How Much Does It Cost to Refinish Cabinets?

Cost to Refinish Cabinets by Finishing Type

The cost to refinish cabinets varies depending on the specific finishing type. All refinishing projects start the same, with removing the old paint or stain and some sanding to get down to the bare wood. But beyond that, your choice of the finish type impacts your overall cost.

Staining Cabinets

Cabinet staining costs around $100 to $200 per project or $4 to $8 per square foot. This is a great way to redo the look of natural wood with affordable materials. However, staining only works with solid wood, so if you have veneers, go for another type of finish. Choose a darker color than the original coat for the best results.

Painting Cabinets

The cost to paint cabinets is around $200 to $300 per project or $6 to $14 per square foot. When painting cabinets, make sure your pro chooses paints specifically made for kitchens to minimize premature chipping.

Glazing Cabinets

Glazing cabinets cost approximately $300 to $1,000 per project or $10 to $25 per square foot. This semi-transparent coating goes on after paint, giving the wood an antique or retro look. Glazing typically alters the color of the wood, so carefully choose the correct glaze for your cabinets.

Varnishing Cabinets

Varnishing cabinets cost around $200 to $400 per project or $6 to $16 per square foot. Varnishing comes in several different types, such as polyurethane and conversion, and homeowners choose it because they want to retain the wood cabinets to keep their natural look.

Shellacking Cabinets

Shellacking cabinets cost about $200 to $400 per project or $6 to $16 per square foot. Shellac does a great job at both sealing the wood and creating a warm and natural semi-transparent finish.

Average Cost to Refinish Cabinets by Location

Where your cabinets are located can also affect the cost. Kitchen cabinets tend to be larger and more expensive to finish, while bathroom and office cabinet refinishing is typically less costly.

Kitchen Cabinets

The cost to refinish kitchen cabinets is about $1,500 to $5,000 per project. Kitchen cabinets are the largest by size and the most common cabinet refinishing job due to the kitchen's moisture and heat, which can warp wood. An average kitchen requires 150 square feet of materials and labor.

Bathroom Cabinets

Refinishing bathroom cabinets cost about $200 to $2,000 per project. The bathroom is another prime source of moisture and heat, leading to more refinishing jobs. But since bathrooms are often much smaller than kitchens, the cost is generally less.

Office Cabinets

Refinishing office cabinets cost around $500 to $2,000 per project. Home offices are typically medium-size and don't come into contact with moisture or heat, minimizing refinishing needs.

Cabinet Refinishing Cost Factors

Many local cabinet refinishing pros charge per project for cabinet refinishing, which averages $2,700, but this price fluctuates depending on various factors. Pricing changes slightly by the finish type, design complexity, and number of cabinets. Refinishing allows color changes to match your new design. It also makes worn surfaces with scuffs, scratches, and old paint look brand-new.

Size and Number of Cabinets

The size and number of cabinets are two of the most significant factors that affect the total cost. For example, refinishing kitchen cabinets—which tend to be larger and more numerous—cost about $1,500 to $5,000 per project, while refinishing office cabinets—which tend to be smaller and fewer—cost around $500 to $2,000 per project.

Labor

Cabinet refinishing laborers charge around $55 per hour, though this price fluctuates according to their experience level and job complexity. When gathering price options, you’ll run into estimates for the completed project and others that take materials and the hourly rate into account.

Preparation and Repair

The cost to repair cabinets is about $300 and generally isn’t included in the total project cost. Consider going with a new installation if your cabinets require massive amounts of repair.

Wood cabinets also need significant prep before applying any refinishing materials. A cabinet repair pro can wrap up much of this prep work into the overall project cost, including removing old paint, repairing splits, patching up holes, sanding surfaces, and fixing minor breaks.

Refacing

The cost to reface cabinets is approximately $4,000 to $9,500, about three to four times the cost of refinishing. If your wood requires a lot of work to get it shipshape, some pros recommend refacing as an alternative to refinishing. Refacing keeps the overall structure of your cabinets, but replaces drawers, door fronts, knobs, and other aesthetic flourishes, in addition to placing veneers over the wood.

Custom Work

If you have the budget, there are plenty of custom refinishing options for your cabinets, with the most expensive jobs costing about $5,000. For example, installing under-cabinet lighting costs between $230 and $300 per light. 

Pros regularly turn cabinets into works of art, with ornate carvings and unique types of finishing materials. These complex and custom jobs take more time, expertise, and work, so you'll pay extra.

DIY vs. Hiring a Professional Cabinet Refinisher

Refinishing is a good DIY project if you have the time, tools, experience, patience, and space to do it correctly. You’ll need a work area like a large garage or backyard to strip and refinish the various pieces of cabinet. 

This time-intensive project takes anywhere from three to five full days of work or 30 to 50 hours. For the DIY-er, that translates into roughly two weeks of after-hours work. And remember, you won't have a functioning kitchen during this time frame. In other words, you'll save money but lose time, as pros take just one to three days to finish most projects.

While refinishing your cabinets, also consider other remodeling tasks at the same time. The cost to remodel a kitchen is $26,000 on average, but homeowners can save costs on many smaller remodeling projects by handling it themselves.