Cabinet Installation & Refacing in Austin, TX

Cabinet Installation & Refacing in Austin, TX

Cabinet installation and refacing in Austin typically runs $7,500 – $22,000 depending on whether you’re replacing everything or refacing what you already have. Most full installations take 2 – 5 days once the cabinets arrive, and refacing usually wraps in 3 – 4. At Penhallow Remodeling Austin, you get a written price before we pull a single cabinet, a defined arrival window, and a 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing on every kitchen remodeling job. Call (325) 225-5429 and we’ll walk you through what your kitchen actually needs.

Kitchen cabinets are the visual anchor of the room, but they’re also the workhorse. In Austin’s humidity swings, cabinet doors swell in summer and contract in winter. That movement loosens hinges, cracks paint, and eventually separates face frames. What starts as a sticky drawer in June becomes a sagging door by October. We see it constantly in Allandale, Crestview, Mueller, and Northwest Hills, and the fix is rarely a single hinge. This page explains what cabinet installation and refacing actually involve, what it costs in the Austin market, and how our approach to Kitchen Remodeling in Austin removes the gamble that other contractors leave you holding.

Key Takeaways

• Cabinet installation replaces your existing boxes and doors; refacing keeps the boxes and replaces doors, drawer fronts, and veneers.
• Expect $7,500 – $22,000 in Austin depending on cabinet line, kitchen size, and whether plumbing or electrical moves with the job.
• Refacing saves 30 – 50% compared to full replacement when your cabinet boxes are structurally sound.
• Every Penhallow job carries a written price up front, a written guarantee, and a 365-Day Done Right Promise.
• We install KraftMaid and Wellborn cabinetry, both of which carry manufacturer warranties that layer on top of ours.

When You Need Cabinet Installation & Refacing

Not every kitchen needs a full kitchen remodeling gut. Some need a refresh. Some need a rebuild. Here’s what pushes homeowners in Austin to call us:

• Your cabinet boxes are sound, but the doors are beat. Scratched, faded, or stained doors on boxes that still sit square are a textbook refacing candidate. You keep the structure, we replace the visible surfaces, and the kitchen looks rebuilt for roughly half the cost of new cabinets.
• Shelves are bowing under the weight of your dishes. Particleboard shelves sag over time, especially in humid Austin summers. If the shelf has a visible dip or the center support feels soft, the cabinet is telling you something.
• Hinges won’t hold a screw anymore. When cabinet doors drift open on their own or the hinge screws spin without biting, the wood around them has stripped. That’s a structural issue, not a hardware issue.
• You’re planning to sell within two years. Kitchens still drive resale value in Austin. Buyers notice cabinets immediately, and a dated or damaged set can knock thousands off your asking price.
• You’ve already repaired the same cabinet twice. If you’ve replaced a hinge, re-glued a joint, or repainted a door and it failed again within six months, the repair isn’t working. Stop paying for temporary fixes.
• Your layout doesn’t work and you’re tired of fighting it. Corner cabinets you can’t reach, a peninsula that blocks the refrigerator door, or drawers that open into each other. Sometimes the right fix is new cabinets in a smarter configuration.

How Much Does Cabinet Installation Cost in Austin?

Cabinet installation in Austin typically costs $4,000 – $12,000 in labor alone, with cabinetry ranging from $3,500 for a small refacing job up to $18,000+ for full replacement with a mid-grade line like KraftMaid or Wellborn. The final number depends on your kitchen design and layout, cabinet line, and whether electrical or plumbing has to move. Here are honest ranges based on recent Austin jobs we’ve priced:

Project Type	Typical Austin Range	What Drives the Price
Cabinet refacing (10 – 15 doors)	$7,500 – $12,000	Door style, veneer material, hardware replacement
Full cabinet replacement, stock line	$9,000 – $16,000	Kitchen size, cabinet count, finish level
Full cabinet replacement, semi-custom	$14,000 – $22,000	Cabinet line (KraftMaid, Wellborn), soft-close upgrades, pull-outs
Installation labor only	$4,000 – $8,000	Demo and haul-away, wall repair, scribe work

What moves the number up or down? Cabinet grade is the biggest lever. Stock cabinets from a big-box store cost less than semi-custom from Wellborn, but you give up fit and finish. In older Austin homes, crooked walls are common, and scribing cabinets to a wall that’s out of plumb takes time. Demolition and haul-away add cost, especially if you’re in a neighborhood with tight alley access like Hyde Park or Travis Heights. Moving a sink base or cooktop location means plumbing and electrical work, which adds $800 – $2,500 to the job depending on what’s behind the wall.

Refacing is nearly always cheaper than replacement when your boxes are solid. You’re paying for doors, drawer fronts, veneers, and hardware, not for new boxes, and not for the demo labor to rip the old ones out. In Mueller and East Austin kitchens from the 2000s, we often find boxes that are perfectly square with dated doors. Those are ideal refacing candidates, and the savings are real.

Every Penhallow job starts with a written price. Not an estimate range, not a verbal ballpark. A written number you can hold us to. Call (325) 225-5429 and we’ll come measure, talk through what you need, and hand you a number on paper before any work starts.

Our Cabinet Installation & Refacing Process

Here’s how we work, step by step, so you know exactly what to expect from the first phone call to the final drawer pull:

1. Phone consultation and site visit. You call (325) 225-5429, a live person answers, and we schedule a time that works for you. Trevor Nash or one of our background-checked, uniformed technicians comes to your home, measures your space, and listens to what’s actually wrong with your kitchen, not what we’d prefer to sell you.
2. Written proposal with a fixed price. Within a day or two of the visit, you receive a written proposal that lists every line item: cabinet line, finish, hardware, labor, demo, haul-away, and any plumbing or electrical work. That number is the number on your invoice. If something changes mid-job, we tell you before we touch it and get your sign-off in writing.
3. Material ordering and delivery. Once you approve the proposal, we order your cabinetry. KraftMaid and Wellborn both run 3 – 6 weeks on standard lines. We coordinate delivery so materials arrive close to your install date, and we inspect everything before it enters your home.
4. Prep and demo. We protect your floors, counters, and appliances, then remove the old cabinets carefully enough that we can spot hidden issues: water damage under the sink, out-of-plumb walls, framing repairs needed behind the boxes. If we find something the proposal didn’t cover, we stop, show you, and price it in writing before proceeding.
5. Installation. Cabinets go in level and square, with proper shimming and scribing. Doors and drawers get adjusted so they close without slamming or drifting. Soft-close hardware gets tuned. Every surface gets cleaned before we call it done.
6. Walkthrough and written guarantee. We walk the kitchen with you, show you what we did, and hand you the written guarantee. If anything fails inside 365 days, we come back and fix it at no charge. No service call fee. No re-inspection fee. That’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise, and it’s in writing on every project.

What We Install and Why It Matters

We install KraftMaid and Wellborn cabinetry because both brands have stood up to Austin’s climate and the daily wear of real kitchens. KraftMaid offers a wide range of door styles and finishes at a mid-range price point, and Wellborn builds semi-custom boxes with better tolerances and more configuration options. Both carry manufacturer warranties that layer on top of our 365-Day Done Right Promise, so you’re protected from two directions if something fails.

We also pay close attention to the parts you don’t see. The substrate behind your cabinets matters as much as the doors. In a kitchen, that means solid plywood or furniture-grade particleboard boxes (the denser version that holds screws better than the cheap stuff), proper moisture barriers under sink bases, and hardware that’s rated for daily use. We explain all of it in plain terms: we’d rather you understand what you’re buying than nod along and regret it later.

Refacing vs. Replacement: How to Choose

Refacing makes sense when your cabinet boxes are square, solid, and in the right places. Replacement makes sense when the boxes are compromised, the layout doesn’t work, or you want to change the footprint of the kitchen. Here’s how to think about it:

• Choose refacing if your doors are worn but the boxes are solid, you like your current layout, and you want a faster, lower-cost transformation. Refacing runs 3 – 4 days and keeps your kitchen functional throughout most of the job.
• Choose replacement if shelves are sagging, water has damaged the boxes, the layout fights you every day, or you’re already moving plumbing and electrical as part of a bigger remodel. New cabinets let you fix the bones of the kitchen, not just the face.

We won’t push you toward replacement if refacing gives you what you need. Tell us what’s wrong, and we’ll tell you honestly which option fixes it for the long run.

FAQs – Cabinet Installation & Refacing

Can you install my cabinets if I buy them from a big-box store?

Yes, we can install cabinets you’ve already purchased, but we’ll inspect them first. Stock cabinets from big-box stores are built to a price point, and we’ve seen boxes arrive with damaged corners, warped doors, and inconsistent tolerances. If the cabinets are sound, we’ll install them and stand behind our labor with the same 365-Day Done Right Promise. If they’re not, we’ll tell you before we touch your wall. Call (325) 225-5429 to talk through what you’ve bought and what it’ll take to install it properly.

How long does cabinet refacing take in Austin?

Most refacing projects take 3 – 4 days from start to finish. We measure, order your doors and veneers, then install everything in one focused stretch. Your kitchen stays usable through most of the work, and we leave the space clean at the end of every day. Larger kitchens or complex trim work can add a day or two, but you’ll have a defined window before we start.

What’s actually covered under the 365-Day Done Right Promise?

Everything we touch. If a door we hung starts to sag, a hinge we installed fails, a seam in the veneer lifts, or any part of our workmanship doesn’t hold up inside 365 days, we come back and fix it at no charge. No service call fee, no re-inspection fee, no quibbling about whose fault it is. If it’s our work, it’s our problem to fix. That promise is in writing on every project.

Is it cheaper to reface or replace cabinets?

Refacing is almost always cheaper, typically saving 30 – 50% compared to full replacement. You keep the existing boxes and pay only for new doors, drawer fronts, veneers, and hardware. Replacement costs more because you’re paying for new boxes, plus the demolition labor to remove the old ones. For an accurate number on your specific kitchen, call (325) 225-5429 for a free in-home measure and written quote.

Can you match refaced cabinets to my existing kitchen hardware or countertops?

Yes, and we’ll be honest if it’s a stretch. If you’re keeping your existing countertops, we can choose cabinet finishes and door styles that complement what’s already there. We work with Cambria, Silestone, and Caesarstone if you’re replacing cabinets and countertops at the same time, and we can coordinate everything so the kitchen reads as one intentional room, not a patchwork.

Why Austin Homeowners Call Penhallow Remodeling Austin

The Kingswell standard is simple: say the price before the work. Show up in the window we gave. Leave the place cleaner than we found it. It’s not a slogan, it’s the operating rule that’s guided every Kingswell location since 2004, and Penhallow Remodeling Austin runs on the same standard. Trevor Nash has built this business around the idea that homeowners deserve a contractor who answers the phone, arrives on time, and doesn’t change the number when the job gets complicated.

A live person answers our phone 24/7. Not an answering service, not a voicemail prompt. You call, a person picks up. Every technician who walks into your home is background-checked and in uniform, so you know exactly who’s at your door. And the 365-Day Done Right Promise isn’t a marketing line, it’s a written commitment on every single project, big or small.

We know Austin kitchens the way only a local contractor can. We know that homes in Crestview and Rosedale have plaster walls that don’t take kindly to sloppy shimming. We know that pier-and-beam foundations in Hyde Park shift with the seasons and cabinet doors that were square in January might need adjustment in August. We know the city’s permitting requirements for structural changes and we handle the paperwork so you don’t have to. That local knowledge shows up in every install.

If you’re tired of contractors who don’t show or prices that balloon after demo day, call us. We’ll come look at your kitchen, tell you honestly what it needs, and hand you a written price before you commit to anything. No pressure, no games. Just a clear number and a guarantee that backs it up.

Ready to Talk Cabinets?

Call (325) 225-5429 for a free in-home consultation and written quote. Whether you’re refacing a tired kitchen or replacing everything down to the studs, we’ll walk you through the options, give you a real price, and answer every question in plain English. No voicemail maze, no callback window. A live person answers, and your estimate is free. From our home base in Austin, we serve the entire metro area, including Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Georgetown, and Leander.

Written by Trevor Nash, Owner at Penhallow Remodeling Austin, serving Austin.