Let’s Talk About Price VS. Value in cabinet refinishing.

As a professional refinisher we get to work with a variety of Clients. We understand that each client has a unique set of needs and wants. However, at the end of the day all jobs are not created equal. So let’s talk about why a seemingly similar job is priced differently across different companies. First things first, are you getting your cabinets repainted (also called enameling) or are you getting your cabinets refinished? Let’s break this down and see what the differences are.

We’ll start with cabinet repainting as its pretty straight-forward, and the least expensive of the two options. Cabinet re-painting is a service offered by many contractors on today’s market, especially now that it’s such a hot commodity due to current trends. Cabinet repainting can spruce up the look of your kitchen, bathroom, mud room and many more areas. Aside from that, there’s not much value in going this route. Cabinet repainting is ultimately pretty limited, with only a few architectural grade materials marketed toward cabinet painting. With the suitable options being so limited you’re tied to whatever is offered as far as sheen. Usually a satin or semi-gloss are your only options with the exception being some materials having a higher gloss option. The materials marketed toward cabinet painting are essentially high grade trim paints. Some of these materials are what’s called a “hybrid” or a “waterborne alkyd” coating. This just means they’re a replacement to the oil based trim paint from the old days. While we don’t argue that these materials are a suitable option for trim and doors, they simply do not hold up to the abuse life throws at a kitchen with the average cabinet repaint needing to be redone in just 2-3 years.

Now, let’s talk refinishing! This is what gets us at Tucker & Co. Painting LLC excited. The main difference in cabinet repainting and refinishing is that you have many more options. The finish options range from dead flat to high gloss options. Solid color or stain, and either can be accented with glazing techniques giving you a plethora of options, limited only by your vision and the skill of the finisher you’re working with. The benefits of refinishing over repainting don’t end there, though. Refinishing materials are of a higher caliber than paint. These higher quality materials mean you, the client, get a finish that bonds to the cabinets better, lasts much longer and is a whole lot stronger. Standing up to what life throws at your kitchen and much more resistant to heat, water and hand oils and anything else that comes the way of your cabinets (Coffee, mustard, pets, etc.). Refinishing materials are designed to be resistant to Whatever your busy life can throw at them and remain intact and looking good for 5 and even up to 10 years depending on the amount of use your kitchen gets and your lifestyle. On top of all of those benefits the refinishing process is much more in depth than the repainting process. For example, Tucker & Co. Painting uses a 35 step S.O.P. to achieve our finishes.

So, now we can get into the nitty-gritty part. Price VS value. With what we just covered it’s not hard to see that cabinet refinishing is the way to go for maximum value but, what about the price? We’ll use an average size kitchen for this comparison so if your kitchen is a large kitchen or a small kitchen you may have to adjust a bit. An average cabinet refinishing job at Tucker & Co. Painting hovers right around $4,000.00 for a solid color refinish. An average cabinet repaint is right around $2,800.00 for the same look. So if we compare on the lower end of life expectancy you’re going to pay $5,600.00 to repaint your cabinets and get the same life as a refinish. Sure, for a refinish you’re coughing up a little more on the front end but, with the benefits listed here its easy to see that the value is there. Plus, over time you’re saving money by not having to redo the job. Not to mention all the time you’d spend touching them up on your own every time they get dinged or chipped. And in the off chance something drastic happens like a dishwasher line breaks or a sink pipe bursts the repaint simply will not hold up. As a backer to our claims we also offer our Tucker & Co. Painting Workmanship guarantee and standard 5 year warranty on every cabinet refinish project. We also have a maintenance program because no matter what you put on your cabinets, LIFE HAPPENS!, and we get that. When you’re ready, reach out to us for your estimate and free in-home color consultation ( a $150.00 value) and we’ll be here when you’re ready to transform your home.

-Noah Tucker