How Long It Takes

Doors and drawer fronts are made to measure, so there is a lead time after we measure, often several weeks depending on the style and finish. The installation itself is short. Most kitchens are done in three to five working days, and you can usually keep using the sink and the range through most of the job. There is no demolition dust from tearing out cabinets and no wait for counters to be templated and cut.

Permits, HOAs and Lighting

Refacing on its own generally does not need a City of Irvine permit, because it does not change plumbing, wiring or structure. If you add under-cabinet lighting that needs new wiring, or relocate an outlet, that portion of the work is handled by a licensed electrician and permitted when required. New kitchen lighting in California also has to meet Title 24 efficiency requirements. In attached homes and condos, check your HOA rules on work hours and contractor access before the install date.

What It Costs

For a medium Irvine kitchen of about 25 to 30 linear feet of cabinets, refacing typically falls between $11,000 and $24,000. The biggest drivers are the door style, whether the finish is veneer, thermofoil or paint, the number of drawers, and how many optional roll-outs and accessories you add. We give you a price that separates the refacing itself from any box replacement or extras, so you can see where the money is going.

Call (949) 487-0444 and we will come look inside your cabinets before quoting anything.