Search “cabinet refinishing cost” and you’ll find a hundred pages that answer with “it depends” and a form asking for your phone number. We’d rather just tell you. These are real 2026 numbers for Northern Colorado — the same math we use when we write estimates.
The short answer
For a sprayed, factory-grade Milesi finish on an existing mid-size kitchen:
| Project type | Typical range (mid-size kitchen) |
|---|---|
| Refinish — paint or stain | $5,000–$7,000 |
| Reface — new doors, full overlay | $14,000–$18,000 |
| Replacement | Typically 3–5× the cost of refinishing |
Smaller kitchens land under these ranges and big island kitchens above them — the fastest way to see where yours falls is the instant quote tool. Here’s what moves a job toward the bottom or top of a range.
What those ranges look like
Three real kitchens we finished, small to large:
A compact layout like this one sits at or under the low end of the refinishing range.
A typical mid-size kitchen with an island is the $5,000–$7,000 sweet spot.
A large kitchen with tall uppers, paneled ends, and a two-tone scheme lands above the range — and still far under replacement.
What drives the price
Door and drawer count. The single biggest factor. Finishing is piece work: every door is prepped, primed, sprayed, and cured individually, so forty doors is roughly twice the work of twenty.
Finish type. A pigmented (painted) finish in one color is the baseline. Stain-and-clear work, color changes that need extra build, glazes, and two-tone schemes (a different island color, for instance) add steps.
Condition. Sound finishes that need scuffing and recoating sit at the low end. Heavy wear, water damage around the sink, previous DIY paint jobs that have to come off — those add prep hours, and prep is where durability comes from, so we don’t skip it.
Extras. New hardware, interior finishing, crown or trim work, matching panels for an appliance update.
Refinish vs. reface vs. replace
The comparison most people actually want:
| Refinish | Reface | Replace | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What changes | Color & finish | Doors, fronts & finish | Everything incl. layout |
| Relative cost | Baseline | Roughly 2.5–3× refinishing | Typically 3–5× refinishing |
| Typical timeline | About one week | About two weeks | Weeks, full teardown |
If you’re not sure which your kitchen needs, our honest guide to all three options walks through the 60-second self-check.
Financing
Financing through Klarna is available for projects under $10,000 — which covers most refinishing work. Ask when you get your estimate, or look for the option when your quote arrives.
Get your own number in about a minute
Generic ranges are a starting point; your kitchen is specific. Our instant quote tool reads a few photos of your cabinets and gives you a real range for your actual kitchen — no visit, no phone call, about sixty seconds. If you like the number, request a free written estimate and we’ll confirm it properly.