Want to keep granite or quartz counters
If you replaced the counters a few years ago, refacing lets you keep them. The boxes underneath never move.
Serving 49 Chicago-area suburbs
Cabinet Refacing in Chicago & the Suburbs
New doors, drawer fronts and matching skins on the cabinet boxes you already have in Chicagoland, with your counters left in place.
- Crews working in the Chicago suburbs, from Naperville to Evanston
- Most jobs done in days, with your kitchen still usable
- Samples and a written quote before we start
Cabinet problems refacing solves in Chicagoland
Refacing keeps the cabinet boxes, countertops and plumbing in your Chicagoland kitchen and replaces everything you see: new doors and drawer fronts, veneer or laminate skins on the face frames and end panels, and new hinges and pulls. The result looks like a new set of cabinets without a tear-out.
Old exposed hinges and loose doors
Visible hinges that sag and squeak go away with refacing. We fit hidden hinges that adjust in three directions so gaps stay even.
Want soft-close, glass doors or new trim
Refacing is the time to add soft-close hinges, a few glass-front uppers, new crown molding or a light rail under the wall cabinets.
Oak frames that don't suit a new look
If you want white or gray cabinets but the frames are golden oak, refacing skins them to match the new doors exactly.
Door style that dates the kitchen
Arched cathedral doors and heavy raised panels say a lot about when a kitchen was built. New Shaker, slab or flat-panel doors change the style on the same boxes.
Can't be without a kitchen for long
Refacing happens with the kitchen mostly usable. The doors are made ahead of time, and the on-site work usually takes a few days.
Scratched or damaged end panels
Chipped and scuffed cabinet sides are covered with new panels that match the doors and frames.
Good boxes, worn-out finish
Scuffed doors and faded frames on otherwise solid cabinets are the classic case for refacing.
What we do on the job
- Box inspection and repairsWe check every box for water damage and loose joints and fix what needs fixing before any skin goes on.
- Removing doors, fronts and hingesOld doors, drawer fronts, hinges and pulls come off and leave with us.
- Surface prepFrames and ends are cleaned, degreased and sanded so the new veneer bonds properly.
- End panels and exposed sidesVisible cabinet sides get new plywood or laminate panels in the same finish as the doors.
- New doors and drawer frontsDoors and fronts are made to measure for each opening and arrive finished.
- Concealed hingesNew doors hang on hidden, adjustable hinges, usually with soft-close.
- Drawer boxes and slidesOptional new dovetail drawer boxes and full-extension soft-close slides.
Finishes we offer
Two-tone and wood-plus-paintWe can reface the island in one finish and the wall cabinets in another.
Door stylesShaker suits almost any house; slab doors fit a modern, minimal kitchen.
Real wood veneerThin sheets of oak, maple, cherry or walnut, stained and clear-coated to match solid wood doors.
Soft-close hinges and slidesSoft-close hardware stops slamming and takes stress off the doors and boxes.
Painted MDF and solid wood doorsPainted doors use MDF panels that will not crack at the joints; stained doors use hardwood.
Cabinet Refacing across Chicagoland
The same job looks different in a 1920s bungalow, a 1970s split-level and a new subdivision. Here is what we plan for in different parts of the region.
Postwar suburbs
1990s cabinets with heavy face frames
Wide frames and lots of visible wood between the doors look dated. Larger, full-overlay doors hide most of the frame after refacing.
Geneva, Northbrook, Tinley Park, Elmhurst, Crystal Lake, Lisle
Condo and townhome towns
Condo kitchen with building rules
Condo buildings often limit work hours and need elevator bookings. Refacing is quiet, low-dust work with no demolition, so it fits those rules well.
Cabinet Refacing before and after
Before
AfterCabinet Refacing in a 1970s split-level, Oak Brook
This one is a 1970s split-level in Oak Brook. What we started with: dark stained oak cabinets with wide face frames and a scalloped wood valance over the sink. The reason for the call: dated wood doors on solid boxes. Finished kitchen: new flat slab doors with a thin edge in warm white on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and brushed nickel bar pulls. On site this meant box inspection and repairs, concealed hinges, plus drawer boxes and slides.
Cabinet Refacing in Oak Brook →
Before
AfterSchaumburg kitchen, 1980s two-story: cabinet refacing
This one is a 1980s two-story near Town Square. Before: white thermofoil cabinets peeling at the edges, oak trim. The main complaint was vinyl film lifting near the oven. The result: new five-piece shaker doors in sage green on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and satin brass pulls. Work included removing doors, fronts and hinges, surface prep, plus drawer boxes and slides.
Cabinet Refacing in Schaumburg →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a postwar bi-level in Downers Grove
A postwar bi-level near Denburn Woods, a typical kitchen for Downers Grove. The kitchen as it was: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets. What bothered the owners most: heavy wood frames that made the room feel old. After: new five-piece shaker doors in creamy white uppers and navy lowers on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and unlacquered brass knobs and cup pulls. On site this meant end panels and exposed sides, concealed hinges, plus drawer boxes and slides.
Cabinet Refacing in Downers Grove →How the job goes
- Visit and box checkAt the visit we confirm the boxes are worth keeping and take exact measurements.
- Choose style and finishYou pick the door style, material, color and hardware from samples in your own kitchen.
- Doors are madeDoors, fronts and skins are built to your measurements while the kitchen stays as it is.
- Install on siteOld doors come off, frames and ends are skinned, new doors and hardware go on, usually over a few days.
- Adjust and walk-throughFinal adjustments, cleanup and a walk-through to check every detail.
Cabinet Refacing: common questions
Refacing or painting: which should I choose?
If your doors are thermofoil, laminate or a style you dislike, reface. If they are good wood in a shape you like, painting is the lower-cost choice.
How long does cabinet refacing take?
The on-site work usually takes a few days. Before that, the doors take a few weeks to build to your measurements.
Is it cheaper to reface or replace cabinets?
Replacing means tear-out, new boxes and almost always new countertops. Refacing skips all three, so it typically comes in well below replacement.
Is it worth it to reface kitchen cabinets?
Yes, when the boxes are solid and the layout works. You get new doors, frames and hardware without tearing out cabinets, counters or plumbing.
Can water-damaged cabinets be refaced?
We repair or replace the damaged box first; refacing over soft, swollen material would fail.
Which towns do you serve?
Chicago and 49 suburbs, from Naperville and Aurora to Evanston, Schaumburg and Orland Park. Pick your town below for local details and ZIP codes.
Cabinet Refacing near you
Pick your town for local details, ZIP codes and nearby projects.
DuPage County
Cook County
Kane County
Lake County
Will County
McHenry County
Helpful guides
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Running the projectKitchen Refresh vs Full Remodel: How to Choose the Right ScopeChoose a kitchen refresh when the cabinet boxes are solid and the layout works: paint or reface cabinets, replace counters, add a backsplash and…3 min read
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CabinetsCabinet Refacing vs Painting vs Replacement: How to ChooseIn cabinet refacing vs painting vs replacement, start with the boxes. Sound boxes and only a color complaint: paint. Sound boxes but a dated or…4 min read
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Costs and budgetingCabinet Refacing Cost: What Refacing Kitchen Cabinets Costs and WhyPublished national cost guides put kitchen cabinet refacing at roughly $4,000 to $13,500 for most kitchens, or about $150 to $450 per linear foot of…3 min read