How Much Does Cabinet Refacing Cost in Massachusetts?

If you read our last post, you already know refacing can save you a lot of money compared to a full replacement. But “cheaper than replacement” isn’t a number you can build a budget around. So let’s get into real numbers, the kind you can actually plan with.

The Short Answer

A kitchen refacing job typically runs between $4,900 and $15,800, depending mostly on the size of your kitchen. For a medium sized kitchen, most jobs land between $7,500 and $10,000. What actually decides your number comes down to three things: how much cabinetry you have, what material you pick for the new doors and veneer, and how complicated the labor ends up being. A kitchen full of corner cabinets and custom sizing simply takes longer than a straight run of standard size doors, and that time shows up in the final price.

Cost by Kitchen Size

Refacing is usually priced by the linear foot of cabinetry, which is why the size of your kitchen matters more than almost anything else.

Kitchen Size	Linear Feet	Typical Cost
Small	10 to 20 ft	$3,500 to $7,000
Medium	21 to 30 ft	$7,000 to $10,000
Large	30 to 40 ft	$10,000 to $13,500
Extra Large	40+ ft	$13,500 and up

Labor

Labor usually makes up 50 to 70 percent of the total cost, and typically runs $50 to $160 an hour depending on the scope. This is the part that swings the most from kitchen to kitchen. A simple galley kitchen with standard cabinet sizes moves fast. A kitchen with a lot of corner units, custom sizing, or boxes that need repair before the new material goes on takes longer, and costs more. There’s no way around that. Careful work takes time, and time is what you’re paying for.

A Note on Massachusetts Specifically

Materials are subject to the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax, worth building into your budget alongside labor. Pricing in and around Boston tends to run toward the higher end of these ranges. Surrounding towns and Southern New Hampshire usually land closer to the middle.

Refacing vs. Replacing, by the Numbers

To put refacing’s savings in perspective, a full cabinet replacement in Massachusetts can run upwards of $25,000 or more for a comparable kitchen, and that’s before you factor in the extra time, mess, and disruption of tearing out and reinstalling an entire kitchen’s worth of cabinetry. Refacing gets you a similar visual transformation, usually in a fraction of the time, for a fraction of the money.

What Actually Determines Your Price

Every kitchen is different, and everything above is exactly that: a range, not a quote. The real number for your kitchen comes down to a handful of things.

• Total linear feet of cabinetry
• Material choice for doors and veneer
• Number of drawers and cabinet doors
• Hardware upgrades, which run $6 to $60 per piece depending on style
• Any repairs needed before refacing can start
• How easy or complicated the layout is to work with

The only way to get an accurate number you can actually plan around is having someone take a look in person at your kitchen. Photos and phone estimates only get you so far. That’s what a free estimate is for.

So, What Would Your Kitchen Cost?

If you’re trying to picture where your own kitchen lands in these numbers, ask yourself a few simple questions. How many linear feet of cabinets are you working with? Are the boxes in good shape, or is there repair work hiding under the surface? Is your layout staying the same, or are you hoping to add something like an island or extra storage along the way?

The honest answer is that nobody can give you a number that means anything without seeing the kitchen. But now you know the real ranges Massachusetts homeowners are actually paying, and what moves a project from the low end of that range to the high end.