Replacing kitchen cabinets doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. For some, it means changing the doors while keeping the existing boxes, costing between $1,000 and $3,000. For others, it means tearing everything out and starting fresh—a project that typically runs between $15,000 and $25,000 installed, and more for custom work.
This guide covers 2026 price ranges in Quebec, the factors that influence them, and the honest question few pricing guides ask: how far should you go with your kitchen, and at what point is it too much?
The term covers four very different types of projects. Replacing doors leaves the boxes in place and only changes the visible surfaces. Refacing adds a veneer to the boxes. Refinishing keeps everything and simply updates the finish. A complete replacement involves removing everything. Knowing which category your project falls into is the first step in evaluating the investment.
This project involves swapping out doors and drawer fronts while the boxes, shelves, and layout remain intact. New hinges are often part of the job, as old hardware rarely matches the drilling patterns of new fronts.
One detail matters more than most homeowners realize: the mounting style. Face-frame cabinets use full, partial, or inset overlays, while European-style kitchen cabinets rely on frameless construction, where the doors completely cover the edges. Replacement doors must be measured according to the style you already have—this is the most critical step of the entire project.
Keeping the boxes makes sense when they are in good condition. Favorable signs include:
Conversely, swollen panels, sagging shelves, or warped frames call for a complete replacement. There is also the issue of material consistency: pairing new fronts made of premium wood like white oak kitchen cabinets with aging melamine cabinets creates a visible quality gap.
Quebec benchmarks for 2026 vary by a factor of thirty depending on the scope. Here are the ranges published by market players.
Ranges in Canadian dollars, synthesized from 2026 data published by Home Depot Canada, prix-cuisine.ca and Soumission Rénovation. Methodologies differ: some ranges cover materials only, while others include turnkey installation. Always verify what a quote includes before comparing.
The material is the most significant factor. In Quebec, thermoplastic laminate ranges from $400 to $800 per unit, painted MDF from $600 to $1,200, and solid wood from $1,200 to $3,000. The difference comes down to durability as much as appearance: thermoplastic lasts 10 to 15 years, while solid wood exceeds 20.
Thewood kitchen cabinets solid wood occupies the top tier, and the species you choose sets the tone. The tight, uniform grain ofmaple kitchen cabinets takes paint and stain flawlessly; the chocolate-toned figuring ofwalnut kitchen cabinets combines beauty and durability at a higher price point. Our guide to the best wood for kitchen cabinets compares each species in depth.
Style influences cost through its complexity. A flat-panel door is the simplest to produce and the natural choice for modern kitchen cabinets, while a Shaker door adds a five-piece frame and a modest price increase. Raised panels, grooved profiles, and glass doors involve more detail and machining time—and therefore cost more.
Our overview of cabinet door types explains each family, and you can see how these profiles translate into door styles and finishes featured in our collections, from the classic Regency to the minimalist Visso.
Labor accounts for a significant portion of the bill, and that is precisely where refacing saves money: fewer hours on the job site and no demolition. A professional installer typically handles:
Also, budget for hardware, which accounts for 10% to 20% of cabinet costs: handles, knobs, and soft-close hinges are a modest upgrade that rewards you every day.
DIY installation saves on labor costs and can work when new doors match the exact dimensions of the old ones. The risk lies in the tolerances: misaligned hinges, uneven gaps, and doors that never quite sit flush are common results of a weekend project involving custom dimensions. For custom-made fronts, professional installation protects your investment, and comparing more than one quote keeps the scope of work honest.
Custom cabinets deserve more than a catalog estimate. Share your project with our team and receive advice on materials, styles, and finishes tailored to your kitchen.
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Replacing kitchen cabinets is one of four paths to a refreshed kitchen, and the right one depends on the condition of what you currently have. Refacing, refinishing, and full replacement each solve a different problem at a different price point.
Refacing includes new doors and drawer fronts as well as matching veneer applied to the cabinet boxes, ranging from $5,000 to $9,000 for an average kitchen in Quebec. It is installed in a few days rather than a few weeks, generates little dust, and saves 30% to 50% compared to a new kitchen of equivalent quality.
Refinishing takes the opposite approach: the existing doors remain, and they are stripped, sanded, and then repainted or restained. It preserves quality doors that have a worn finish. The deciding factor is whether your current doors are worth keeping. If you still like their profile and construction, refinishing honors them; otherwise, replacement remains the most transformative path.
Replacing kitchen cabinets entirely—from $15,000 to $25,000 and much more for custom work—becomes the wisest investment when the boxes themselves have failed, or when the layout no longer suits your lifestyle. New doors cannot save compromised construction, and refacing locks you into the current layout: it is impossible to move the sink or add an island.
There is also the aspirational case. A fully custom kitchen, built to your dimensions in a species like red oak kitchen cabinets, with dovetail joints and storage designed around your habits, offers a result that no surface update can match. Our guide on how much kitchen cabinets cost details the full picture.
Are you unsure which path is right for your kitchen? Schedule a consultation and our specialists will evaluate your space to recommend the approach that serves it best.
The questions below come up in almost every conversation on the subject. The short answers will help you plan; your own kitchen will help refine them.
Refacing can be installed in two to five days, with the project wrapping up in two to three weeks. A full replacement typically requires four to eight weeks on-site, and up to twelve for a high-end project. The longest lead time is manufacturing: custom cabinets are made to order, so expect 8 to 16 weeks between ordering and delivery.
Yes. Replacing only the doors while keeping the boxes is a well-established approach and the very foundation of refacing. The essential condition is structural: the boxes must be square and sound, and the new fronts must be measured according to your existing mounting style and openings.
Yes, and in a measurable way. In Quebec, replacing cabinets within the existing footprint recovers 65% to 75% of the investment at resale, a complete renovation 75% to 85%, and a high-end project 80% to 90%. Open-concept kitchens and multifunctional islands alone add 10% to 15% to the property's value.
When it comes to a great kitchen, replacement is one of the most cost-effective transformations you can make. The real question is the scope: from $1,000 for new doors to $30,000 for a turnkey renovation, the difference comes down less to luxury than to your initial assessment.
The honest test is the one that opened this guide. Sturdy cabinet boxes and a layout you love make a strong case for new doors; compromised construction suggests it’s time to think bigger. Either answer, reached with clarity, protects your renovation from its most expensive mistake: beautifully solving the wrong problem.
Turning a price range into a plan takes three steps:
Since 1971, our master cabinetmakers in Sherbrooke, Quebec, have crafted over 250,000 cabinets, each finished with the hand-applied lacquers and expertise that distinguish a cabinet from a work of art.
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