Replacing kitchen cabinets is a big decision. Start by finding out what is worth keeping and what needs to change. Refinishing, refacing and replacement solve different problems, and the right choice depends on the cabinets you have and how you want the kitchen to work.
Work out what needs changing
Make a short list of what bothers you when you use the kitchen. Include the drawer that sticks, the cupboard you cannot reach and the appliance that gets in the way. Then separate those problems from the color and style. If what you really want is a brighter kitchen, say that. The person advising you needs to understand the result you want before recommending work.
The cabinet boxes are the fixed units behind the doors and drawer fronts. Their condition matters if you plan to keep them. Have someone check damaged areas, loose joints, sagging shelves and signs of water damage, particularly around the sink. Find and deal with an active leak before finishing or covering the affected cabinet.
A problem in one unit deserves a closer look before anyone recommends removing the lot. Ask what can be repaired or replaced individually. You still need a sensible plan for matching the surrounding cabinets.
Refinishing keeps the existing doors and boxes
Refinishing is worth pricing when the cabinets are sound, the layout works and you like the door shape. You keep the existing boxes, doors and drawer fronts and change their finish.
Ask what the person quoting means by "refinishing." Preparing and painting existing doors is a different job from stripping a wood finish and restaining it. The material, old coating and condition need to suit the proposed process.
Be realistic about the finished appearance. Painting a raised-panel door leaves you with a painted raised-panel door. If you want a different door profile, compare the cost of new doors before paying to finish ones you do not like.
Preparation needs a proper explanation. Grease, damaged coatings and adhesion problems need attention before the new finish goes on. Sherwin-Williams' cabinet guidance calls for cleaning and a test area to check adhesion. The preparation and coating system should suit the actual surfaces, rather than a promise that one method works on every kitchen.
Ask to see a finished sample. Check its texture, sheen and edges in your kitchen's light. Have existing dents and old repairs pointed out, and agree which will be repaired or could remain visible. Agree which surfaces will be finished, including exposed ends, the underside of wall cabinets and inside edges. Cabinet interiors should be listed separately if they are included.
Refacing changes the doors while keeping the boxes
Refacing generally keeps the existing cabinet boxes, replaces the doors and drawer fronts, and updates the visible exterior surfaces to match. It is worth considering when the boxes and arrangement still work but you want a different door style. The Home Depot's refacing guide explains how the existing structure is retained and the exposed surfaces are prepared and covered.
Get the details in the quote. A new drawer front does not tell you whether the drawer box or its slides are being replaced. Check hinges, handles, exposed end panels and toe kicks, the recessed strips below the base cabinets. Ask how the visible edges will look when a door is open.
New doors also need to fit the existing cabinet construction. Measurements, hinge positions and clearances matter. Have those checked before doors are ordered.
Refacing leaves the basic cabinet arrangement in place. If your main complaint is where the sink, appliances or storage sit, work through that first. New fronts may improve the appearance without resolving the daily frustration.
Replacement gives you room to change the arrangement
Replacement deserves a serious look when cabinet boxes are structurally unsound or you need a substantially different layout. Warped or water-damaged boxes are also reasons to reconsider refacing, as The Home Depot's service guidance notes.
New cabinetry lets you plan different cabinet sizes and storage. That makes it important to decide how the kitchen should work before ordering anything. Drawers, appliance openings and access all need to fit the finished plan.
Ask how removing the existing cabinets affects the countertops, backsplash, sink connections, flooring and walls. If a quote assumes something can be reused, have that assumption explained. Also agree what happens if removal reveals damage that could not be seen beforehand.
Check deliveries before demolition where practical. KraftMaid advises inspecting an entire cabinet order shortly after it arrives, so missing or damaged parts can be identified before work stalls. Confirm the plan for storage, installation and any other trades involved.
Compare the full cost and the finish expectations
Ask for each option to be priced against the same list of work. Door count, detailed profiles, repairs, exposed panels, hardware and the finish you choose all affect the scope. A kitchen needing extensive coating removal is a different refinishing job from one with a sound existing finish.
For replacement, identify delivery, assembly if required, removal, disposal and installation. Keep work on plumbing, electrical connections and surrounding finishes visible in the budget. A cabinet supply price alone gives you little to compare with a complete installed job.
For durability, ask which products are specified, what preparation is included and how the cabinets should be treated afterward. Benjamin Moore's cabinet instructions explain that full hardness and adhesion take time to develop. Follow the actual product's instructions for reassembly, normal use and cleaning. A surface that feels dry may still need careful treatment.
Before work starts, agree who removes and reinstalls the hardware and how the kitchen will be protected. Include the route used to carry doors and materials through the house. Ask what you will be able to use at the end of each day and what needs to stay out of bounds.
Agree who will keep you informed if a problem affects the work, price or schedule. Get changes settled before extra work proceeds. These details belong in the plan, even on a smaller job.
For a home built before 1978, raise lead-safe requirements before painted surfaces are disturbed. EPA's contractor guidance explains the federal renovation rules and their exceptions. Applicable state and local requirements also need checking.
Choose the amount of work that addresses the problems you actually have. Keep sound cabinets when that makes sense. Spend on new doors or a different arrangement when those changes will make the kitchen work better for you.
See Southern Changes' kitchen options, then talk to Dani about what bothers you in your kitchen and what you want to keep.