Cabinet Refinishing Vancouver
If you want your kitchen cabinets refinished in Vancouver instead of replaced, this is for you. Refinishing saves $15,000 to $40,000 versus full replacement.
Need Your Kitchen Cabinets Refinished?
Cabinet refinishing means removing every door and drawer front, sanding to remove gloss, priming, then spraying two to three coats of cabinet-grade paint on doors, drawer fronts, and face frames. Done right with spray equipment and Benjamin Moore Advance, the finish lasts ten plus years.
Every cabinet job needs proper prep, spray equipment, and patience.
We refinished an 18-door 1985 oak kitchen in Mount Pleasant last fall. Owner wanted Benjamin Moore White Dove with brushed brass hardware. Pulled every door, brought them to our spray booth, sanded gloss off, primed with Stix, sprayed three coats of Advance. Face frames done in place with plastic containment. Five days, $4,800.
That is the kind of cabinet work that justifies the investment. We do colour consultation on cabinet pairing with walls, backsplash, and counters.
Why Refinish Instead of Replace
Kitchen cabinet refinishing is our biggest cabinet job. Pull every door and drawer front, label each one, transport to our spray booth at 3043 Kitchener Street. Sand to remove gloss, prime with bonding primer (Stix or Insl-X Cabinet Coat), spray two to three coats of Benjamin Moore Advance. Doors dry flat for 48 hours.
- High-end finishes that show every mistake.Engineered hardwood, stone counters, designer fixtures. If you nick a baseboard or leave a paint drip, the owner notices. We cover everything before touching a brush.
- Floor-to-ceiling windows with tight cut lines.The defining challenge of Vancouver condos. You cant tape glass properly so the cut lines have to be steady. Our painters do this every week and it shows.
- Building protocols that can trip up new contractors.Cambie Corridor requires elevator bookings up to four weeks out and insurance documentation filed before work starts. We know the process and handle all of it.
- Warehouse lofts with exposed brick and timber.The Main Street buildings like Vancouver Special kitchen have elements you cant just mask over. You cut in around exposed brick carefully. We have painted in six units at Vancouver Special kitchen alone.
- Pre-sale timelines that dont move.Listing date is listing date. We schedule and deliver. A Mount Pleasant unit we painted for $4,400 sold for $23,000 over asking. The paint job was a big part of that.
Cabinet Services We Offer
Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing
Bathroom vanities are a one-day pull job. Single vanity 36-48 inches: $480-$800. Double vanity 60-72 inches: $880-$1,400. Same Advance product, same spray finish. Holds up to bathroom humidity if you have a working exhaust fan.
- Full repaints: walls, ceilings, trim, doors
- Feature walls in charcoal, navy, or deep sage
- Precise cut lines around floor-to-ceiling glass
- Low-VOC products only, smell matters in condos
- Full surface protection before anything opens
Built-in cabinets, bookshelves, media units, and laundry cabinetry use the same process. Built-ins in Craftsman or character homes often have decades of layered paint that need scraping and lead-safe prep on pre-1978 homes.
Bathroom Vanity Refinishing
Door refacing replaces door fronts while keeping existing boxes. We can paint new doors from a supplier or pull and refinish existing if boxes are sound. Refacing is faster than full reno but more expensive than refinishing existing doors.
- Modern neutrals that photograph well
- Fix scuffs, marks, and wear before listing
- Show-ready finish on schedule
- Often combined with drywall repair for best results
Vancouver kitchens are a high-investment area and refinishing is the highest-return paint job in any home. Done right, refinished cabinets look like a $20,000 reno for $4,000-$7,000.
Built-In & Custom Cabinets
We spray every cabinet job, never brush or roll. HVLP sprayers for doors in our booth, airless for face frames with plastic containment. Brush-only cabinet jobs are the number one reason refinishes fail.
- Careful cutting-in around exposed brick without masking it
- High ceiling work with proper scaffolding where needed
- Industrial aesthetic preserved while modernizing paint
- Vancouver Special kitchen on Mainland, six units painted, we know the building
Benjamin Moore Advance is our only cabinet paint. Cures hard within 30 days, holds up to fingernails, cooking oils, and door slams. Wall paints stay soft for months and chip easily. Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel is an acceptable backup.
Door Replacement & Refacing
Doors and drawer fronts come to our shop at 3043 Kitchener Street for spraying. Dedicated spray booth, racks for flat drying, HEPA-filtered air. Consistent finish quality, no dust in cured paint, no overspray in your kitchen.
- Contractor coordination on timeline
- Designer colour matching if needed
- Premium finishes that match renovation quality
- Clean execution that doesnt undo the contractors work
Why Vancouver Homeowners Choose Us
Spray Booth, Not Brush
Two-year workmanship warranty on every cabinet job. If finish chips, peels, or fails within two years from prep failure or product issue, we come back and fix it free. Excludes water damage and impact gouges.
Benjamin Moore Advance Only
Kitchen cabinet refinishing 15-25 doors: $4,200-$7,200. Larger 30+ door kitchens: $7,800-$11,400. Single bathroom vanity: $480-$800. Double vanity: $880-$1,400. Built-ins under 6 ft: $600-$1,200. Built-ins over 6 ft: $1,400-$2,800.
Off-Site Door Drying
Colour change from dark stain to light paint adds $400-$800. Hardware install: $80-$180 per cabinet bay. Different hardware-hole spacing adds $300-$600 for filling and re-drilling.
2-Year Workmanship Warranty
Below are nine tips from six years of Vancouver cabinet jobs. Use them whether you hire us or DIY.
Vancouver Cabinet Refinishing Price Ranges
We are at 3043 Kitchener Street in East Vancouver. Spray booth is on-site so doors come back to us between coats. Five to twenty minutes from every Vancouver neighbourhood.
9 Cabinet Refinishing Tips Worth Knowing
We cover every Vancouver neighbourhood for cabinet work including East Vancouver, Mount Pleasant, Kitsilano, and Kerrisdale.
Picasshome Painting | Vancouver Painters
3043 Kitchener Street, Vancouver, BC V5K 3E8
We come to your kitchen, count doors, look at the boxes, give you a firm number.
9 Cabinet Refinishing Tips Worth Knowing
- Spray, never brush. Brush marks show on flat door surfaces. HVLP spray delivers factory-smooth finish. Brush-only jobs are the number one reason cabinet refinishes fail.
- Benjamin Moore Advance is the only cabinet paint. Cures hard in 30 days. Wall paints stay soft for months and chip easily.
- Sand off existing gloss before primer. 220 grit minimum. Skipping this step is why DIY refinishes peel within 6 months.
- Prime with Stix or Insl-X Cabinet Coat. Bonding primer locks to slick surfaces. Regular primer fails on oak grain and high-gloss factory finishes.
- Doors need 48 hours flat drying between coats. Vertical drying causes runs on door faces. Flat drying with rack spacers prevents drips.
- White Dove and Pale Oak top Vancouver picks. Cool whites for modern, warm whites and greys for character homes. Hale Navy or Knoxville Gray for accent islands.
- Match new hardware spacing to existing holes. Saves $300-$600 in fill-and-redrill labour. Different spacing means filler showing through paint.
- Refinish before granite or quartz install if doing both. Otherwise hardware drilling vibrates and chips new paint.
- Get a written 2-year warranty. Without it, no recourse if finish peels in year one. Workmanship + product covered.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does cabinet refinishing cost in Vancouver? +
15-25 door kitchen: $4,200-$7,200 sprayed in Benjamin Moore Advance. Larger 30+ door kitchens: $7,800-$11,400. Compare to $25,000-$60,000 for full replacement. Refinishing is the highest-return investment in any kitchen update.
Do you spray or brush cabinet doors? +
Always spray. Doors come to our spray booth at 3043 Kitchener Street, HVLP-sprayed three coats, dry flat for 48 hours before reinstall. Face frames sprayed in place with plastic containment using airless. Brush-only jobs are the number one reason refinishes fail.
What paint do you use on cabinets? +
Benjamin Moore Advance only. Cures hard in 30 days, holds up to fingernails, cooking oils, and door slams. Wall paints stay soft for months and chip easily. Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel is a backup if Advance is unavailable.
How long does cabinet refinishing take? +
Five days for a typical kitchen. Day 1: remove and label doors. Day 2-3: sand, prime, spray coat one. Day 4: coat two and three. Day 5: cure and reinstall. Family can use the kitchen throughout because face frames get painted last.
Can I keep using my kitchen during refinishing? +
Mostly yes. Doors come to our shop so you have open shelving while we work. Face frames sprayed in place with plastic containment overnight so they cure during off-hours. You can cook and use counters every day.
What cabinet colours work best in Vancouver? +
Benjamin Moore White Dove and Simply White for modern Vancouver kitchens. Pale Oak and Edgecomb Gray for warmer looks. Hale Navy and Knoxville Gray for darker accent islands. Sage greens like Saybrook Sage are coming back.
Do you replace hardware as part of refinishing? +
Yes if you supply the new hardware. Install: $80-$180 per cabinet bay depending on pull count. Same drilling for existing pull spacing saves $200-$400. Different spacing requires filling and re-drilling, adds $300-$600.
Do you do bathroom vanities and built-ins? +
Yes. Single vanity 36-48 inches: $480-$800. Double 60-72 inches: $880-$1,400. Built-ins under 6 ft: $600-$1,200. Built-ins over 6 ft: $1,400-$2,800. Same Advance product, same spray process.
Do you warranty cabinet work? +
Two-year workmanship warranty. If finish chips, peels, or fails within two years from prep failure or product issue, we come back and fix it free. Excludes water damage and impact gouges.
Ready to Book a Free Quote?
Areas We Serve
- Painters East Vancouver | character home kitchens
- Painters Mount Pleasant Vancouver | 1920s and modern kitchens
- Painters Kitsilano Vancouver | West Side kitchens
- Painters Kerrisdale Vancouver | premium kitchens
- All Areas We Serve | full coverage
Other Painting Services
- Interior Painting and Repairs | full repaints, feature walls, trim
- Exterior Painting and Repairs | cedar siding, stucco, wood trim
- Cabinet Refinishing | update oak to white or gray
- Wall and Ceiling Repairs | drywall, plaster, proper prep before paint
- Drywall Repair and Texturing | fix before you list or renovate
- Colour Consultation | included free with every quote
