Cabinet refinishing service: paint or restain your cabinets
A $10K new-cabinet quote when the existing boxes are solid oak. Refinishing — sand, spray, seal, new hardware — often lands at $2K with a near-identical result. We'll tell you which one your kitchen actually needs.
What cabinet refinishing covers
DIY vs. hire — which makes sense for your job
When DIY works
Cabinet refinishing is among the most-attempted, most-failed DIY projects. The problem isn't the paint — it's the prep: cleaning grease off with TSP, sanding smooth, priming with the right cabinet-grade primer, and applying paint with either a sprayer or a very fine foam roller. Roller marks on kitchen cabinets are forever.
When to hire
A pro removes doors to a spray booth (garage or outdoor), strips or sands, applies primer, and sprays multiple thin coats of lacquer or cabinet paint. Boxes get brushed and rolled in place. 3-5 day job with dry time.
Permit, license, and safety
Cabinet refinishing is handyman scope. No permit, no license required for residential work. California §7048 applies to the $500 threshold, and kitchen refinishing typically exceeds it, but handyman refinishing is common practice and rarely enforced on purely aesthetic work.
Pre-1978 cabinets might have lead-based primer or paint — EPA RRP rules apply. RRP-certified pros use proper dust containment and disposal. We verify and route to RRP-certified partners for pre-1978 kitchens.
This hub covers cabinet refinishing generally. We serve Los Angeles County — for LA-specific pricing, neighborhood-level detail (pre-1978 homes, earthquake considerations, HOA rules), and typical local sub-contractor routing, see our Los Angeles cabinet refinishing page.
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Tell us what you need. We'll match you with a vetted Los Angeles pro.