I get asked some version of this question almost every week: should I reface my cabinets or just replace them. Usually the person asking has already read three or four articles that all say some version of "refacing is cheaper," closed the tab, and called me to schedule replacement anyway, because none of those articles told them when refacing actually stops being the smart move.
I am Daniil Akulov, founder and master carpenter at ProBrothers. I started this company in 2009 and I have been doing hands-on carpentry for over 20 years, most of it here in Delaware County and the Main Line. My team and I have crafted and installed custom cabinets in kitchens ranging from small galley layouts to full custom builds, and we do both refacing and full replacement depending on what a homeowner's kitchen actually needs. That last part matters, because the honest answer to "which saves you money" is: it depends on the condition of the boxes you already have, not on which option sounds cheaper on paper.
Let's start with real numbers, not averages pulled from nowhere. In Media, PA and the surrounding Delaware County area, kitchen cabinet costs break down into three tiers.
| Cabinet Type | Typical Kitchen Cost | Per Linear Foot |
|---|---|---|
| Stock Cabinets | $3,000 to $8,000 | $60 to $200 |
| Semi-Custom Cabinets | $8,000 to $20,000 | $100 to $650 |
| Custom Cabinets | $20,000 to $50,000+ | $500 to $1,200+ |
Labor for installation runs $50 to $150 per hour on top of materials, and removing old cabinets before a replacement typically adds $300 to $700. Cabinet refacing, which replaces the door fronts, drawer fronts, and visible exterior panels while keeping your existing cabinet boxes in place, costs 40 to 60 percent less than full replacement and can usually be completed in 2 to 4 days with far less disruption to your kitchen.
That percentage is the number everyone quotes. It is also the number that gets people into trouble when their boxes were not good candidates for refacing to begin with.
Over the years I have settled into a simple way of walking a homeowner through this decision on-site, before we ever talk price. I call it the Three-Box Check, and it is the same three things I physically inspect on every kitchen where refacing comes up as an option.
Box Structure. I open every door, pull every drawer, and check the corners of the cabinet carcass for square. If the boxes are plywood or solid wood construction and they are still tight, level, and free of water damage or rot, refacing is structurally sound. If the boxes are particleboard that has swelled, sagged, or delaminated, no amount of new door fronts fixes what is underneath, and refacing becomes a cosmetic patch on a problem that will resurface.
Box Fit. Refacing keeps your existing layout exactly as it is. If your cabinet footprint already works for how you cook and move through the kitchen, that is a point in favor of refacing. If you have been fighting a bad layout for years, wishing for a different sink location, more corner storage, or a different configuration entirely, replacement is the only path that fixes that, because refacing cannot move a box.
Box Story. This is the one people skip. I ask what has happened to these cabinets over their life: any leaks under the sink, any dishwasher floods, any history of pests. Cabinets with a clean history behind stable box structure are strong refacing candidates. Cabinets with a rough history, even if they look fine from the front today, are a risk I do not like taking with someone else's kitchen.If a kitchen passes all three checks, I will tell a homeowner to reface, even when replacement would be the bigger job for us. If it fails even one, I explain why refacing would just be an expensive way to delay the real fix.
To be clear, this is a hypothetical example built from typical numbers, not a specific ProBrothers client story. Say a homeowner in Delaware County has a 200 square foot kitchen with roughly 25 linear feet of plywood-box cabinets installed about 15 years ago. The boxes are square, there has never been a leak, and the layout works fine, but the doors are dated and the finish has worn through in a few spots.
Full custom replacement at $500 to $1,200 per linear foot would land somewhere between $12,500 and $30,000 for cabinetry alone, before labor, removal, and any wall or electrical work behind the old boxes. Refacing that same run, at 40 to 60 percent less than a comparable replacement, would likely fall in the $5,000 to $12,000 range, completed in under a week with the kitchen usable most of that time.In this scenario, the kitchen passes all three parts of the Box Check, so refacing is very likely the better financial move. Change one variable, say the layout is genuinely broken or a slow leak under the sink went unnoticed for two years, and the math flips entirely, because you would be paying to make swollen or rotted boxes look new for a year or two before they fail anyway.
Myth 1: Refacing always saves money. It saves money on the door and drawer front replacement itself. It does not save money if your boxes need to be replaced regardless, because then you are paying for cosmetic work on top of the structural fix you will still need.
Myth 2: Refaced cabinets look cheaper than new ones. Refacing uses the same range of materials as new doors, whether that is solid wood, plywood, or laminate finishes. A well-executed reface with quality hardware and soft-close upgrades is visually indistinguishable from a fresh install, because the only thing anyone actually sees is the door fronts.
Myth 3: Refacing takes almost as long as replacement. Refacing typically completes in 2 to 4 days. Full custom cabinet replacement, once you account for semi-custom or custom manufacturing lead times, runs anywhere from 4 to 16 weeks before installation even starts.
Myth 4: You are stuck with your old door style if you reface. Refacing is exactly the opposite. It is how you change your kitchen's entire look, door style, and color, while keeping the boxes that are already sound.
| Factor | Cabinet Refacing | Full Replacement |
|---|---|---|
| Typical Cost vs. New | 40 to 60 percent less | Full price, $500 to $1,200+/linear ft for custom |
| Timeline | 2 to 4 days | 4 to 16 weeks depending on tier |
| Kitchen Disruption | Minimal, mostly usable during work | Significant, kitchen often unusable for weeks |
| Changes Layout | No | Yes, fully flexible |
| Best Candidate | Sound boxes, good layout, cosmetic wear only | Damaged boxes, poor layout, or a full redesign |
| Materials | Same range as new doors | Your choice, unlimited |
If you ask me directly, I do not have a default answer, and I think that is the most useful thing I can tell you. I have talked homeowners out of a bigger replacement job because their boxes were in great shape and refacing was the responsible call. I have also talked homeowners out of refacing when they described a layout they had hated for a decade, because no door front fixes a kitchen you have to work around every day. Either way, we back our cabinet work, refacing or full replacement, with warranties on both materials and installation, because the goal is a kitchen that holds up, not just one that looks good in the first month.The honest starting point is always the same: open the doors, check the corners, ask about the kitchen's history, and then talk numbers. Skipping that step is how homeowners end up choosing based on which word sounds cheaper instead of which option actually fits their kitchen.
1. Does ProBrothers do both cabinet refacing and full replacement?
Yes. We offer both refacing and full replacement, and we recommend whichever one fits your cabinets and goals rather than defaulting to the bigger job.
2. How do I know if my cabinets are good candidates for refacing?
Run the Three-Box Check: confirm the box structure is square and free of water damage, confirm your current layout works for you, and be honest about any leak or pest history. Passing all three is a strong sign refacing will hold up long term.
3. Is refacing really 40 to 60 percent cheaper than replacement?
Yes, that range holds up in Delaware County and the wider Media, PA market, based on the materials and labor cost breakdowns we use for both types of projects.
4. Can I change my cabinet color or door style with refacing?
Yes. Refacing is specifically how homeowners update their door style, finish, and hardware without touching the underlying box structure.
5. Does ProBrothers offer warranties on refacing work the same as full replacement?
Yes. We stand behind both materials and installation on every cabinet project, whether it is a full custom build or a refacing job.
6. What areas does ProBrothers serve for cabinet work?
We serve Media, PA and 15 cities across Delaware County and the Main Line, including West Chester, King of Prussia, Glen Mills, Malvern, Kennett Square, Newtown Square, Marple, Springfield, Phoenixville, Allentown, and Philadelphia, plus Greenville and Rehoboth in Delaware.
If you want an honest read on which option fits your kitchen, call us at (484) 745-4097 or request a free, no-obligation quote. We will run the Box Check in person and tell you straight which way the numbers point, even if that means less work for us.