Our Cabinet Refacing Service
Ago Kitchens refaces kitchen cabinets as a standalone project or alongside other work such as a new countertop. The door style, materials, hardware, and scope for your kitchen are discussed during the on-site consultation and set out in your written estimate, and your agreement is directly with Ago Kitchens.
The rest of this page is general information about cabinet refacing to help you decide whether it fits your kitchen, whoever you hire. It is not a quote, and it does not describe a specific Ago Kitchens project or the specific materials available for yours.
What Refacing Changes — and What Stays
| Usually changes | Usually stays |
|---|---|
| Cabinet doors and drawer fronts | Cabinet boxes and their interiors |
| Visible face frames and exposed end panels, covered to match | Layout, cabinet sizes, and appliance openings |
| Hinges, pulls, and knobs | Countertops, in most cases |
| Trim such as toe kicks and crown molding, if included | Plumbing and electrical locations |
Because the boxes stay, refacing is a middle path between refinishing (new finish, same doors) and new cabinet installation (everything new, layout can change).
Is Your Kitchen a Good Candidate?
Refacing tends to work well when:
- The cabinet boxes are solid, square, and securely attached.
- You are happy with the layout and the amount of storage.
- You want a different door style — for example, from raised-panel oak to a flat shaker or slab door.
- You want to keep your existing countertops, or replace them without changing the cabinets underneath.
It is usually not the right choice when:
- Boxes show water damage, swelling, or loose joints — common under the sink.
- You want to move appliances, add an island, or change cabinet sizes.
- The existing cabinets are a construction style that new doors cannot be fitted to well; ask whether your face frames or box edges are suitable.
Refacing Materials
New doors and drawer fronts are paired with a matching material for the visible box surfaces. The common options differ in look and durability:
- Wood veneer — a thin layer of real wood applied to the boxes, usually with solid wood or veneered doors. It can be stained or painted and shows natural grain.
- Thermofoil — a vinyl layer heat-formed over an MDF core. Smooth and easy to clean, but it can lift or discolor with sustained heat, such as next to a range or a self-cleaning oven without a heat shield.
- Laminate — a durable, moisture-resistant surface in many solid colors and wood looks, common with slab-style doors.
- Painted doors — often MDF or wood. Painted wood doors can show fine lines at the joints as wood moves with Minnesota's seasonal humidity swings; MDF panels are more stable.
Ask to see full-size door samples, and look at the box covering material and the door finish together in your kitchen's light.
Hardware and Storage Updates
Refacing is a natural time to replace hinges with adjustable soft-close hinges, add new pulls, and ask whether drawer boxes or slides can be upgraded. Roll-out shelves, pull-out trash, and similar inserts can often be added to existing base cabinets. Ask which of these are included in an estimate, since they are often priced separately.
How Refacing Typically Works
- Measuring. Every door and drawer opening is measured, because new doors are made to fit the existing boxes.
- Ordering. Doors, drawer fronts, and box covering material are ordered. Lead times vary by product.
- Preparation. Old doors, drawer fronts, and hardware come off, and box surfaces are cleaned and prepared.
- Covering the boxes. Face frames and exposed sides are covered with the matching material.
- Installation and adjustment. New doors, drawer fronts, hardware, and trim are installed and adjusted so gaps are even.
Because the cabinets stay in place and countertops usually remain, the kitchen can often stay partly usable during the work; ask what to expect for your project.
What Affects a Refacing Estimate
- The number of doors, drawer fronts, and exposed panels
- Door style and material (veneer, thermofoil, laminate, or painted)
- Hardware, hinges, and drawer upgrades
- Added trim, crown molding, or new cabinets to fill gaps
- Any repairs the boxes need before they can be refaced
We do not publish refacing prices. Our remodel cost guide explains how cabinet choices affect a kitchen budget.
Questions to Ask About a Refacing Proposal
- What material covers the boxes, and what are the doors made of?
- Which surfaces are covered — face frames, end panels, toe kicks?
- Are hinges, drawer slides, and hardware replaced?
- What repairs, if any, do my cabinet boxes need first?
- What warranty does the door or material manufacturer provide?
Cabinet Refacing FAQs
What is the difference between refacing and refinishing cabinets?
Refacing replaces the doors and drawer fronts and covers the visible cabinet surfaces with a new material, so you can change the door style. Refinishing keeps your existing doors and applies a new finish or color to them. If you like your current door style, refinishing may be enough; if you want a different style, refacing is the option.
Do my countertops have to come off for refacing?
Usually not. Refacing works on the cabinet fronts, so countertops can generally stay in place. If you are also replacing the countertops, it is worth coordinating the order of the work — see countertop installation.
Can refacing change my kitchen layout?
Only in small ways. Refacing keeps the existing cabinet boxes, so the layout, cabinet sizes, and appliance openings stay the same. Some projects add or swap a few cabinets, but if you want to move the sink, add an island, or change storage significantly, new cabinet installation is usually the better fit.
Can laminate or thermofoil cabinets be refaced?
Often, yes — as long as the boxes underneath are sound. Refacing replaces the doors and drawer fronts and covers the box faces with new material, so the old surface does not need to take paint. That makes refacing a common route for laminate or peeling thermofoil cabinets, which are poor candidates for refinishing.
Can damaged cabinets be refaced?
Refacing covers the outside of the boxes; it does not repair them. Water damage under the sink, swollen particleboard, or boxes that are coming apart should be addressed before refacing, and widespread damage is a sign that new cabinets are the better choice.
Getting Started
Call Ago Kitchens at 877-708-4271 to talk about cabinet refacing, on its own or as part of a larger kitchen project. After an initial project discussion, an on-site consultation looks at your kitchen in person, and you receive a written estimate. If you decide to go ahead, you sign a written agreement directly with Ago Kitchens before work begins — see how it works.
We work in Owatonna and in Medford, Faribault, Waseca, Blooming Prairie, and Austin. See service areas for the communities we cover.
