Kitchen Cabinet Refacing in Sunnyvale, CA
Kitchen cabinet refacing keeps the cabinet boxes you already have and gives them new doors, drawer fronts, and a new finished surface. If your cabinets are solid and the layout works, it gets you a new-looking kitchen without the demolition, the dust, or the weeks without a sink.
- Work done under a California CSLB contractor licence
- No tear-out of sound cabinet boxes
- Free design consultation
Get a Free Kitchen Design Consultation
Tell us what you need — we’ll get back to you fast.
We'll be in touch shortly.
Please call us at (408) 684-5066.
How Cabinet Refacing Works
Refacing, sometimes called cabinet resurfacing, starts with the parts you touch and see. We remove the old doors, drawer fronts, and hardware, then cover the face frames and exposed cabinet sides with a new veneer or laminate that matches the new doors. New doors and drawer fronts go on with new hinges and pulls.
Because the cabinet boxes stay in place, the counters, sink, plumbing, and wiring stay where they are too. That is what keeps refacing faster and less disruptive than a full replacement. You can keep cooking in the kitchen through most of the job.
Refacing is also the moment to fix small annoyances: soft-close hinges, new drawer boxes on full-extension slides, a new crown molding, or a pantry pull-out. Those upgrades fit inside the existing cabinet boxes.
The Permit Question in Sunnyvale
Here is a fact most remodeling sites leave out. Sunnyvale does not require a permit to only reface existing cabinets when no electrical work is involved. That is straight from the city's residential kitchen remodel guide, filed with the One-Stop Permit Center at Sunnyvale City Hall.
The catch is the words "no electrical." Add under-cabinet lighting on a new circuit, move an outlet, or change light fixtures, and the job is no longer refacing only. In that case the city's kitchen rules apply, including high-efficacy light fixtures and wall-mounted dimmer controls. We tell you at the consultation which side of the line your plan falls on, so there are no surprises.
If the refacing turns into moving walls or relocating the sink, it becomes a remodel. In California a B-2 Residential Remodeling licence does not cover load-bearing structural work, and a permit is required. At that point our full kitchen remodel page is the better guide.
Cabinet Refacing Options
New doors and drawer fronts
Shaker, slab, raised-panel, or glass-front doors in painted, stained, or laminate finishes.
Matching veneer
Face frames and exposed cabinet sides covered to match the new doors.
Hardware and hinges
Soft-close hinges and new pulls or knobs across the whole kitchen.
Storage upgrades
Pull-out shelves, drawer inserts, and new drawer boxes inside the existing boxes.
Is Refacing Right for Your Kitchen?
Refacing makes sense when the cabinet boxes are sound, dry, and square, and the layout already works. Many kitchens in Sunnyvale's postwar tract homes built where the valley's prune and apricot orchards used to be have solid original or replacement boxes that are worth keeping.
It is the wrong choice when the boxes are water-damaged, sagging, or falling apart, or when you want to change the layout. In Rancho Verde and other Eichler neighborhoods, refacing is often a smart fit because Sunnyvale's Eichler homes sit on concrete slabs with radiant heating built into the slab, which makes moving the sink expensive. If your cabinets need to go, see kitchen cabinet installation.
Refacing pairs well with new counters. If you plan to change both, we sequence the counters after the new fronts are on, so the overhang and edge profile suit the new doors.
Our Process
How a Refacing Job Runs
Consultation
We check the cabinet boxes, measure every door and drawer, and help you pick styles and finishes.
Ordering
Doors, drawer fronts, and veneer are made to your measurements.
Install and Walkthrough
Old fronts off, veneer applied, new doors and hardware on, then a walkthrough with you.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cabinet refacing cheaper than new cabinets?
Usually, because the cabinet boxes stay in place and there is no demolition, plumbing work, or countertop removal. In Sunnyvale's slab-built Eichler homes, it also avoids moving the sink. Cost depends on door style, finish, and upgrades. We price refacing and replacement side by side.
Does cabinet refacing need a permit in Sunnyvale?
Sunnyvale does not require a permit to only reface existing cabinets when no electrical work is involved. Adding lighting or moving outlets changes that, because electrical work brings the job under the city's kitchen rules. We check your plan at the consultation and file with the One-Stop Permit Center at Sunnyvale City Hall if a permit is needed.
What is the difference between refacing and resurfacing?
Most people use the words for the same job: keep the cabinet boxes, cover the frames with veneer, and replace the doors and drawer fronts. Some use resurfacing to mean refinishing or painting the existing doors. We explain exactly what is included in your written scope so there is no confusion.
Can I stay in my kitchen during cabinet refacing?
Mostly, yes. The sink, counters, and appliances stay connected, so the kitchen keeps working while doors and veneer are replaced one run at a time. Expect some days with open cabinets. It is far less disruptive than a full remodel, which usually means weeks without a working kitchen.
Plan Your Cabinet Refacing
Call or send us a few details. Back to the home page, or request a free design consultation.