You like where everything sits, you just cannot look at the doors anymore. Cabinet refacing in Jacksonville, FL is one of the cabinet services we run out of our shop, and it pays off in about half the kitchens we see. The rest are better served by refinishing, doors alone, or new boxes.
This page tells you which half you are in. The test is not how the kitchen looks, it is what shape the boxes are in.
Kitchen cabinet refacing keeps your boxes on the wall and replaces everything you can see: new doors, new drawer fronts, and a layer of wood veneer or rigid laminate over the face frames and exposed end panels.
That last part separates refacing from a door swap. The stiles and rails of the face frames get covered, so a 1994 honey oak kitchen comes out white with no paint anywhere in the room.
Interiors normally stay as they are. Matching the insides is a separate quote, and the money is usually better spent elsewhere.
Refacing bets the whole project on the boxes. Spend ten minutes checking these five things before you call anyone.
| What to check | Where to look | Reface, or do not |
|---|---|---|
| Soft or spongy bottom | Sink base and dishwasher run | Soft means replace that box first |
| Swollen, crumbly edges | Bottom rear corners of base cabinets | Swelling past a quarter inch is a no |
| Racked face frames | Doors that sit crooked with hinges tight | A frame out of square over 1/4 in is a no |
| Loose box joints | Push the side panel with a flat hand | Re-glue and screw, then reface |
| Shelf sag | Center of any 36 in shelf | Under 1/4 in is fine, shelves are cheap |
Around here the failure is water. A supply line that wept for two years under the sink turns particleboard into oatmeal, and no veneer glues to that. One bad sink base does not kill the project, but three soft bases in a row means you are dressing up a kitchen on its way out. Plywood boxes with dado joints are usually worth keeping. Stapled particleboard with a thin backer is a coin flip.
Three different jobs, three prices, three results.
| Refacing | Refinishing | New cabinets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What changes | Doors, fronts, veneer on frames | Color and sheen only | Everything |
| Boxes | Kept | Kept | New |
| Layout changes | None | None | Anything |
| Kitchen out of service | 3 to 5 days | 5 to 10 days | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Typical 25 door kitchen | $7,000 to $14,000 | $3,500 to $7,500 | $18,000 to $40,000 |
| Expected life of result | 15 to 20 years | 8 to 12 years | 25 years plus |
Refacing vs replacing cabinets comes down to two questions: does the layout work, and are the boxes sound? If you have wanted a wider sink base or a drawer bank where the false-front cabinet sits, refacing will not give it to you. If the layout is fine and the boxes are solid, refacing gets most of the visual result for about a third of the cost.
Cabinet resurfacing is the skin that goes on the frames, and the choice matters more in Florida than up north.
| Face material | Thickness | Best for | Humidity behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper-backed wood veneer | About 1/40 in | Stain matched jobs | Needs a sealed edge, telegraphs frame flaws |
| Wood-backed veneer | 1/16 to 1/8 in | Painted and stained | Most forgiving, hides small dings |
| High pressure laminate | About 1/32 in | Rentals, commercial, laminate builds | Very stable, no grain |
We lean toward thicker wood-backed veneer here. A Jacksonville kitchen swings between conditioned air and humid outside air every time the back door opens, and thin paper products telegraph every seam once that cycle repeats a few seasons. Near the water at Atlantic Beach and Ponte Vedra we seal every cut edge, including the frame undersides nobody looks at.
The doors are new anyway, so this is your chance to change the style. Shaker is the safe pick, slab reads modern and costs less, and raised panel suits older homes in San Marco and Ortega.
On paint grade, MDF center panels beat solid wood in a humid house because they do not shrink from the rails and leave a paint line. On stain grade, the door species has to agree with the frame veneer, so pick both together.
While the doors are off is the right moment to add soft close hinges and fresh pulls and knobs. Doing it later costs more in labor than doing it now.
Refacing does not move a wall, widen an opening, or turn a 15 inch cabinet into a 24. It will not save water-damaged boxes, and it cannot make a 30 inch upper reach a 9 foot ceiling. Closing that gap takes new uppers or a crown treatment built to fill it. Sagging shelves and failed glides are cheap repairs to bundle in while the doors are off.
To reface kitchen cabinets in a 25 door kitchen takes three to five days on site, and you keep your sink, range and counters the whole time. That is the practical reason families pick this over a gut.
| Scope | Typical installed range |
|---|---|
| Small kitchen or laundry run, 10 to 14 doors | $3,800 to $6,500 |
| Standard kitchen, 20 to 25 doors and 8 drawers | $7,000 to $14,000 |
| Large kitchen with island and pantry bank | $14,000 to $22,000 |
| Add: soft close hinges and glides throughout | $500 to $1,400 |
Three things move cabinet refacing cost: door count, door style and finish, and how much exposed end panel work there is. A peninsula with three open sides costs more to skin than a galley wall with none. These are typical Jacksonville ranges, and a firm number takes measuring your openings.
4.8 ★
Klein Carpentry holds a 4.8 star average across 51 Google reviews. Homeowners keep mentioning the same things: fast replies, crews who show up when they say they will, and attention to detail. Every cabinet refacing project gets a written quote, a clear schedule and a daylight walkthrough at the end.
Humidity
Wood gains and loses moisture with the air around it, and the USDA Forest Products Laboratory's Wood Handbook shows how much it swells and shrinks as a result. We plan every cabinet refacing job for that movement: stable sheet goods, acclimated lumber, moisture-resistant material near slabs and wet rooms, and joints with room to move.
3 Heights
Jacksonville homes range from plaster and concrete block to square new construction. We measure each opening at the floor, mid height and ceiling before building, then scribe the finished work to the wall. Depending on the piece, it is built in our shop and brought in finished or built on site in your home, so the fit stays tight either way.
4.8from 51 Google reviews
We recently used Klein Carpentry to aid in the renovation of our home. Ray and his team installed new baseboards, wainscotting, window/door trim and crown molding to bring a major update to what was a builder grade interior. From the bidding to the final nail took about two months but the results were worth the wait. During the entire process, Ray was polite and passionate about his work while keeping the working area tidy at all times. I would highly recommend using Kline for any of your carpentry needs, you won't be disappointed!
Glenn Seagers · 2 years ago on Google
My husband and I had the pleasure of working with Klein Carpentry. We recently moved into our new home, and as most homeowners, we wanted to put our personal touch on it. Inspired by so many ideas from Pinterest and HGTV, like so many others, I had several ideas of how I envision what I wanted for our custom built-in. I spoke with Ray, who could also see my vision and transfer it to a 3D program for us to see visually. Well, I can't say enough of what a fantastic job both Ray and Nathan did. From the start of our project to the very end, they exceeded our expectations in every way possible. Words can't describe how their professionalism, commitment, and craftsmanship are genuine. Both Ray and Nathan are genuinely a pleasure to work with. They are two kind, sincere gentlemen who care about their work and the client's vision. They are punctual and reliable and went above and beyond to ensure that my built-ins were completed on time. With this said, we could not be happier with how they turned out. I can finally display my beautiful Disney collectible, which I had been put away for far too long. I highly recommend Klein Carpentry to anyone considering having any work done in theirs.
Laureen Rosario-Perez · 2 years ago on Google
I am thrilled to share my positive experience with Ray and Klein Carpentry. From start to finish, they exceeded my expectations in every way possible. Their professionalism and commitment to quality were evident from the moment they arrived, and they consistently delivered exceptional work throughout the entire project. One of the standout aspects of working with Ray and Klein Carpentry was their ability to accommodate my needs and desires. They took the time to truly understand what I wanted and went above and beyond to ensure that I was completely satisfied with the end result. Their attention to detail was impeccable, and they demonstrated an unwavering commitment to ensuring that every aspect of the project was completed to the highest possible standards. Ray and Nathan were an absolute pleasure to work with - not only were they skilled craftsmen, but they were also kind, funny, and genuine individuals who truly cared about ensuring that I was happy with their work. They were punctual, reliable, and always went the extra mile to ensure that the project was completed on time and within budget. The end result of their work was simply stunning - a beautiful 20-foot built-in shelving unit with crown molding, complemented by a gorgeous accent wall behind the TV. The craftsmanship and attention to detail were second to none, and I have received countless compliments on their work from friends and family. Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend Ray and Klein Carpentry to anyone in need of their services. They are true professionals who take pride in their work and go above and beyond to ensure that their clients are completely satisfied. If you want exceptional quality and unparalleled customer service, look no further than Ray and Klein Carpentry - they truly are the best in the business.
Sam Scholten · 3 years ago on Google
Reviews from Google
It does when the edges are sealed and the veneer is thick enough. We seal every cut edge and use wood-backed veneer rather than paper-backed on kitchens near the water, because the daily swing between conditioned air and outside air is what lifts a thin skin.
Matching an aged stain on new material is hard and we do not promise an invisible match. Partial refacing works best when the new section stands alone, such as an island or a pantry wall.
You never fully lose it. The sink, range and counters stay live, and the doors are off for three to five days, which means open shelving for that stretch.
Usually yes. We build one replacement box, set it in the run, and skin it to match, which adds roughly $450 to $900. If two or three bases are soft, we will tell you to put the money toward new cabinets.
No. Refacing is cosmetic, with no plumbing, electrical or structural change. A condo at the Beaches may still want a certificate of insurance before work starts.
If the doors are fine and only the color is wrong
For new doors without veneer work on the frames
For soft boxes and split frames
When the layout itself is the problem
From Klein Carpentry
Call (904) 759-4988 and we will come look at your boxes anywhere in Jacksonville. You get a yes or a no on refacing, the reason behind it, and a written price for whichever path fits.
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