Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
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Before
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Cabinet installation and refacing in Irvine typically costs between $3,500 and $22,000 depending on kitchen size, material choice, and whether you’re replacing boxes entirely or keeping them and refreshing the doors and finish. Most Irvine homeowners get a written price within 48 hours of their first walkthrough - and under Clause 1 of the Haven Standard, that number is locked before anyone picks up a tool.
Cabinets are the visual anchor of a kitchen and roughly 40 percent of its total kitchen remodeling cost, which makes the decision between full installation and refacing one of the more consequential choices you’ll make before work starts. Rowan Construction Group has been working through that decision with Irvine homeowners since 2007 – over 4,000 projects, every one with a flat written price and a documented photo record when the crew left. If you’d rather talk through the options first, call (657) 227-2502. A live person answers 24/7 and can schedule a free on-site estimate at your convenience.
Cabinet work on this page is part of our broader Kitchen Remodeling in Irvine service, which covers everything from layout changes and countertop replacement to backsplash tile and fixture upgrades. Cabinets rarely change in isolation – knowing what else is in scope helps us give you an honest number the first time.
When You Need Cabinet Installation & Refacing
- Box damage that refacing won’t fix. If the cabinet boxes themselves – the plywood or particleboard carcasses behind the doors – show water damage, warping, or delamination, new doors over compromised boxes is money spent twice. We photograph the substrate condition during the estimate so you can see exactly what you’re working with before deciding.
- Doors and drawer fronts that look dated but the boxes are solid. Irvine homes built during the 1990s and early 2000s tract-home boom in areas like Northwood and Westpark often have structurally sound cabinet boxes with oak or honey-maple laminate fronts. Refacing those boxes with new doors and a fresh veneer can produce a near-new look at roughly 40-60 percent of full replacement cost.
- A layout that no longer fits how you cook. If the kitchen’s footprint is the real problem – an island that blocks traffic, upper cabinets that cut off natural light, or a pantry that’s in the wrong corner – refacing won’t solve it. Full cabinet installation lets us reconfigure the run entirely, and we design around the plumbing and electrical rough-in so the scope doesn’t expand unexpectedly mid-project.
- New construction or a full gut remodel. If walls are already open for a broader renovation, cabinet installation happens at the framing stage before drywall closes – the most cost-efficient sequence. We coordinate the cabinet delivery timeline with the rest of the trade schedule so the kitchen isn’t sitting without cabinets longer than necessary.
- A home you’re preparing to sell in Irvine’s market. Irvine’s median home price consistently sits above $1.3 million, and buyers in that range notice cabinet quality. Kitchen cabinet condition is one of the first things flagged in pre-listing inspections in communities like Shady Canyon and Turtle Rock. A targeted refacing job or a partial upper-cabinet replacement often returns more per dollar spent than a full gut at the point of sale.
- Mismatch after an appliance upgrade. A new 36-inch range or a counter-depth refrigerator sometimes exposes adjacent cabinet faces that were hidden before. If the surrounding cabinets look worn by comparison, spot replacement or a full refacing brings the kitchen back to a consistent finish without replacing everything.
Our Cabinet Installation & Refacing Process
- On-site measurement and condition assessment. We visit the kitchen, photograph the existing cabinet boxes, document any substrate damage or out-of-plumb walls, and take precise measurements of the run. Irvine tract homes – particularly in Villages of Columbus and Oak Creek – were built on concrete slab foundations that can produce minor but real floor-level variations. We note those during measurement so the base cabinet installation accounts for them before any boxes are set.
- Written scope and flat price – before any work starts. Within 48 hours of the site visit, we deliver a written quote: door style, finish, box material, hardware allowance, and any prep work like patching drywall or adjusting plumbing stub-outs called out as line items. Under Clause 1 of the Haven Standard, no work starts until you’ve signed off on that price. No change proceeds after that without a signed change order – which is the practice that has kept our projects within a few percent of the agreed number across 4,000-plus jobs.
- Material selection and order confirmation. For full installation, we work primarily with KraftMaid and Wellborn cabinets – both semi-custom manufacturers with documented lead times we can quote honestly. For refacing, we source door blanks and veneer through the same vetted supply chain so finish consistency is controlled, not guessed. We confirm the order only after you’ve approved the sample and the written price reflects the actual SKU being ordered.
- Demolition and substrate preparation. Existing cabinets are removed carefully to protect the tile, flooring, and drywall immediately adjacent. If the demo reveals a condition not visible during the estimate – an old water leak behind a base cabinet, for example – we photograph it, document it, and bring you a written change order before touching anything further. We don’t proceed on assumptions.
- Installation, leveling, and alignment. Base cabinets are set first, shimmed to a level plane across the full run. Wall cabinets are hung into studs and checked for consistent reveal – the gap between adjacent door faces – before any doors are hung. For refacing, the existing box faces are cleaned, sanded, and veneered before new doors and drawer fronts are fitted and adjusted. Hinges are adjusted for soft-close operation and square door hang before we call the installation complete.
- Documented photo record and walkthrough. Every visit ends with a photo record of the completed work: cabinet alignment, hinge adjustments, hardware placement, and any prep work performed. You receive that documentation as a standard deliverable. If anything isn’t right at the walkthrough, we fix it before closing out the job – that’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise in practice, not in print.
Before
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Cabinet costs in Irvine run higher than inland California markets for two straightforward reasons: labor rates reflect Orange County’s cost base, and the homes themselves – particularly in newer communities like Portola Springs and Orchard Hills – often have larger kitchen footprints and taller ceiling heights that require more linear footage and specialty filler pieces. The ranges below reflect actual Irvine project conditions, not national averages.
| Service | Typical Irvine Range | What Drives the Number |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet Refacing (doors, drawer fronts, veneer) | $3,500 – $9,500 | Number of doors, veneer material (wood vs. thermofoil), hardware grade |
| Partial Cabinet Replacement (upper or lower run only) | $5,000 – $11,000 | Linear footage, box material, finish level |
| Full Cabinet Installation – Stock/Semi-Custom | $8,000 – $17,000 | Kitchen size, box construction (plywood vs. particleboard), door style |
| Full Cabinet Installation – Custom | $14,000 – $22,000+ | Fully custom sizing, specialty finishes, integrated lighting, pull-out hardware |
| Hardware Upgrade (hinges, pulls, soft-close) | $400 – $1,800 | Number of doors and drawers, hardware brand and grade |
A few factors that move Irvine projects toward the higher end of these ranges: kitchens with 10-foot or 12-foot ceiling heights (common in newer Irvine Village builds) require taller upper cabinet stacks and sometimes a filler course at the top; island installations add both material and labor; and any kitchen design and layout reconfiguration that requires moving a plumbing stub-out or adjusting an electrical circuit is quoted as a separate line item so you can see exactly what that decision costs before approving it.
Every estimate is free, written, and delivered before any work starts. If you’ve already received a written quote from another contractor, we’ll review it line by line at no charge – that’s our standing Free Second Opinion offer. Call (657) 227-2502 to schedule your on-site estimate.
FAQs – Cabinet Installation & Refacing
Is cabinet refacing worth it, or should I just replace the cabinets entirely?
Refacing is worth it when the existing cabinet boxes are structurally sound, plumb, and positioned where you want them – in those cases, you can achieve a near-new appearance at roughly 40-60 percent of full replacement cost. If the boxes are damaged, the layout doesn’t work, or you need a full kitchen remodeling approach to reconfigure the kitchen’s footprint, refacing is a short-term fix that delays the real cost. During our estimate, we photograph and document the substrate condition and give you a written comparison of both options so the decision is based on the actual condition of your cabinets, not a sales preference. Call (657) 227-2502 for a free on-site assessment.
How long does cabinet installation or refacing take in Irvine?
A full cabinet refacing on an average Irvine kitchen – typically 20 to 30 linear feet of cabinets – takes 3 to 5 business days once materials are on-site. Full cabinet installation for a comparable kitchen runs 5 to 8 business days for installation alone, plus the material lead time: KraftMaid and Wellborn semi-custom orders currently run 4 to 8 weeks from order confirmation to delivery. We build that lead time into your project schedule at the written quote stage so the installation date is realistic, not optimistic. The total elapsed time from signed contract to finished kitchen on a cabinets and countertops project in Irvine has generally been 6 to 10 weeks.
Do I need a permit for cabinet installation or refacing in Irvine?
Standard cabinet replacement and refacing – swapping boxes in the same footprint with no electrical, plumbing, or structural changes – does not require a permit in Irvine under current City of Irvine building code. If the project involves relocating a plumbing stub-out, adding undercabinet lighting on a new circuit, or moving a gas line for a range, those elements require permits, and we pull them before that work starts. We document what permit work, if any, applies to your specific scope in the written quote so there are no mid-project surprises.
What cabinet brands does Rowan Construction Group use?
For semi-custom work, we source primarily from KraftMaid and Wellborn – both have documented construction specs (plywood box construction is available as a standard option on both lines) and lead times we can quote with confidence. For full-custom installations in higher-end Irvine homes, we work with a vetted millwork supplier whose lead times and finish samples we review with you before the order is placed. We don’t have a single preferred brand for the sake of margin – the written quote names the exact manufacturer, line, door style, and finish so you know what’s being ordered. Call (657) 227-2502 if you’d like to see samples before committing to a direction.
Why Irvine Homeowners Choose Rowan Construction Group
Irvine’s housing stock spans four decades of development – from the original Irvine Company villages of the 1970s and 80s in University Park and Woodbridge, to the newer master-planned communities in Great Park Neighborhoods built in the 2010s and 2020s. Cabinet work in a 1985 Woodbridge kitchen and a 2019 Portola Springs kitchen involves different ceiling heights, different box sizes, and different substrate conditions. We’ve worked in enough of both to know what to look for before the demo starts, and we photograph what we find so you have a record of it.
The practices that keep us accountable are written down: flat price before work starts, signed change orders before any scope changes, a 365-Day Done Right Promise that’s backed by The Haven Standard rather than a handshake, and a documented photo record on every visit. These aren’t policies we invented for the pitch – they’re the administrative discipline that has kept our projects within a few percent of the agreed price across more than 4,000 jobs since 2007.
Background-checked, uniformed crews. A live person on the phone 24/7. A free second opinion if you’ve already got a written quote from someone else. And a kitchen remodel that’s part of a broader home improvement record you can point to when it’s time to sell.
To get a written price for cabinet installation or refacing in Irvine, call (657) 227-2502 or request an estimate online. The estimate is free, the price is written before anyone starts, and you’ll have the documentation to show for it when the job is done.
Written by Grant Rowan, Owner at Rowan Construction Group Irvine, serving Irvine.