The real question isn't paint vs. replace — it's about the boxes
Before you compare quotes, walk into your kitchen and look at the boxes: the actual cabinet frames screwed to your walls, not the doors and drawer fronts. The boxes are 80% of the cost of new cabinets. If your boxes are solid and the layout still works for how you cook, painting or refacing is almost always the smarter move. If you hate the layout, need more storage, or the boxes are water-damaged or particle board that's swelling at the seams, replacement is worth it.
Option 1: Cabinet painting
What you get
Existing doors, drawer fronts, and boxes are cleaned, deglossed, sanded, primed, and finished with a professional-grade coating in the color and sheen you choose. Hardware can be reused, upgraded, or relocated.
What it costs (Treasure Coast, 2026)
- Small kitchen (15–20 doors): $3,500–$5,500
- Average kitchen (25–35 doors): $5,500–$8,500
- Large kitchen (40+ doors): $8,500–$14,000
Timeline
5–8 working days on site. Your kitchen is usable most of that time — doors come off day one and go back on the final day.
When it's the right call
- Boxes are structurally sound.
- Layout works for you.
- You want a dramatic color/style change without a remodel.
- You're prepping to sell within the next 1–3 years.
Option 2: Cabinet refacing
What you get
Existing boxes stay. New doors, drawer fronts, and matching veneer on the visible sides of the boxes. You can change wood species, style (shaker, slab, raised panel), and color entirely.
What it costs
- Average kitchen: $9,000–$18,000 depending on door style and materials.
Timeline
1–2 weeks on site.
When it's the right call
- Boxes are solid but doors are damaged, warped, or a style you can't stand.
- You want the "new kitchen" look for roughly half the cost of replacement.
See our cabinet refacing and painting service for details on both options.
Option 3: Full replacement
What you get
Everything comes out — boxes included. New cabinets are designed, ordered, and installed, usually with new countertops, backsplash, and often plumbing/electrical adjustments.
What it costs
- Stock cabinets: $18,000–$35,000 for a typical kitchen.
- Semi-custom: $30,000–$60,000.
- Fully custom: $60,000+.
That's cabinets and installation only — countertops, backsplash, appliances, and any layout changes are additional.
Timeline
3–6 weeks with the kitchen fully out of commission, longer if you're changing plumbing or electrical.
When it's the right call
- Layout is genuinely wrong for you (bad flow, no island, wrong appliance placement).
- You need significantly more storage — pull-outs, deep drawers, pantry.
- Boxes are damaged, warped, or particleboard that's crumbling.
- You're doing a whole-kitchen remodel anyway.
Side-by-side comparison
| Factor | Painting | Refacing | Replacement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost (average kitchen) | $5.5k–$8.5k | $9k–$18k | $18k–$60k+ |
| Timeline | 5–8 days | 1–2 weeks | 3–6 weeks |
| Kitchen usable during? | Mostly | Partially | No |
| Change layout? | No | No | Yes |
| Change color/style? | Color yes, style no | Yes | Yes |
| Typical lifespan | 8–12 years | 15–20 years | 20–30+ years |
Where cheap cabinet paint jobs fail
Cabinets are the hardest surface a residential painter finishes. They get grease, water, and daily physical wear. A quick brush-and-roll job in latex wall paint will chip within a year. What actually holds up:
- Proper prep. Degrease with TSP or a cabinet-specific cleaner, degloss the factory finish, fill grain if you're going for a smooth look.
- Bonding primer. Shellac or waterborne bonding primer, tinted toward the final color.
- Real cabinet coating. Waterborne alkyd (like BM Advance), urethane-modified enamel, or a true 2K post-catalyzed coating for the toughest finish.
- Spraying, not brushing. Doors and drawer fronts should be removed, sprayed off-site or in a controlled area, and returned with a factory-smooth finish. Boxes are hand-finished in place.
Our honest recommendation
If your kitchen bones are good and you want a fresh look without a remodel, paint. If the doors themselves are bad but the layout works, reface. If the layout genuinely doesn't work for how you live, don't waste money painting cabinets you'll rip out in three years — save up and replace.