Cabinet Painting vs Refacing
Two different jobs that solve two different problems. Here is how to tell which one your kitchen actually needs.
What cabinet painting is
Cabinet painting keeps your existing cabinet boxes, doors, and drawer fronts, and changes the finish. The surfaces are cleaned, prepped, and coated with a paint or finish system. The layout stays the same, the doors stay the same shape, and the result is a new color and a renewed surface on the cabinets you already own.
What cabinet refacing is
Refacing also keeps the cabinet boxes and the layout, but it replaces the visible skin: new doors and drawer fronts, and a veneer or covering applied to the box frames. It changes the door style, which painting cannot do, and it is a larger job done by kitchen remodeling companies rather than cabinet painting companies.
How to choose
If your doors are sound and you like their style, and the goal is a color change or a fresh finish, painting fits. If the door style itself is the problem, or doors are damaged beyond repair, refacing or full replacement is the conversation to have. Painting is also the smaller job of the two: fewer materials replaced, less time in the kitchen, and no change to counters or layout.
The companies listed in this directory are cabinet painting and refinishing companies. Refacing is a different trade, so refacing companies are not listed here. If you are weighing both, get a painting quote and a refacing quote and compare the scope in writing.