Quick Answer:
For most Ottawa homeowners, cabinet painting costs $2,500–$5,000 and cabinet refacing runs $4,500–$12,000, both dramatically less than full replacement at $15,000–$40,000+. If your cabinet boxes are structurally sound and your layout works, painting or refacing delivers the fresh look you want for a fraction of the cost.
The Question Every Ottawa Homeowner Asks Before Booking
You open your kitchen cabinets every single day. Maybe the colour feels dated, the finish is chipping, or the style just doesn’t match the home you’ve built over the years. You know something needs to change but the thought of a full kitchen gut job feels overwhelming and expensive.
So you start researching. And pretty quickly you hit the same three options: paint the cabinets, reface the cabinets, or replace them entirely.
This guide breaks down exactly what each option involves, what it costs in Ottawa in 2026, and how to figure out which one is right for your kitchen. NorthCo Services offers both professional cabinetry painting and cabinet refacing so this isn’t a sales pitch for one or the other. It’s an honest breakdown.
What Is Cabinet Painting?
Cabinet painting means your existing cabinet doors, drawer fronts, and boxes are professionally cleaned, sanded, primed, and spray-painted in your chosen colour. The structure of your kitchen stays completely intact only the finish changes.
At NorthCo, doors and drawer fronts are removed and taken to our spray booth for a controlled, dust-free finish. Cabinet boxes are masked and painted on-site. The result looks and feels like factory-new cabinetry, not a DIY brush job.
What Cabinet Painting Includes
- Removal of all doors and drawer fronts
- Thorough degreasing and surface prep
- Sanding and professional-grade priming
- HVLP spray painting in a controlled environment
- On-site painting of cabinet boxes
- Reinstallation, hardware alignment, and final quality chec
Cabinet Painting Costs in Ottawa (2026)
| Kitchen Size | Approx. Doors & Drawers | Typical Ottawa Cost |
| Small (condo/galley) | 10–16 pieces | $2,500 – $3,500 |
| Medium (standard home) | 17–30 pieces | $3,500 – $5,000 |
| Large (open-concept) | 31–50+ pieces | $5,000 – $7,500 |
Costs include labour, professional materials, and reinstallation. Hardware upgrades are quoted separately.
What Is Cabinet Refacing?
Cabinet refacing goes one step further than painting. The cabinet boxes stay in place, but all visible surfaces doors, drawer fronts, and the exterior face frames are replaced with brand-new materials. You can choose new door styles, new hardware, and even update the box veneers to match.
Refacing is a great option when you want a completely new door profile (like switching from a flat slab to a shaker style), or when your existing doors are warped, cracked, or damaged beyond what paint can fix.
What Cabinet Refacing Includes
- All new cabinet doors and drawer fronts in your chosen style and material
- New veneer or laminate applied to visible box surfaces
- Updated face frames to match
- New hardware (knobs, pulls, hinges)
- All installation and alignment included
Cabinet Refacing Costs in Ottawa (2026)
| Kitchen Size | Door Style | Typical Ottawa Cost |
| Small | Thermofoil / basic | $4,500 – $6,500 |
| Medium | Shaker / mid-range | $7,000 – $10,000 |
| Large / custom | Wood veneer / premium | $10,000 – $14,000+ |
Refacing costs vary based on door material, number of pieces, and finish selection.
Cabinet Painting vs. Refacing vs. Replacement: Side-by-Side
| Factor | Painting | Refacing | Replacement |
| Typical Ottawa Cost | $2,500 – $7,500 | $4,500 – $14,000 | $15,000 – $40,000+ |
| Project Timeline | 1–2 weeks | 2–3 weeks | 4–10 weeks |
| Change Door Style? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Change Layout? | No | No | Yes |
| Disruption Level | Low | Medium | High |
| Best For | Colour refresh, good condition boxes | Style change, worn doors | Layout change, damaged boxes |
| ROI at Resale | High | High | Moderate–High |
How to Decide: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself
Most homeowners know which option is right once they think through these four questions honestly:
1. Are your cabinet boxes in good shape?
Open every cabinet and look at the inside corners, the base of lower cabinets, and around the sink. If you see soft wood, water damage, or structural issues, replacement may be necessary. If the boxes are solid which is the case for the majority of Ottawa homes built after the 1990s painting or refacing will give you great results.
2. Does your kitchen layout work for you?
If you’ve always wanted to move the fridge, knock out a wall, or add an island, painting and refacing won’t help — those are structural changes that require a full kitchen renovation. But if your layout is functional and you just want it to look better, you don’t need to touch the structure.
3. Do you want a new door style, or just a new colour?
This is the clearest deciding factor. If you love your shaker doors and just want them in a different colour, painting is your answer. If you want to switch from flat-panel to shaker, or from a raised profile to something more modern, refacing makes more sense.
4. What’s your timeline?
Painting is typically complete in 1–2 weeks with minimal disruption to your kitchen. Refacing takes 2–3 weeks. Full replacement can take 4–10 weeks depending on custom cabinet lead times. If you’re hosting family over the holidays or preparing a home for sale, timeline matters. A Smart Kitchen Update from NorthCo can include cabinet painting alongside counter and fixture updates for a complete transformation without the wait.
What Ottawa Homeowners Get Wrong About Both Options
The biggest mistake we see is homeowners assuming their only real option is full replacement. That assumption usually comes from one of three places:
- Thinking paint won’t last. Professional spray-painted cabinets properly prepped and primed can last 8–12+ years. The key word is professional. Brush-painted or roll-painted cabinets done without proper prep will peel. Spray-painted cabinets done right won’t.
- Confusing DIY results with professional results. YouTube cabinet painting tutorials make it look easy. The prep work degreasing, sanding, two-coat priming, dust-controlled spray application is what separates a finish that lasts from one that bubbles within a year.
- Not knowing refacing exists. Many homeowners have never heard of cabinet refacing until they get a renovation quote. It’s a well-kept secret that contractors who do full replacements don’t always volunteer.
Conclusion
For most Ottawa homeowners with structurally sound kitchens, cabinet painting or refacing delivers the fresh, modern look they want without the cost, disruption, and timeline of full replacement. Painting is ideal for a colour change on good-condition doors. Refacing makes sense when you want a new door style or your current doors are worn.
The right choice comes down to your specific kitchen. That’s exactly why NorthCo offers a free, no-pressure quote so you can see what each option would look like for your home, with real numbers attached.
Ready to see what’s possible for your Ottawa kitchen? Book a free quote with NorthCo Services
Frequently Asked Questions
Can painted cabinets really look as good as new cabinets?
Yes, when done professionally. NorthCo uses HVLP spray systems in a dust-controlled shop environment, the same equipment used to finish factory cabinetry. The result is a smooth, even finish that is indistinguishable from new. We’ve painted thousands of cabinet doors across Ottawa homes.
How long does professional cabinet painting last in Ottawa?
With proper prep and professional-grade products, painted cabinets typically last 8–12 years before needing a refresh. Ottawa’s humidity fluctuations and temperature swings do put some stress on finishes which is why surface prep matters so much.
Is refacing worth it if I’m planning to sell my home?
Generally yes, kitchen updates are consistently cited as among the highest-return renovations at resale. A refaced kitchen in a dated finish can meaningfully move a buyer’s perception of value. That said, if your kitchen is functionally outdated (awkward layout, not enough storage), buyers will see through cosmetic changes.
Can I change the colour of refaced cabinets?
Absolutely. Refacing uses new door and drawer front materials, so you choose the colour, finish, and style from scratch. You can also paint the new doors if you want flexibility in the future.
Does NorthCo offer both painting and refacing?
Yes. NorthCo offers professional cabinet painting, cabinetry refacing, and full kitchen updates and renovations so we can match you to the right solution based on your goals, budget, and kitchen condition.
