Kitchen cabinets in St. George: reface, paint or replace

Why cabinets drive the kitchen budget

Cabinets are usually the biggest single line in a kitchen remodel. A National Kitchen and Bath Association breakdown puts cabinetry and hardware at 29% of the budget¹, and Fixr's 2026 split puts cabinetry at 40%².

That's why the choice between paint, refacing and new kitchen cabinets matters so much. In Houzz's 2026 study, 68% of renovating homeowners replaced every cabinet, 27% did a partial upgrade and 5% left them alone³.

Paint, reface or replace: what each costs

Paint usually costs the least, refacing sits in the middle and new cabinets cost the most. The figures below are national, from Fixr, since no study prices St. George cabinet work by itself.

Per linear foot, new stock cabinets run about $100 to $300, semi custom $150 to $650 and custom $500 to $1,200, and labor is 30% to 50% of the total⁶. Refacing climbs with the material: about $80 to $125 a foot for laminate, $100 to $250 for wood veneer and $200 to $500 for solid wood⁵. For the whole kitchen picture, see the kitchen remodel cost guide.

Cabinet refacing in St. George: when it makes sense

Refacing works when the boxes are sound and the layout already suits you. That describes a lot of Southern Utah kitchens: the median Washington County home was built in 2003⁷, so many still have their original builder grade cabinets.

The Cost vs Value report's midrange minor kitchen remodel takes the same approach. It keeps the cabinet boxes in a 200 square foot kitchen and adds new shaker style doors and drawer fronts⁸. Among Houzz homeowners who did a partial cabinet upgrade, half refinished the outsides³.

Refacing is a poor fit if the boxes are water damaged, sagging or in the wrong spot. Moving the sink or adding an island means new cabinets, and usually a full kitchen remodel.

What homeowners pick for new kitchen cabinets

Shaker doors lead by a wide margin: 58% chose them in Houzz's 2026 study, with flat panel at 22% and raised panel at 12%. For cabinet grade, 46% went custom, 33% semi custom, 10% stock and 9% ready to assemble³.

Before you compare quotes, ask each remodeler the same questions:

• What are the boxes made of, and what finish goes on the doors?
• Do the drawers open all the way, and what hinges come standard?
• Is the price for cabinets only, or installed with trim and hardware?
• When will they arrive, and who handles a damaged piece?

How long new cabinets take to arrive

Stock cabinets can arrive in 1 to 2 weeks, semi custom in 4 to 8 weeks, and fully custom in 3 to 6 months or longer. Countertops can't be measured until the cabinets are set, and they add about 2 days to a week after that⁹.

If you split the year between Southern Utah and somewhere else, order early. About 1 in 10 Washington County homes is held for seasonal use⁷, and a delivery that lands while you're gone can stall the job. Ask for the order date in writing, then plan new countertops around it.

Permits, licenses and older paint

Swapping kitchen cabinets in place usually doesn't need a permit, because Utah's statewide residential code lists cabinets and counter tops as exempt finish work¹⁰. Moving the sink, adding outlets or taking out a wall changes that, so the remodeler should check with your city's building office.

Utah's S220 Carpentry and Flooring specialty license covers cabinets, countertops and millwork¹¹. A remodeling job of $7,000 or more, labor and materials included, generally needs a licensed contractor¹². You can check any license on DOPL's free lookup¹³, and the how it works page explains what we check.

Painting cabinets in an older home is a different job. Homes built before 1978 likely contain lead based paint, and paid contractors in Utah must follow lead safe work rules when they disturb it¹⁴. That matters most where homes are older: about 23% of Iron County homes were built before 1980¹⁵, including many in Cedar City, along with older blocks of downtown St. George.