Cabinet refinishing is the highest-return work in this trade, and also the one where the gap between a professional job and a weekend job is most obvious within a year.

The numbers

Angi (Boston), HomeGuide, Paint Pro New England. Labour is 70–85% of the total.

Versus replacement

A cabinet replacement is a different order of project — demolition, new boxes, usually new countertops because the old ones rarely survive removal, and weeks without a kitchen. National figures put new cabinets at roughly $4,500 – $15,000 (HomeGuide) for the cabinetry alone, and Greater Boston sits at the upper end of national ranges before you add counters, plumbing and tile.

Three times we will tell you not to do it

1. Thermofoil or melamine that is already peeling. The face is a plastic film over MDF. Once it lifts, paint will not re-bond it.
2. Water-damaged boxes. Swollen particleboard under the sink does not come back. Replace those cabinets, refinish the rest.
3. You dislike the layout. Painting a kitchen you find frustrating to cook in produces a nicer-looking kitchen you still find frustrating.

Open-grain oak is not on that list — it can be painted beautifully. The grain will still read as texture through the finish unless it is grain-filled, which is an extra step and an extra cost. Plenty of people specifically like the texture. We will show you both and let you choose.

Why the process costs what it costs

Almost the entire price is preparation and containment:

• Degreasing. Years of aerosolised cooking oil sit on every surface. This is the step DIY jobs skip and it is why their finish peels at the handles first.
• Sanding and de-glossing. Every profile, by hand, plus machine sanding with dust extraction on the flats.
• Bonding primer. Not a wall primer. Tinted toward the finish color so coverage is even.
• Spray application. Doors laid flat, off-site, in a controlled space. No brush marks, no sags, no dust nibs.
• Cure time. Waterborne alkyds and conversion varnishes reach block resistance in days and full hardness over weeks. Stacking plates too early is how a good finish gets damaged.

Dark stain to a light color needs more coats and better blocking — expect roughly 25% more.

How long it lasts

With proper prep and a cabinet-grade topcoat, expect around eight to twelve years before the finish needs attention — comparable to a factory finish. Touch-ups are straightforward if the contractor leaves you labelled paint, which any good one will.