The Questions Every Estimate Starts With
Thirty-four years of kitchen-table conversations, condensed. Click a question to open it.
How is refacing different from painting my cabinets?
Painting keeps your existing doors and covers them in paint, which on 30-year-old raised-panel oak still looks like 30-year-old raised-panel oak, just white. Refacing replaces the doors and drawer fronts entirely and re-skins the frames, so the style, wood and profile all change. Painting is cheaper; refacing is transformative. Both have their place — we'll tell you which fits your kitchen.
Can I use my kitchen during the install?
Yes — this is the big advantage. Your countertops, sink, stove and fridge all keep working every night of a refacing job. There's dust and a crew in your kitchen during the day, but you cook dinner at home. Counter replacement adds 1–2 days without a sink; we schedule those so you know exactly which days.
How long will refacing actually last?
The doors are new solid wood or thermofoil, so they last like new cabinets — decades. The veneer bond is the part people worry about, and modern PSA and cold-press veneers hold up for the life of the kitchen when applied right. We have refacing jobs from the early 90s still going. Workmanship is covered for as long as you own the home, in writing.
Do you use subcontractors?
No. Everyone in your house is a Reborn employee — installers, counter crew, plumber, electrician. It's been that way since 1991, it's the reason our schedule is occasionally longer than the guy with the door magnet, and we consider it the best decision the company ever made.
How far out are you booking?
Depends on the season. Right now installs are typically 3–4 weeks after your final door-style selection (the shop needs about two weeks to build). Spring books further out; December is oddly quiet and a great time to jump the line.
Do I need permits?
Refacing, counters and vanities: no permit, it's finish work. Moving plumbing, gas or electrical for a layout change: yes, and we pull it — the permit shows up in your city's records under our license, which is exactly what you want if you ever sell the house.
What's the payment schedule?
Nothing down at signing beyond a 10% deposit (California caps it at 10% or $1,000, whichever is less — a contractor asking for half up front is breaking the law, walk away). Progress payment when materials arrive, balance at final walkthrough when you're satisfied.
Will you match a competitor's quote?
Honestly? Usually not, and we'll tell you why line by line. Most cheaper quotes we see are factory doors in stock sizes with filler strips, installed by subs. If the competitor's scope genuinely matches ours, they've priced it fairly and you should feel fine choosing them. We compete on the work, not the number.
My cabinets are from the 60s. Can they be refaced?
Often yes — mid-century boxes were usually solid plywood and better built than what came later. The estimator will poke around under the sink (water damage hides there) and give you a straight answer. If they're not worth saving, we'll say so and quote custom instead.
Do you do just doors, without the veneer work?
Yes — if your frames are in good shape and the color works, door-and-drawer-front replacement is a legitimate budget option. It's about 60–70% of a full reface. We do a few every month.
Didn't find yours? Ask us directly — the phone gets answered by a human named Marisol.