Can these cabinets be saved?

Cabinet refurbishing can be a smart move in a kitchen remodel, but only if the units are plumb, square, and sturdy, and the layout already works. You also need to assess their condition to weigh the value of the spruce-up. Pros look beyond doors and drawers to warped and water-stained cabinet boxes. "Delamination, either from peeling veneers or plywood layers coming apart, is another good indication that a cabinet has either hit the wall or wasn't of any real quality to begin with," says Bruce Irving, a renovation consultant in Cambridge, Mass.

Assuming the cabinets are structurally sound, they can be refinished or refaced. Refinishing or painting costs less, especially if you do the work yourself. But the process is easier said than done. It involves removing the doors and drawers, cleaning them with a degreasing agent, sanding them, and applying a primer, multiple topcoats, and often a sealer. "A lot of people underestimate the level of technique and the time that's needed to create a smooth, hard-wearing, blemish-free surface on wood," Irving says. Paying a pro will cost $50 or more per door opening. Note that if your home was built before 1978, the pro will have to be certified under provisions of the Environmental Protection Agency's Renovation, Repair, and Painting rule that took effect in April.

Refacing is more expensive, but it allows you to change the style of the cabinets by replacing the cabinet doors and drawer fronts and applying veneers to the face frames and ends. That solution works best for cabinets with visible face frames, though it is possible with full-overlay units. Peel-and-stick kits are available at home centers, or you can pay a cabinet refacing pro $150 and up per door opening to do the job. Installing new hardware, including hinges and drawer slides, can have your cabinets functioning like new.

If your cabinets are too far gone, you're probably better off starting from scratch. Look for cabinets with solid-wood or plywood doors; boxes made of ½- to ¾-inch plywood; solid-wood drawer sides with dovetail joints, full-extension glides, and a plywood bottom; adjustable, ¾-inch plywood or medium-density fiberboard shelving; and catalyzed finishes. Those features held up best in our tests.

Stock units start between $250 and $350 for a typical 21-inch-wide base and 30-inch-tall wall cabinet. At that entry-level price, style and trim options will be limited, and the units only come in 3-inch increments. Semi-custom units offer more choices in sizes, styles, finishes, and interior storage accessories but cost around $400 per unit and up. If you're after a built-in look with your pick of material, finish, and hardware, expect to pay $600 per unit or more.