Cabinet Refacing in Homestead, FL

Cabinet Refacing in Homestead, FL

If your cabinet boxes are in good shape but the doors look worn, dated or damaged, you do not have to tear out the kitchen. Cabinet refacing keeps the existing cabinet boxes in place and gives them new doors, new drawer fronts and a new surface on the visible frames. GXG Remodeling offers cabinet refacing for homeowners in Homestead and across South Miami-Dade.

This page explains what refacing is, when it is the right fix, what the process looks like and what to ask any contractor. For the full side-by-side with painting, read our cabinet refacing vs. cabinet painting guide. Because every kitchen is different, ask us what is included in your project, including the door style, surface material and hardware.

What Cabinet Refacing Is, and What Stays

• What changesNew doors and drawer fronts, plus a new surface over the visible parts of the existing boxes and frames. Hardware can change at the same time.
• What staysThe cabinet boxes, the layout, the plumbing and the sink location. Your countertop can usually stay too.
• What does not get fixedDamaged boxes, a layout you dislike, or poorly fitting drawers. Refacing covers a box, it does not repair one.

Refacing, Painting or Replacing: Which Fits

• PaintingBest when the boxes and doors are sound and you only want a new color. It keeps your current door style. See our cabinet painting service.
• RefacingBest when the boxes are solid but the doors are warped, chipped or the wrong style, or you want a different door look and hardware layout.
• ReplacingBest when the boxes have failed or you want a new layout. That belongs with a full kitchen remodel.

A quick way to think about it: color problem, paint it; door problem, reface it; box or layout problem, replace it. If you cannot tell which you have, send us a photo or request a free estimate and we will tell you honestly.

How a Refacing Project Typically Runs

Every contractor sequences this a little differently, so treat this as a plain-language outline and ask us for the schedule for your kitchen.

• Measure and chooseThe cabinets are measured and you choose the door style, surface and hardware. New doors are made to those measurements, so this step sets the lead time.
• PrepareOld doors, drawer fronts and hardware come off. The boxes are cleaned and checked for soundness before anything is applied.
• Resurface the boxesThe visible box frames and exposed sides get the new surface so they match the new fronts.
• Install fronts and hardwareNew doors and drawer fronts are hung and aligned, and new pulls or hinges go on.
• WalkthroughYou check alignment and finish before the job is called done.

How long it takes depends on your project, including the number of cabinets and how long the new doors take to arrive. We give you a schedule with your estimate, so ask for the lead time in writing.

Hardware, Soft-Close and Pairing with Countertops

Hardware is the cheapest way to change how a kitchen feels, and refacing is the natural time to do it. If you keep your pulls, existing holes stay; if you change the style or spacing, holes may need filling and re-drilling. Soft-close hinges are a common add-on. Whether they are part of your project depends on what you choose, and we list it in your estimate.

Refacing leaves the countertop in place, so many homeowners reface first and add new tops later, or plan both together. If you want a new surface and backsplash, see countertop installation, since the new top should be measured from cabinets that are already finished and level.

South Florida Humidity and Box Condition

The boxes are the foundation of a refacing job, and humidity is hard on them. Particleboard swells and crumbles when it gets wet, most often under the sink and beside the dishwasher. Before you commit, open every door and check:

• Press the side walls and backGive or sponginess points to moisture damage.
• Look under the sinkStains, swelling or soft bases mean a leak may need fixing first. See water damage repair.
• Test the hinge screwsScrews that spin freely mean the material behind them has degraded.
• Pull a loaded drawerRacking or binding points to a failing drawer box.

Kitchens, Bathrooms and Vanities

Small kitchens and bathroom vanities have fewer doors, so refacing them is a smaller job, though a vanity near a shower sees more moisture and deserves a closer look at the box. Larger kitchens with an island and many drawers have more surface to cover, which raises the scope. If the bathroom needs more than new vanity fronts, see bathroom remodeling.

What Cabinet Refacing Costs

Every refacing project is different, so we quote each one individually after we see your cabinets. There is no standard price, because the number depends on your kitchen, your choices and what we find when we look at the boxes. Request a free estimate and we will put the scope and the price in writing.

For general education only: published national cost guides commonly put kitchen cabinet refacing at roughly $4,000 to $10,000, with replacement costing more. That is a market ballpark, not a GXG price or quote, and local prices vary with materials, season and scope.

• How many doors and drawersA larger kitchen, or a kitchen with many small drawers, means more fronts to make and install.
• Door style and surface materialThese are chosen with you, and the choice changes both the look and the price.
• Hardware and soft-closeWhether new pulls, hinges and soft-close are part of your project depends on what you want, and we list it in your estimate.
• Condition of the boxesAny repair needed to the existing cabinet boxes is part of the scope.
• What else you are updatingCountertops, a backsplash or painting alongside the refacing change the overall scope.

See our kitchen remodel cost guide for the whole-kitchen picture. All estimates are free and written.

When Refacing Is the Wrong Fix

• Failed boxesSwollen, soft or crumbling bases cannot be covered over. They need repair or replacement.
• A new layoutIf you want to move the sink, range or add an island, the boxes have to move, and that is a remodel.
• Only the color is wrongIf the doors are fine, painting costs less and does the job.

Questions to Ask Any Contractor

• What exactly is included?Doors, drawer fronts, box surfaces, hardware, hinges and disposal, listed in writing.
• What materials, by name?Ask what the doors and surface are made of and how they are attached.
• What if the boxes are bad?Ask how damage found after the doors come off is handled and priced.
• What is the lead time?Get the door lead time and on-site schedule in writing.
• How is payment structured?Be cautious of a large payment before work starts.
• Can I verify the license?You can look up any Florida contractor on myfloridalicense.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to find out if your cabinets are good candidates? Call (786) 724-5571 or request a free estimate. We serve Florida City, Cutler Bay, Leisure City and the rest of South Miami-Dade.