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SMC-05 · Birch

Cabinet Refacing
in Ontario & the GTA

A new-kitchen look, without a demolition bin in the driveway.

Refacing replaces every door and drawer front and covers all remaining visible cabinet surfaces with matching veneer, so nothing original stays on show.

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SMC-05 · Birch
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What is cabinet refacing?

Cabinet refacing replaces all cabinet doors and drawer fronts and applies matching veneer or laminate to every remaining visible cabinet surface, including face frames and exposed ends. The existing boxes stay in place. In Ontario it typically costs $8,000 to $16,000 CAD and takes four to five working days.

  • Cabinet refacing in Ontario typically costs $8,000 to $16,000 CAD for a full kitchen.
  • Refacing takes 4 to 5 working days, against 3 to 6 weeks for full cabinet replacement.
  • Full kitchen cabinet replacement in the Greater Toronto Area commonly costs $20,000 to $45,000 CAD.
  • Refacing produces no demolition waste because existing cabinet boxes remain installed.
  • Refacing cannot change a kitchen layout; moving a sink or adding an island requires full replacement.
At a glance
Typical price$8,000 – $16,000 CAD
Time on site4 to 5 working days
Best forA complete visual change with the layout unchanged
Warranty3-year workmanship warranty
PaymentSecured until you sign off
CoverageOntario, concentrated in the GTA
Why choose this service

What cabinet refacing gets you.

01

Nothing original stays visible

Face frames, cabinet ends, the panel beside the fridge and the toe kicks are all covered, so there is no old surface left showing next to new fronts.

02

A third of replacement cost

Most of what makes a new kitchen expensive is demolition, disposal, carcasses and trades. Refacing skips all of it.

03

Days instead of weeks

Four to five days on site against three to six weeks without a functioning kitchen.

04

No demolition waste

No bin in the driveway, no landfill trip, no drywall repair afterwards.

05

Soft-close throughout

New hinges and drawer runners are fitted as part of the work, so the kitchen feels new to use as well as to look at.

06

Payment secured until sign-off

Held under our secure payment terms and released only when you confirm the finished kitchen.

The most complete option short of replacement

Refacing does everything door replacement does, and then handles the parts of the cabinet you can still see once the new doors are on: the face frames, the exposed cabinet ends, the panel beside the fridge, the toe kicks. New veneer or laminate goes over all of it, colour-matched to the new fronts.

The result is a kitchen where no original surface is visible. Structurally it is your old kitchen. Visually it is a new one, and it went in without a single cabinet being unbolted from the wall.

Refacing against full replacement

A full cabinet replacement in the GTA commonly runs $20,000 to $45,000 once demolition, disposal, new carcasses, installation and the inevitable plumbing and electrical adjustments are counted, and it puts your kitchen out of action for three to six weeks. Refacing lands at $8,000 to $16,000 and takes four to five days on site.

The case for full replacement is a layout change. If you want the sink moved, an island added, or the wall between the kitchen and dining room taken out, refacing cannot help — you are doing a renovation, not a finish job. If the layout works and only the appearance is wrong, refacing gets you most of the result for a third of the cost.

The process

Step by step, start to sign-off.

STEP 01

Full kitchen survey

Every opening and every visible surface is measured, and box condition is assessed. Refacing only makes sense over structurally sound carcasses, and this is where that gets confirmed.

STEP 02

Style, colour and material

You choose door profile, colour and veneer or laminate. Samples of the actual materials are left with you before anything is ordered.

STEP 03

Manufacture

Fronts are built to your measurements and veneer is prepared to match. Typically two to three weeks, with your existing kitchen fully usable.

STEP 04

Strip and prepare surfaces

Old fronts come off and every surface receiving veneer is cleaned, sanded and levelled so the new material lies flat without telegraphing what is underneath.

STEP 05

Veneer application and fitting

Veneer is applied to face frames, ends and toe kicks, then new hinges, runners and fronts are fitted and aligned.

STEP 06

Adjust, clean and sign-off

Every door adjusted for even gaps, site cleaned, walkthrough completed before payment releases.

Recent work

Kitchens finished across the GTA.

Full gallery
Etobicoke, ON SMC-01
Mississauga, ON SMC-03
Brampton, ON SMC-01
Vaughan, ON SMC-02
Homeowner reviews

What Ontario homeowners said.

Verified after project sign-off
★★★★★
A full kitchen replacement quote came in at over thirty thousand and six weeks. Refacing was a third of that and done in five days. Nobody who visits can tell the boxes are the originals.
TF
T. FitzgeraldToronto, ON · March 2026
Questions

Cabinet Refacing: common questions

Is refacing worth it compared to a new kitchen?

It depends entirely on whether your layout works. If the kitchen functions well and only looks dated, refacing gets you the great majority of the visual result for roughly a third of the cost and a fraction of the disruption. If you want to move the sink, add an island or open a wall, you need a full renovation and refacing will not help.

How long does refacing last?

Properly applied veneer over sound boxes lasts as long as the cabinetry underneath, typically 15 to 20 years. The failure risk is adhesion, which comes down to surface preparation rather than the veneer itself, which is why the preparation stage is not rushed.

Can you reface melamine or laminate cabinets?

Yes. Non-porous surfaces need thorough scuff-sanding and the correct adhesive system, but melamine and laminate boxes are refaced routinely across Ontario. Boxes with water swelling at the base are the exception and need replacing.

What is the difference between refacing and door replacement?

Door replacement changes only the doors and drawer fronts. Refacing changes those plus every other visible cabinet surface. If your face frames and cabinet ends are in good condition and match your new fronts reasonably, door replacement is the more economical choice.

Do I need a permit for refacing in Ontario?

No. Refacing is a finish alteration with no structural, plumbing or electrical change, so it falls outside building permit requirements. A full kitchen renovation that moves services is a different matter and your contractor should confirm municipal requirements.

Will my counters need replacing?

No. Counters stay in place throughout, which is one of the larger savings against full replacement. If you are also changing counters, sequence that afterwards so the new tops sit on the finished cabinetry.

Can I add new cabinets during refacing?

Yes, within reason. Adding a pantry unit or filling a gap with a new cabinet is common, and the new unit is finished to match. Substantial layout changes push the job into renovation territory.

Does refacing add value for resale?

Kitchen appearance is consistently among the strongest influences on how buyers respond to a home. A refaced kitchen presents as updated at a fraction of a renovation budget. As with any improvement, the return depends on your local market and what comparable homes offer, so treat estimates cautiously.

Where we do this work

Cabinet Refacing across Ontario

Toronto Mississauga Brampton Vaughan Markham Richmond Hill Oakville Scarborough Etobicoke North York Burlington Hamilton Oshawa Whitby Ajax Pickering Milton Newmarket

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