Pros it’s cheap and a fast way to give your cabinets a facelift but also a tomporary solution.
Pros-
Refacing and replacing doors can be a quick spruce up.
Can be done in most cases Majority of the time affordable
Cons-
Not always cost effective. Sometimes, depending on a few factors,the labor involved in refacing may be a more of a project than first thought.
Depends on the style or finish,can look cheap
First question I would ask is, Are these cabinets really worth saving? Consider the size of the kithen,existing cabinets,condition,and structural integrity of the existing cabinets. Also, do you fully utilize the cabinet storage space or is it a catch all? Are they too beat up to even be veneered or laminated?.is it custom cabinetry, or built on site? There are pre-finished wall and base cabinets that come in a wide array of styles and colors that are affordable and look great. And pricing may be similar in some cases. I would weigh the cost vs. are you just settling for a quick fix?
Door hinges can be replaced with european style hidden hinges. Drawer glides are more difficult. If the drawer glides are giving problems you may need to replace drawers. Still might be cheaper than replacing cabinets as countertops and backsplashes will have to be replaced. I’ve seen refacing jobs that were excellent and some where the laminations were coming off. I’ve also done refacing, but only where I replaced the doors and drawer fronts. There are companies who specialize in drawer and door fronts which many cabinet manufacturers and refacers use. If you have a door and drawer front guy in your area, contact him/her for references to cabinet shops who do both replacement and refacing. Such a person could be your best advisor. You need a contractor with experience in both replacing and refacing to advise you. Remember you don’t ask a barber if you need a haircut. Nearly anyone you call will be expecting to sell you on a project. Your best advise could be from someone who specializes in kitchen design but allows you to contract the work with whoever you wish. Of course this person will expect design fees.
The pros are: You can create the aesthetic value of nice cabinets if you are looking to resell your home.
The cons are: It is not the most recommended process for cabinets, especially if there has been any swelling from moisture damage where the wood or comp. wood has changed. Can be costly in the minuet repairs of the actual boxes…
There are great cabinet makers of craftmanship quality out there that can build you a new kitchen comparable to the costs of refacing…may have to do more homework
As stated in the other answers the refacing of kitchen cabinets is a less expensive way to go. Understandable that some people are drawn to this solution for cabinets given the price of new cabinetry in the market today.
The downside to the refacing is the obvious, you have done just that, put a new face on them. So what happens to the inside of the cabinets? When you open the doors you still see the old cabinets you wanted to get rid of in the first place. If this process is purely for price, then you are looking at the least expensive solution with the refacing. If your budget allows for new cabinetry then go that way. You will get more back in return in regards of product satisfaction and resale to boot.
Pros: Somewhat less expensive than full cabinet replacement (though not necessarily cheap); much less disruptive to your kitchen and your daily routine; wide variety of door and drawer options, including natural woods, stains, paints, etc.; in some cases it may allow dated face-frame styles to be updated to Euro/face-frame style.
Cons: Doesn’t allow kitchen layout changes - it won’t solve workflow problems; doesn’t fix storage issues or dirty or decayed or malfunctioning drawers and cabinet boxes.
Replacing cabinets will generally provide a more functional kitchen because you’re re-doing the interiors as well. Refacing isn’t as good a value in areas where labor costs are high. - Rhoda
Your kitchen will look good at a glance, but it is only a coverup. It’s lipstick on a pig. When you open your doors and see veneer end grains and the old cabinet frames, you will realize you didn’t get the value for your money. We compete against refacing quotes weekly and usually win. It is faster and a far better job to rip out the old and install new. It gives you the ability to change those things you’ve always hated about your old kitchen. Refacers will tell you you can have a brand new kitchen without disturbing your countertops, but I’ve seen very few 20 year old tops worth saving. We have even replaced cabinets without disturbing granite tops and tile splashes by cutting out and replacing one section at a time. Lastly is the warranty. Ours range from 5 years to a lifetime, a good way to protect your investment. What is the manufacturers warranty for a couple sheets of plywood veneer and some doors that you have no idea where they were made?
This question usually boils down to budget. If you’re moving and your old cabinets look terrible, then it may be worth the investment…In that case, ask your realtor.
However, if you want to fix up your Kitchen, then research out some contractors and cabinet lines they work with. They can have a budget worked out to see how affordable a quality change would be. There are so many options available today, it makes too much sense not to. There are contractors out there that can put a fair Kitchen together for little more than the reface company wants. In the event that a complete overhaul is not in your budget right now, then you will know what you will need to come up with to have it done the right way.
Pro: Quick and relatively cheap face lift. Especially nice that you are not obligated to tear out and replace expensive items like counter tops. Most kitchen can be completed in a day or so.
Con: Your stuck with the same design and functionality of the original footprint. For what you get, The doors can get relatively expensive. You can sometimes buy whole cabinets (knock down imports) cheaper than having doors made to fit.
If you are happy with the existing layout of your kitchen but do not like the look/color of your existing cabinet refacing is the way to go. It’s fast (the install usually takes just a couple days) and will completely transform the look of your kitchen. The cabinets look brand new, because everything you see is new. We custom stain/paint everything and don’t use thermofoil on refaces.
The downside is the your kitchen isnt really changed to become more functional… Usually a homeowner uses their kitchen over the years and can say “I wish this wasn’t here…etc, etc…” and with a full remodel you can do just that. However, we have done changes with a reface to make things more functional. Added cabinets to the bottom of a desk area such as filing cabinets, removed drywall hoods and added stainless hoods, added new uppers, turned doors into pull out trash cans, etc. You can really change a lot of stuff if you think about it.
Also, if the insides of your cabinets look bad they will still look bad when the job is over. We add custom rollouts and new drawer boxes with full extension glides usually to mask the ugly and it works pretty darn good. People love a good reface.
Another pro is the cost. Depending on the job, we have done refaces for less than a whole house of crown molding before… Not gonna happen with new cabinets unless you get RTA ones from China and have the cheapest install labor ever.
It’s 100% dependent on the quality of the cabinet boxes. If the cabinet boxes are not water damaged or riddled with termites it can be a refreshing change to a kitchen. Some people reface the cabinets with damaged boxes behind in effort to help sell their home. This can become really wasteful as many new home owners end up replacing the cabinets all together and just toss the doors. If the boxes are damaged your best bet is just to replace the cabinetry all together. If it’s accessible, please consider non-toxic cabinetry as it all ends up in our landfills one day. Hope this helps, Jay
Cost. Most project decisions boil down to how much it will cost. Refacing is “cheaper” and with the word in quotes that may also apply to the end result.
Quality of work however will bring in more to think through. Most homes were either built as part of a tract of homes or what is known as cookie-cutter housing with the demands of population expansion. Most of the kitchens we have remodeled do not appeal to the new generations on functionality. Aside from considering the wear on the cabinet bases and upper boxes themselves you want to ask yourself if you love the existing layout of your kitchen. If you’re going to spend your dollars spend them wisely. Will you be okay with new cabinet doors and drawers and faulty non-self closing tracks and hinges. Or what about the new white shaker style doors opening to a yellow or beige cabinet interior, maybe water damaged under cabinet below the sink. These are usually the most common complaints we’ve heard after doing a kitchen refacing.
With the advancements in technology, ask your contractor to render your project prior to building it and play around with the layout that best fits your needs and that will at the same time give you a return or at least 70% of your money back at the time of resale. It just depends on what your goals are with your existing home.
what’s the best way to optimize for ROI when updating cabinets?
Let’s assume this does not take into consideration our custom projects that do not focus on ROI but instead an enjoyable and functional space to live in for years to come, meaning cost is not an issue.
Should your remodel be triggered by selling your home and expecting a reward on your money, you can gain back anywhere from 70 to 80% of your investment or up to 100% if you’re in a good market. Your current local market is the starting point in determining how far to go into the remodel. What is your homes current value and what is the average sales time for a home in that price range? As an example, if a home sits on the market for 3 to 4 months you might shorten that time by giving your kitchen a face lift as it is the most-utilized room in any home. Find out what is trending in your neighborhood based on the style of your home. You don’t want to upgrade your kitchen to the extent you diminish the other areas of your home. As a rule of thumb you’ll spend anywhere from 5 to 10 percent of your home’s total value on a kitchen remodel project. Will the investment make sense based on what other homes are selling for and the appraised value of your home? If there’s value to be added and a face lift will entice buyers to fall in love with the existing layout, then make sure to pick colors that will lighten up the space, upgrade door and drawer hardware, and make sure the refacing on your cabinets does not lose the WOW effect if when the doors are opened the interior shelves are noticeably worn and falling apart or the guides on the drawers are wobbly and slam to be shut. Always think about what you look for in a living space, cabinet style, storage, counters and flooring. Be sure not to make the mistake of going cheap on the remodel and receiving a low-ball offer at resale.
If you will be renting out the space, well…the old saying is “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it”, but do take into consideration that the nicer it looks, your tenants will feel more comfortable paying that rent increase 
Big part of the cost of new cabinets are the doors. with today’s semi custom options, it makes more sense to just replace the cabinets, main reason today to still do refacing is to save the counter top, but if counter goes, better to get yourself new cabinets, designed and built to your preferences.