The Short Version
Cabinet refacing replaces everything you see and keeps everything you don't. Old doors and drawer fronts come off. The visible frames get covered in new veneer or laminate. New doors and drawer fronts go on, with new hinges and hardware. Your kitchen stays usable throughout, and most projects finish in three to five working days. No demolition, no layout changes, no weeks without a kitchen.
Step 1: The Free Visit
Everything starts with us looking at your cabinets in person. We check the boxes — are they solid, square, free of water damage? We look at the doors and frames, note the hinge types, measure the openings, and talk with you about what you want to change. This is also where we tell you if refacing is not the right answer. If your boxes are failing or you want to move walls, we will say so plainly. The visit is free and there is no pressure — it is an inspection and a conversation, not a sales pitch.
Step 2: Choosing Your Look
With solid boxes confirmed, the fun part starts: picking the door style, finish, and hardware. We bring full-size door samples and finish options to your kitchen so you can judge them in your own light, against your own counters and floors. Shaker, slab, raised panel — painted or stained, in whatever color suits your home. Take your time with this decision; you will live with it for years. We can also talk through the frame covering: real wood veneer or laminate, matched to your new doors.
Step 3: Measuring
Every door and drawer front is measured individually. In older Alexandria homes, openings are rarely perfectly uniform — decades of settling and hand-built construction mean a sixteenth of an inch here, an eighth there. We measure each opening as it actually is, not as the blueprint said it should be. The new doors are built to these measurements, so they fit with even gaps all around.
Step 4: The Written Estimate
You get an itemized written estimate: doors, drawer fronts, veneer or laminate, hinges, hardware, and labor — each line clear. Every project is different — contact us for a free written estimate. No vague allowances, no surprise add-ons later. If something about your cabinets would change the price — say, frame repairs needed before veneering — you will see it in writing before any work starts.
Step 5: Build Time
After you approve the estimate, your doors and drawer fronts are built to order in your chosen style and finish. This takes some weeks — custom doors are not off-the-shelf. We will give you a realistic timeline at the estimate stage. Nothing happens in your kitchen during this phase; life goes on normally.
Step 6: Install Days
When the doors arrive, the transformation happens fast. Day one is usually teardown and frame prep: old doors come off, frames are cleaned and sanded smooth. Then the veneer or laminate goes on the frames, section by section. Then the new doors are hung on new soft-close hinges, drawer fronts are fitted, and hardware goes on. We work in sections so your kitchen stays usable — you will clear the section we are working on each day, and we will tell you which one is next. Floors and counters are protected, and we clean up every evening.
Step 7: Adjusting and Aligning
Hanging the doors is only half the job; adjusting them is the other half. Every door is aligned so the gaps are even, nothing rubs, and everything closes properly. Drawer fronts are set flush and square. This fussy final adjustment is what makes the kitchen look built-in rather than assembled — and it is the step rushed jobs skip.
Step 8: The Walkthrough
We go through the kitchen with you, opening and closing every door and drawer. If anything needs a tweak, it gets tweaked on the spot. We leave you with simple care instructions for your new finish. And then the crew packs up, the kitchen is yours, and it looks new.
What You Won't Experience
No demolition day. No dumpster. No plastic sheeting sealing off the kitchen. No weeks of takeout. No plumbing or electrical work. No layout decisions to agonize over. Refacing is deliberately the least disruptive way to transform a kitchen — that is not a side benefit, it is the core of the idea.
Call (301) 679-9193 or send the form below for your free on-site estimate.