Kitchen Refurbishment Cost Guide: Respray, Doors & Worktops

Quick Answer: A UK kitchen refurbishment (keeping existing carcasses) prices at £1,400-£2,800 for a hand-painted respray, £2,400-£4,500 for replacement doors and drawer fronts only, £3,500-£6,500 for doors + worktop + sink + tap, and £6,500-£11,500 for a full refurbishment including doors, worktops, tiling, electrics and decoration. A refurb saves 40-60% versus a full kitchen replacement (see full kitchen fit pricing guide) and avoids the rip-out waste and dust of a full strip-out.

Summary

Kitchen refurbishment is the smartest spend in many domestic kitchens. Carcasses (the boxes behind the doors) are typically MFC chipboard or MDF — they wear out far more slowly than doors, worktops, and visible elements. A refurbishment replaces or refreshes the visible 30-40% of a kitchen for 25-50% of the cost of a full refit. Done well it looks like a new kitchen; done badly it looks like an awkward mix of old and new.

Three refurbishment strategies dominate UK domestic work. First, hand-painted respray — keep the doors, sand back, prime, and spray in a chosen colour (typically by a specialist painter). Second, replacement doors and drawer fronts — keep the carcasses, replace the visible facia. Third, full refurb — doors, worktops, sink/tap, splashback, sometimes flooring. The skill of pricing refurbishments is matching the scope to the carcass condition: knackered carcasses don't deserve premium doors, and good carcasses don't need replacing.

This guide covers all three strategies plus the assessment criteria for whether refurbishment is feasible. For full kitchen replacement see full kitchen fit pricing guide; for worktop-only see kitchen worktop replacement pricing guide.

Key Facts

Quick Reference Table

Spending too long on quotes? squote turns a 2-minute voice recording into a professional quote.

Try squote free →
Refurb Type Scope Days Total Range (Regional) Total Range (London)
Hand-painted respray only Doors, frames repainted in-situ 3-5 painter days £1,400-£2,800 £1,800-£3,500
Spray respray (door removal) Doors off-site sprayed, refit 4-6 days £1,800-£3,500 £2,400-£4,200
Replacement doors only New doors, hinges, handles 1-2 fitter days £1,200-£2,500 £1,500-£3,200
Replacement doors + drawer fronts Full visible refresh 2-3 fitter days £1,800-£3,500 £2,400-£4,500
Doors + worktop + sink + tap Full surface refresh 4-6 fitter + plumber £3,500-£6,500 £4,500-£8,500
Doors + worktop + tiling + electrics Near-full refurb 6-9 multi-trade £5,500-£9,500 £7,000-£12,500
Full refurb (carcasses retained) Everything except carcass 8-12 multi-trade £6,500-£11,500 £8,500-£14,500

Detailed Guidance

Carcass assessment — go/no-go for refurbishment

The first task in any kitchen refurbishment quote is assessing whether the carcasses can take the refurb. If the carcasses are failing, refurbishment is throwing good money after bad — the customer should be advised toward a full replacement instead.

Refurbishment is viable if:

Refurbishment is NOT viable if:

Always inspect under the sink unit specifically. A damp under-sink carcass is the strongest single signal that the kitchen is reaching end-of-life and should be replaced rather than refurbished.

Hand-painted respray — the value option

A hand-painted respray on existing doors and frames is the cheapest visible-refresh. A specialist painter sands back the existing finish (typically lacquered MDF or veneered MDF), fills chips and dents, primes with an oil-based or water-based primer specific to the substrate, and finishes with 2-3 coats of trade paint (Tikkurila Helmi, Bedec Multi-Surface, Farrow & Ball Modern Eggshell). Brush and roller for in-situ work; brushed finish acceptable but always visible up-close.

Pricing: 3-5 days for a specialist painter at £280-£420/day plus £80-£180 materials. Total £1,400-£2,800 for a 10-15 door kitchen. Quality depends entirely on the painter — a good specialist gives a smooth, even, satin finish that lasts 8-12 years. A general painter gives a brush-marked finish that looks DIY and lasts 3-5 years.

Spray respray (the doors are taken off-site to a spray booth) gives a factory-grade finish. The doors come back with hinge plates marked for refit. Pricing premium of 20-30% over hand-painted in-situ, but the finish is professional-grade. Best for higher-end kitchens where the door style is good but the colour is dated.

Replacement doors and drawer fronts

Many UK kitchens use standard sizes (600mm, 500mm, 400mm, 300mm widths; 720mm or 715mm heights are typical). Replacement doors are available off-the-shelf from numerous trade suppliers (DIY Kitchens, Wickes, BetterKitchens, Kitchen Door Workshop) in vinyl-wrapped MDF, painted MDF, lacquered MDF, and timber.

The replacement process:

  1. Measure every door and drawer front carefully — kitchens are rarely fully standard; expect 2-3 awkward sizes (corner unit, dishwasher front, etc.)
  2. Order with 5% spare — covers damage in transit, miss-cuts, customer change of heart
  3. Fit replacement hinges — old hinges are usually worn; budget for new soft-close hinges as standard
  4. Drill new handle holes if changing style — leaves visible patches on doors that may need filling and touch-up; specify carefully
  5. Adjust doors for square alignment — even straight new doors need adjustment on slightly-out carcasses

Timeline: 1-2 fitter days for a 10-15 door kitchen plus lead-time of 1-3 weeks for the door supplier. Cost: £1,200-£2,500 for replacement doors + drawer fronts + hinges + handles + labour at the volume retail level.

Bespoke painted timber doors (in-frame style, oak or tulipwood) are 3-5x the price but transform a generic kitchen. £140-£380/door supplied; expect £3,500-£6,500 for a 10-15 door kitchen.

Worktops, sinks, taps and splashbacks

Worktop replacement standalone is its own guide (see kitchen worktop replacement pricing guide). In a refurbishment context, the worktop is usually replaced alongside the doors — combined labour saves 0.5-1 day versus separate visits.

Sink and tap upgrades are routinely included in refurbishments. A mid-range stainless inset sink + mixer tap is £200-£550 supplied + £150-£280 fitting. Undermount sinks require a stone worktop and added templating cost (£80-£180) so are paired with stone worktop upgrades only. Boiling water taps (Quooker, Insinkerator) add £750-£1,400 plus electrical install — common in higher-spec refurbishments.

Splashback options range from tile (£35-£60/m² labour + tile supply), glass (£180-£450/m² supplied + £80-£140/m fit), and stone matching the worktop (templating + supply £450-£900). Glass and matching stone are premium options that elevate the look at modest extra cost.

Lighting, electrics and finishing

A kitchen refurbishment is the ideal time to refresh under-cabinet lighting (LED strip £18-£45/m supplied + 1-2 hours sparks), upgrade extractor (£180-£550 supplied + 1-2 hours sparks), and add power for boiling water taps or wine fridges. These are Part P-notifiable only if a new circuit is added; spurring from an existing circuit (within 1m of cooker isolator) is generally permitted under minor works.

Decoration finishing — repaint walls and ceiling, replace skirting, refresh window architrave — adds 1-2 painter days. Often £400-£900 added. Almost always worth doing for the visual lift.

Hidden costs and risk premium

The five most-missed cost lines in kitchen refurbishments are: (1) hinge replacement — old hinges are usually worn, budget for replacement even on retained doors; (2) door bottom strip repair — the kick plate or door bottom rail is often damp-damaged and needs replacing; (3) worktop edge make-good — replacement doors with shorter heights expose old worktop drip-edge marks; (4) integrated appliance facia panel swaps — dishwasher / fridge facia panels are bespoke to the door style and rarely match cheap replacement doors; (5) snagging time — paint touch-up, sealant, alignment.

Risk premium of 10-15% is standard on jobs where the carcass condition is marginal — the trade reserves the right to abandon refurbishment and quote replacement if discoveries warrant.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is refurbishment cheaper than replacement?

Yes — typically 40-60% cheaper for the same kitchen footprint and roughly the same final appearance. A full kitchen refit at the volume retail level (Howdens supply + fit) is £10,000-£18,000 for a standard 10-15 unit kitchen; a full refurbishment of the same kitchen (replacement doors, worktop, sink, tap, tiling, decoration) is £5,500-£11,500. The saving comes from retaining the carcasses, the wall and floor finishes, and the existing plumbing/electrical infrastructure.

How long does a hand-painted respray last?

A specialist hand-painted finish with proper preparation and trade paint typically lasts 8-12 years before showing wear at high-touch points (door edges, handle areas). A general decorator's brush finish lasts 3-5 years before flaking begins. The difference is in the preparation: degreasing with sugar soap, sanding to key the surface, applying the correct primer for the substrate, and using trade-grade satin or eggshell paint with cross-linking technology.

Can I respray vinyl-wrapped doors?

Yes, but with a critical caveat. Vinyl-wrapped doors must be either peeled (the vinyl removed entirely, exposing MDF for repainting) or sealed with a vinyl-specific bonding primer (Bedec Multi-Surface, Tikkurila Otex Akva). Painting directly over intact vinyl without the bonding primer causes peeling within months. Always price for vinyl peeling on customer doors that are showing edge-lift — the substrate underneath may need filling and may not be of paint-grade quality.

Should I replace carcasses if some are damaged?

Selective carcass replacement is technically possible but rarely economic. A new carcass costs £35-£120 supplied; fitting it into an existing kitchen run takes 0.5-1 day and requires matching the new unit's dimensions to the door/worktop spans. For 1-2 damaged carcasses, replacement is viable. For 3 or more, full kitchen replacement is usually cheaper than spot-replacing.

What's the best time to do a kitchen refurbishment?

Practically, when the customer can manage 5-12 days without a fully-functional kitchen — typically a school holiday, a planned holiday for the customer, or a quieter family period. Trade-wise, refurbishment work fills the dead spots between full kitchen installs in a fitter's diary. February-March and October-November are typical refurb seasons; summer is full-fit dominated.

Regulations & Standards