The benefits of cabinet refacing are numerous. For a fraction of the price of new cabinets, you can update your existing kitchen cabinets with new doors, drawer fronts and/or drawer boxes, updated hardware selections, storage solutions, and more. Not to mention the other major benefits like no paint fumes, use of your kitchen during the process, less waste, and an increase the value of your home! Still, your refacing project is only as good as the contractor or company who completes the job. Here are some tips for how to hire a professional cabinet refacing contractor near you to get the best results for your kitchen cabinet refacing project!
What is Cabinet Refacing?
Cabinet refacing involves replacing cabinet doors and drawers and applying a wood veneer over existing cabinet boxes. This option allows you to completely update the style and color or finish of your cabinets at a fraction of the cost of buying new kitchen cabinets.
Refacing is different than cabinet painting in that it allows you to thoroughly upgrade the whole look and feel of your kitchen cabinets – not just the paint color. It also keeps paint fumes out of your home and allows you to access your kitchen in the mornings and evenings even during the install process.
Cabinet refacing is a great way to transform your kitchen or bathroom space with a fresh new look – without the price tag of new cabinets! You can learn more about the cabinet refacing process here. Or, check out more of the benefits of cabinet refacing!
How to Hire a Professional Cabinet Refacing Contractor
1. Find a contractor who’s local
Finding someone who’s local to you can not only give you a better result, but also save you some money on your cabinet refacing project.
Your kitchen is an important part of your living space that impacts everyday life. From the start of your project to the last piece of hardware applied, you want someone who can really take the time to walk you through the whole process. A local contractor can:
- Come to your home
- Create a custom plan for your remodeling project
- Help you make the best choice for giving your cabinets a fresh look (even if it turns out to be kitchen cabinet painting or new cabinetry instead of refacing!)
- Walk you through the selection process with samples of door styles, veneers, and paint colors
- Take accurate measurements of your kitchen
- Make sure your cabinets are a good candidate for refacing
For all of these reasons and more, it’s important to find a contractor who has the ability to come to your home (more than once if needed) before the install starts. They’ll make sure that refacing fits your unique needs and that the right materials are ordered for your job.
In addition, if you find a contractor who’s not local but is still wiling to come out to your home, remember that they’ll be charging you for their extra drive time and gas, whether you see those numbers or not. Commuting takes time, and finding someone who is nearby can end up saving you money on the overall cost of your job.
Lastly, local contractors care about their reputation in the local community. Small businesses especially are impacted greatly by customer reviews and word of mouth. Finding someone who cares about their community will help ensure that they’re committed to providing you superior, quality services.
2. Check their reviews
Did you know that 88% of people trust reviews from other consumers as much as reviews from friends and family?
How many times have you scrolled through an Amazon product, reading a handful (or more) of reviews to make sure that you’re choosing just the right one? Reviews are essential for everything from your next car all the way down to a $5 product online. Don’t skimp on reading reviews when it comes to choosing a professional for kitchen renovations!
Not only will this person be in your home for a few days, but they’ll also be impacting the function and look of your kitchen cabinets dramatically. You want someone who can do the job right!
Reviews will help you determine what others think about their completed project, whether they felt like they got a fair price, whether the contractor has a lot of experience or a little, and overall, whether or not they made a good choice.
Keep in mind that, while reading reviews on the contractor’s website can be helpful, they’re not as unbiased as reviews on a third-party platform, like Google or Facebook. This is because the contractor can hand-pick the best reviews to add to their website.
3. Ask about the supplies and materials they use
There are countless contractors who might be willing to take on your job. But you don’t just want someone who can do the job – you want someone who can do the job right.
More than just applying a fresh coat of paint, cabinet refacing involves replacing cabinet doors and applying a painted or real wood veneer to the existing cabinet frames and boxes. It’s important to find a contractor that will use the right products and high-quality materials so that your newly refacing cabinets will hold up to everyday use for years to come. Without the right paint, solid wood components, and durable hardware, you’ll soon find yourself frustrated with peeling, breaking drawers and doors, or flimsy hardware that will need to be replaced again quickly.
Here are some questions to ask a potential contractor about the supplies and materials that they use:
- Do you use a catalyzed varnish or two-component finish? (Cheap, single-component paints won’t have the durability that you’ll need to ensure that the paint can hold up to lots of use.)
- Are the frames of the cabinet doors solid wood? (Poplar and maple are popular woods for paint-grade doors.)
- Do you use solid wood drawer boxes? (Make sure they’re not using particle board, plywood, or boxes with poor joinery.)
The right contractor will use not only the the right materials, but will also have the right tools for the job. While a general contractor can handle many parts of a kitchen remodel, it’s best to hire someone who has specific experience in refacing and can save you a lot of money in the long run by doing the job right the first time.
4. Find someone who will take the time to personalize your experience
No two kitchens are alike, and every home deserves a custom plan that works for the space.
Some homeowners love their kitchen and simply want new profiles and/or a new color, while others are going for a whole new look.
Many are looking for custom storage solutions, like pull-out drawers, pull-out trash cans, new cabinetry units, spice racks, and lazy susans.
Some clients need to work around granite countertops or a complex design, or perhaps want to reface some cabinets and replace the rest.
Some homeowners are just looking to upgrade their cabinets, while others are doing a full kitchen remodel and want advice on how the order of projects should go.
Still others only need cabinet redooring, or may just want new hardware to give the old cabinets an updated look.
Find a contractor who will take the time to listen to your frustrations about your kitchen, come out to your home, and help to create a personalized plan for your space. Contractors with years of experience have been in dozens – if not hundreds – of kitchens, and they’ll have ideas and solutions for your kitchen that you may not even know exist!
5. Find someone who understands the industry
Lastly, find someone who specifically understands the cabinet and cabinet refacing industry. Storage options, cabinetry solutions, and hardware that’s available on the market are always changing. In order to create a customized plan for you, your contractor needs to understand the available options and be up to date on what’s going on in the world of cabinetry.
This type of experience and information will be invaluable to you when it comes to figuring out the best solutions for your kitchen space. While general contractors may be able to do certain parts of the job, they won’t be able to give you the same ideas and solutions as someone who’s specific to the industry.
Questions to Ask a Cabinet Refacing Contractor
Still not sure whether you’ve found the right contractor for your cabinet refacing job? Here are some questions to ask.
Can you show me samples of your work?
A professional contractor will be able to show you before and after pictures of previous jobs they’ve completed. These samples will not only help to give you an idea of whether or not you like the end product, but can also help you to visualize the quality of work that they do.
In addition, cabinet refacing contractors may also be able to show you samples of the doors or hardware that they use, so that you can see and feel the quality right away.
Are you insured?
Accidents happen, and it’s important to make sure that you’ve hired a contractor who’s covered just in case something goes awry in your kitchen. You don’t want to have to pay for any damages or injuries that could possible occur during the job. It only takes one! If you’re not sure, it doesn’t hurt to ask your contractor if they have insurance.
Do you specialize in cabinet refacing?
There’s a difference between a contractor who specializes in cabinet refacing and a professional cabinet painter. Refacing, painting, and new cabinet installation are all different ways to upgrade your cabinets. If you’re set on refacing, it’s important to find someone who’s very knowledgable about this specific niche of cabinetry.
While a professional painters will be great at providing a high quality paint job to change the color of your cabinets, someone who specializes in refacing will have experience with applying new veneers, hanging new doors, installing new hardware, and other carpentry skills involved for taking accurate measurements, cutting crown molding, and more.
Veracity Cabinet Refacing – Serving our Lansing, MI Community
Veracity Cabinet Refacing serves the greater Lansing, MI community with cabinet refacing services. As a small, family-owned company, we prioritize taking the time to get to know your kitchen and your needs to help you choose thee best option for you and bring new life to your space.
Our process is simple:
- Schedule a 30-minute phone call
- Get a free quote
- Enjoy your updated kitchen!
Contact us today to find out more about our affordable cabinet refacing options in mid-Michigan!