Kitchen Cabinet Refacing

Kitchen Cabinet Refacing in Toronto

New doors · Drawer fronts · Soft-close hinges · Counters stay

  • Free in-home estimate
  • 1–2 weeks on site
  • Boxes and counters stay
See projects

Keep the boxes. Replace everything you see.

If your kitchen layout works and the cabinet boxes are solid, the doors and drawer fronts are what make it look tired. We replace those, skin the exposed faces of the boxes to match, and fit new soft-close hinges. Your counters, sink and layout stay exactly where they are.

Cupboard refacing, cabinet resurfacing and refacing kitchen cabinets all mean this same job. Painting what you have is refinishing, which is a different and cheaper option. Not sure which one fits? Read refacing vs replacing vs refinishing.

What changes and what stays

What we replace

  • New doors and drawer fronts in the style and colour you pick
  • Matching veneer or laminate on the exposed faces and end panels of the boxes
  • New concealed soft-close hinges
  • New drawer boxes on soft-close undermount runners, if the old ones are failing (priced as its own line)

What stays

  • The cabinet boxes and the layout
  • Your countertops, quartz and granite included
  • The sink, the plumbing and the appliances
  • The floor under the cabinets

How a refacing job runs

  1. 1. Site visit

    We open the sink base, check whether the boxes are plywood or particleboard, test that they are square and level, and ask whether the layout is staying. Then we tell you straight whether your boxes are worth keeping.

  2. 2. Pick the doors

    You choose door style, finish and hardware. Slab, narrow Shaker and wood-grain veneers are the requests we see most.

  3. 3. Doors are made

    The new doors and drawer fronts are ordered and made before we start work in your kitchen, so this is the part of the calendar that depends on the door style you choose.

  4. 4. On site for 1–2 weeks

    Old doors come off, the boxes get their new faces, and the new doors, hinges and pulls go on. The sink, counters and appliances never move, so the kitchen stays usable through most of it.

Where refacing fits in Toronto kitchens

  • Condo kitchens

    In an older tower the sink usually cannot move, because the drain stack is cast into the slab. If the layout already works, refacing is a way to update the kitchen without fighting the building. Building rules on deliveries and working hours still apply, so tell us which building at the estimate.

  • 1990s builder kitchens

    Thermofoil and glossy laminate doors are common in GTA kitchens from that decade. They peel near the oven and dishwasher, and paint does not hold to them for long. New doors on sound boxes is usually the better use of money.

  • Kitchens you like the layout of

    If the work triangle is fine, the counters are in good shape and the only complaint is how the cabinets look, refacing leaves the expensive parts alone.

When refacing is the wrong call

Refacing bets on the boxes. If the floor of the sink base is soft or stained from an old leak, the boxes are particleboard that has swollen, or the shelves sag and the face frames pull away from the wall, new doors will not hold straight. The same goes for any plan to move the sink, add an island or take out a wall, because the boxes are coming out anyway. In those cases we will say so and quote a kitchen renovation instead. See kitchen renovation costs for the full picture.

We have not published a refacing project on this site yet, and our Toronto kitchens so far used new cabinetry. See our Toronto projects.

People also ask

Kitchen cabinet refacing questions - Toronto

What is kitchen cabinet refacing?
Refacing keeps your cabinet boxes and replaces everything you see. New doors and drawer fronts go on, the exposed faces of the boxes get a matching veneer or laminate skin, and the hinges are swapped for concealed soft-close ones. The sink, counters, plumbing and layout stay where they are.
Is cupboard refacing the same as cabinet resurfacing?
For our purposes, yes. Cupboard refacing, cabinet resurfacing and refacing kitchen cabinets all describe new doors and a new skin on the existing boxes. Painting the existing doors is a different job called refinishing, and replacing means new boxes as well.
How much does cabinet refacing cost in Toronto?
Refacing is priced by the linear foot of cabinet run, so the quote follows the size of your kitchen and the door style you choose. It comes in below a cabinet-and-counter refresh ($18,000–$28,000) and a full kitchen renovation ($25,000–$50,000). We give you the number after the site visit, because the condition of the boxes decides it.
How long does refacing take?
One to two weeks on site once the doors are made, and the kitchen stays usable through most of that because the sink, counters and appliances never move. Door lead time comes before that, and we confirm it when you approve the door style.
Do I need a permit to reface kitchen cabinets in Toronto?
No. Refacing is a finishes-only job, and it does not need a City of Toronto building permit. In a condo, check your building rules for deliveries and working hours, and tell us which building it is when you book the estimate.
Can you reface thermofoil or laminate cabinets?
Yes, by replacing the doors. Thermofoil peels near the oven and dishwasher, and paint will not hold to the vinyl skin for long. The boxes behind them still have to be sound, which we check at the site visit.
Should I read your refacing vs replacing guide or book from this page?
This page is for booking a refacing estimate. If you are still deciding between painting, refacing and new cabinets, our cabinet refacing vs replacing guide compares all three, with approximate 2026 GTA costs and how to tell if your boxes are worth keeping.

Also see

Kitchen renovation and cabinet guides

Let’s talk

Contact Osoba Renos & Design

Thinking about refacing your Toronto kitchen cabinets? Book a free in-home estimate and we will check whether your boxes are worth keeping.

By submitting, you agree we may contact you about your renovation. We never share your info.

or
Call 647-562-4275