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Cabinet Refacing Guide • 01 of 03
Find Your Cabinet Refacing DIY Level
You don't need to be a cabinetmaker to give your kitchen new doors.
But knowing where your DIY comfort zone begins and ends can make the difference between a satisfying project and one that has you questioning every life choice that led to owning a circular saw.
Whether you're replacing cabinet doors and drawer fronts, adding panels and skins, painting your cabinets, or tackling a more involved kitchen refacing project, use the guide below to find your DIY level.
At a Glance
Find the description that sounds most like you, then see which kind of cabinet refacing project may fit comfortably within your skill level.
LEVEL 1
Assemble furniture, hang pictures, patch holes, caulk, and paint rooms.
Tape measure, screwdrivers, level, cordless drill, hammer, utility knife, and basic hand tools.
Replacing cabinet doors and drawer fronts, adjusting hinges, and installing pulls or knobs.
LEVEL 2
Use bladed power tools, transfer measurements, learn from instructions/videos, install fixtures, and tackle small building projects.
Novice tools plus circular saw, jigsaw, clamps, 3-foot level, framing/combination squares, and countersink bits.
Full cabinet refacing with doors, drawer fronts, end panels, fillers, and toe skins.
LEVEL 3
Handle major remodels, do most home repairs, and confidently figure things out as you go.
Intermediate tools plus chop saw, table saw, pneumatic nail guns, and a healthy collection of power tools.
More involved refacing, layout upgrades, drawer-slide changes, and dovetail drawer boxes.
LEVEL 4
Have remodeled homes or installed cabinets before. This is not your first rodeo.
Let's face it: you own everything, including specialty fixtures and clamps.
Pretty much anything. A full kitchen or bath remodel is comfortably in your wheelhouse.
Landing between two levels is completely normal. Plenty of homeowners do the parts they enjoy and hire out the rest. That's the Hybrid DIY approach, and Guide 02 covers it.
A Little More Detail
Novice
If you're comfortable measuring carefully, using a cordless drill, assembling purchased items from instructions, hanging pictures, caulking, and painting, replacing cabinet doors can be a very approachable DIY project.
Intermediate
You're comfortable around bladed power tools, can transfer measurements to new parts, create simple cutting layouts, and look up what you don't know.
IKEA or flat-pack furniture, light/plumbing fixtures, and small building projects don't scare you.
Experienced
You're very comfortable with power tools, may be a woodworking hobbyist, and have already tackled major remodeling projects.
You probably do most home repairs yourself and take some pride in figuring things out.
Advanced
You've remodeled homes, installed cabinets before, or wouldn't hesitate to gut a kitchen and start over.
You own the tools, understand the work, and probably have a few specialty clamps whose purpose no one else in the house understands.
At this point, you're probably less concerned about whether you can do it and more interested in what you want to build.
Next in the series: Guide 02, How Does It Work? New Cabinet Doors + Paint. Find all three Cabinet Refacing Guides at cabdoordirect.com.
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