Cabinet Refinishing That Costs a Fraction of Replacing

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Paint, reface or replace

Replacement rarely stops at cabinets. New boxes trigger countertops ($2,000–$8,000), backsplash ($1,000–$3,000), plus plumbing and flooring patches, which is how a "cabinet job" becomes a $25,000 to $30,000 renovation. Full paint-vs-replace comparison →

The substrate question, which matters a lot here

A large share of local kitchens were remodeled in the 1980s and 90s, which means laminate, melamine and thermofoil doors rather than solid wood. Those are absolutely paintable, but only with the correct bonding primer for a factory-sealed surface. Standard wall primer will not adhere, and a kitchen primed wrong starts peeling at the door edges within a year.

We identify the substrate at the walkthrough and price the primer accordingly, rather than quoting one number and discovering the problem after the doors come off.

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Our cabinet process

• Doors, drawer fronts and hardware removed, labeled and shop-finished
• Degreasing, the step that decides whether the finish bonds in a working kitchen
• Sanding and deglossing every surface, boxes included
• Filling grain or damage where a smooth finish is the goal
• Bonding primer matched to the substrate: wood, laminate, melamine or thermofoil
• Sprayed cabinet-grade finish coats for a factory-flat surface with no brush marks
• Full masking and containment so the rest of the house stays clean
• Rehang, adjust and hardware reinstall

Rolled or brushed cabinets are the usual reason a kitchen looks repainted rather than refinished. Spraying is what buys the factory look.

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Older kitchens

Period homes near the Mission often still have original built-ins: breakfast-nook cabinetry, glass-front uppers, a butler's pantry. Two things worth knowing: original stained woodwork is effectively irreversible once painted, and in a pre-1978 home any lead work goes to a certified contractor. We raise both at the walkthrough so you know what to ask for.

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How long it lasts

A properly prepped and sprayed finish typically needs touch-ups every five to eight years, a fraction of the cost and disruption of replacing. Most of the failures we get called to fix trace back to skipped degreasing or the wrong primer for the substrate.