Quick answer: cabinet refacing cost in Ontario depends mainly on the number and style of doors and drawer fronts, exposed cabinet surfaces, panels and trim, hardware, and how much onsite finishing is required. Refacing is most useful when the cabinet boxes and kitchen layout are still worth keeping.
What is cabinet refacing?
Refacing keeps the existing cabinet boxes while changing the visible exterior. Depending on the project, that can include new doors and drawer fronts, finished end panels, fillers, toe kicks, mouldings, handles and refinishing or wrapping exposed cabinet surfaces.
What changes cabinet refacing cost in Ontario?
For Ontario homeowners comparing refacing quotes in 2026, the final price is driven more by the number and specification of visible components than by kitchen floor area alone. Door and drawer-front count, door material and profile, tall pantry fronts, finished ends, islands, crown moulding, valances, hardware and the condition of the retained boxes can all change the scope. A small kitchen with many individual fronts can therefore require more refacing work than a physically larger kitchen with fewer fronts.
Why two similar-size kitchens can have different refacing quotes
Refacing is not simply a price per kitchen or per linear foot. One layout may need only new doors and drawer fronts, while another also requires matching gables, exposed island backs, fillers, toe kicks, crown, new hinges and onsite finishing of retained cabinet surfaces. For a useful comparison, ask each contractor to identify which visible surfaces are being replaced, refinished or left unchanged.
Painting vs refacing vs replacing
Painting generally keeps the existing doors and changes the finish. Refacing changes the visible door style while retaining usable boxes. Full cabinet replacement becomes more appropriate when the layout needs to change, boxes are damaged, storage needs major improvement or new appliance locations require different cabinet sizes. See our painting vs refacing vs replacement guide for a side-by-side comparison.
What should a refacing quote include?
- Door and drawer-front style, profile and material
- Exact number of replacement doors and drawer fronts
- How exposed cabinet sides, gables and face surfaces will be finished
- Finished end panels, toe kicks, fillers, crown moulding and valances where required
- Handles, hinges and other hardware included or allowed for
- Removal of existing fronts and installation of the new components
- Any onsite painting, wrapping or finishing required to make retained boxes coordinate with the new fronts
- What is excluded, such as countertop, plumbing, electrical or interior cabinet modifications
Compare quotes by scope rather than by the final number alone. Two refacing quotes can look similar while including very different amounts of panel work, trim, hardware and onsite finishing.
Before choosing refacing: inspect the cabinet boxes
New doors cannot correct every problem in the existing cabinetry. Before ordering fronts, check that the boxes are reasonably square, securely installed and suitable for continued use. Pay particular attention to the sink base and other areas that may have been exposed to moisture. Also check drawer operation, shelving, hinges and whether the existing layout still works for the appliances and storage you want.
If damaged boxes, major layout changes or several new cabinet sizes are needed, compare the complete refacing scope with replacement cabinetry before committing.
A practical refacing decision checklist
- Confirm that the existing cabinet boxes are worth retaining.
- Decide whether the current kitchen layout and appliance locations will remain.
- Count every door and drawer front and identify tall or unusual sizes.
- Choose the new door material, profile and finish.
- Identify all exposed ends, fillers, toe kicks and mouldings that need to match.
- Confirm hardware, removal, installation and onsite finishing in writing.
- Coordinate any countertop, sink or backsplash changes before final measurements.
Can quartz stay in place during cabinet refacing?
Often, yes—but only when the existing base cabinets remain structurally sound and the refacing scope does not require changes that disturb the countertop support or cabinet footprint. Keeping quartz can make refacing less disruptive, but the decision should be made before new doors, panels or cabinet modifications are ordered.
When existing quartz is more likely to stay
- The base cabinet layout and cabinet widths are staying the same.
- The sink base and surrounding boxes are sound and securely installed.
- No new dishwasher, range, sink or appliance opening requires cabinet resizing.
- The island footprint and countertop support remain unchanged.
- New end panels, fillers or finished surfaces can be installed without forcing the stone upward or changing its support.
When the countertop needs closer review
Changes to cabinet height, a sink base, an island, appliance openings or supporting panels can affect an existing stone top. Quartz is rigid and heavy, so refacing should not assume that a countertop can simply be lifted, modified and reinstalled without risk. Where cabinet changes are required, coordinate the cabinet and countertop scope before fabrication or demolition.
If the countertop is changing too, review our quartz countertop service and our guide to replacing quartz without replacing cabinets.
Is refacing worth it?
It can be when the boxes are solid and the existing layout works. If the kitchen needs substantially better storage, relocated appliances or a new island, comparing refacing with new kitchen cabinets is more useful than choosing on price alone.
Getting an accurate quote
Photos, approximate measurements and a door count can help establish an initial scope, but final measurements should be confirmed before production. Kitchen4Less provides cabinet painting, refacing, cabinetry and renovation services across Southern Ontario. Burlington homeowners can also review our local cabinet refacing guide.
Request a Kitchen4Less estimate for a project-specific comparison of refinishing, refacing and replacement.