Cabinet refacing swaps the doors, drawer fronts, and visible panels on your existing cabinet boxes for new ones, then covers the exposed sides with matching veneer. It's the middle option between a fresh coat of paint and ripping everything out: you keep the layout and the boxes (assuming they're square and solid), but the kitchen looks new. Full installation is the other route, where old cabinets come out entirely and new boxes go in, often paired with changes to the layout, extra storage, or different cabinet heights. Both jobs typically include new hardware, hinges, and sometimes soft-close drawer glides.
The five businesses listed in this category cover both approaches, and the right one for your kitchen depends on the condition of your current cabinets and what you actually want to change. Before hiring, ask to see finished jobs in person if possible, not just photos, since veneer edges and paint finishes show quality up close. Get a clear breakdown of what's included (soft-close hardware, drawer boxes, crown molding, hinges) and how they handle box repairs if something is warped or water-damaged once the doors come off.
Our scores weigh factors like license and insurance status, how consistently a company delivers on scope and timeline, and what past customers say about fit, finish, and communication during the job. For a ranked breakdown of all five, see our best kitchen remodelers in Norwich guide. Details on how we build these rankings are on the methodology page.