Refacing replaces everything you see and touch while keeping the carcass. Replacing strips the kitchen back to the wall and starts again. The decision is made by the condition of the carcass, not by your budget, because refacing a failing carcass costs you the full price twice. This guide sets out the six-point test that decides it, what each option costs in Bangalore in 2026, and why a mixed answer is both common and correct.
What Is the Difference?
Refacing replaces the shutters, drawer shutters, hinges, channels, handles and any exposed carcass edges. The structure, countertop, backsplash, plumbing and flooring all stay. Replacing removes everything including the carcass and rebuilds from the wall outward.
The visible result can be very similar. The cost, the timeline and the disruption are not remotely similar, because refacing involves no demolition, no masonry and no drying time.
The Six-Point Test
Run all six. If your kitchen passes on the left, reface. If it fails on the right, rebuild the affected units.
| Reface when | Replace when |
|---|---|
| Base unit bottoms are firm and dry | Base units have swollen or delaminated |
| Hinge screws bite into solid board | Screws spin in softened material |
| Cabinet openings measure square | Carcasses have racked out of square |
| No active leak under the sink | A leak is running or recently was |
| The layout works for how you cook | The layout is the actual complaint |
| No termite or borer activity | Live infestation anywhere in the run |
Mixed results are normal. It is very common to rebuild the two base units nearest the sink and reface the rest of the kitchen, and that is usually the right answer rather than a compromise.
What Does Each Option Cost in Bangalore?
Refacing costs substantially less because the carcass, countertop, plumbing and tiling are all retained. The variable in refacing is the finish, priced per square foot.
| Shutter finish | Relative cost | What puts it there |
|---|---|---|
| PVC | Entry | Lowest material cost, limited finish range, suits utility runs |
| Laminate | Mid | Very wide range, so cost varies more by brand and thickness than by anything else |
| Membrane | Upper mid | One pressed skin over a profiled base, so more machining than a flat shutter |
| Acrylic | Premium | Higher material cost and more careful handling to protect the surface |
| PU | Highest | Sprayed and cured in coats, the most labour intensive finish of the five |
Relative bands, not a price list. Where a job lands depends on area, shutter count and substrate as much as on the finish.
Why Refacing Is Not the Same as Painting
Painting coats the shutter you already have. Refacing replaces the shutter with a new factory-finished component. In a kitchen exposed to steam, oil and regular cleaning, paint typically fails at the edges and around the handle within a season or two.
This matters because painted shutters are frequently offered as a cheap refacing alternative. They are not the same product and they do not last the same length of time.
How Long Does Each Take?
A full tear-down and rebuild typically runs twenty five to thirty five working days in a Bengaluru apartment. Refacing is a fraction of that because components are manufactured off site and fitted in a single short window. You keep using the kitchen through most of a refacing job, which is rarely possible during a rebuild.
- No demolition means no debris disposal beyond the old shutters.
- No masonry or tiling means no drying time in the schedule.
- No wet work means refacing stays viable through the monsoon, when a rebuild is better avoided.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is kitchen cabinet refacing worth it?
It is worth it when the carcass is sound and only the shutters have aged, which describes most Bengaluru kitchens between five and fifteen years old. You keep the box, countertop, plumbing and tiling. It is not worth it when the structure has failed, because you then pay the full amount twice.
Is it cheaper to reface or replace kitchen cabinets?
Refacing is substantially cheaper because you are not paying again for the carcass, countertop, plumbing or tiling. The saving only holds if the carcass is genuinely sound, which is what the six-point test establishes.
What is the difference between refacing and painting kitchen cabinets?
Painting coats the existing shutter. Refacing replaces the shutter with a new factory-finished component. In a working kitchen exposed to steam and cleaning, paint typically fails at the edges within a season or two, which is why the two are not comparable.
Can I reface part of my kitchen and rebuild the rest?
Yes, and it is very common. Water damage concentrates around the sink, so rebuilding the two or three units nearest it while refacing the remainder is usually the correct answer rather than a compromise.
Does refacing include the countertop?
No. Refacing covers shutters, hardware and exposed carcass edges. Countertop replacement can be added but is quoted separately because it changes both the timeline and the amount of dust in your home.
Can refacing be done during the Bangalore monsoon?
Yes. There is no wet work, masonry or drying time involved, so refacing is one of the few renovation scopes that stays fully viable through the monsoon.
Key Takeaways
- Refacing keeps the carcass and replaces everything you see and touch.
- The six-point test decides it, and the carcass is the deciding factor rather than budget.
- A mixed answer is common and correct: rebuild near the sink, reface the rest.
- Refacing is not painting. The shutter itself is replaced with a factory-finished component.
- No wet work means refacing works through the monsoon when a rebuild does not.
We run the six-point test at survey and show you the result before quoting. See modular kitchen refacing in Bangalore, or start at kitchen renovation for the full picture.