Should you spend $30,000 to $60,000 ripping out solid cabinets or $4,000 to $6,500 refinishing them? We break down the real numbers, timelines, and disruption levels for Ottawa homeowners.
In the Ottawa National Capital Region, replacing custom kitchen cabinetry in an average 2,000 to 3,000 sq ft home costs between $25,000 and $45,000—and often upwards of $60,000 in executive estates when including stone countertops, plumbing reconnects, and backsplash tilework.
Professional spray refinishing with industrial 2K Italian polyurethanes typically ranges between $3,500 and $6,500 depending on door count, box condition, and grain filling. Homeowners preserve up to 80% of their remodel budget for premium appliances, quartz counters, or new lighting while achieving the same visual result.
Cabinet replacement is a full construction overhaul. Demolition creates heavy drywall dust, removes sinks and cooktops for weeks, and often delays your household for 6 to 10 weeks while waiting for custom cabinet manufacturing.
With OHCP’s refinishing workflow, the turnaround is just 4 to 5 working days. On Monday morning, we remove doors and drawer fronts to spray off-site in our booth. Cabinet frames are tented with HEPA scrubbers and sprayed on-site. By Friday afternoon, doors are rehung with updated soft-close hinges, hardware is mounted, and your kitchen is 100% operational.
Refinishing makes absolute sense if your cabinet boxes are structurally plumb and solid hardwood or high-grade plywood. Replacement is only necessary if boxes have suffered catastrophic water swelling or severe structural rot.
Many 20- to 30-year-old Ottawa homes feature Canadian maple and oak millwork that is significantly higher quality than modern low-density particleboard. Tearing them out sends hundreds of pounds of reusable hardwood straight to Ottawa Trail Waste landfills.
Refinishing gives high-value timber a brand new lease on life with an eco-conscious footprint. Check out our comprehensive guide on what determines painting cost in Ottawa, see details on our cabinet refinishing process, or request a free in-home quote.
Owner of OHCP since 1999, providing transparent, fixed-price consultations for thousands of Ottawa home renovations.
Sean will inspect your cabinet construction and give you a frank assessment of whether refinishing is the right investment for your home.
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