Marvel-Works
Refinished kitchen cabinets by Marvel-Works

Refinish, don't replace. Save half the cost.

A professional cabinet refinish gets you a new kitchen for a fraction of the price — if it's done right. We've made overspray prevention our #1 quality standard.

Get a free in-home estimate

Cabinet refinishing is the single highest-value remodel decision you can make if your existing cabinets are structurally good. A typical refinish runs $3,500 to $9,000vs. $20,000+ to replace — and when it’s done by a real finisher with the right products and process, it lasts 10+ years.

But here’s the truth: most cabinet refinish jobs go wrong. Overspray on the floors, on the appliances, on the countertops. Drips on the cabinet faces. Paint that scratches off six months later because the prep was rushed.

We’ve made the avoidance of those problems our top quality priority — not just for the finish, but for your house during the work.

How it works

  1. 1

    On-site visit & color consult

    We walk through the kitchen, look at the cabinet condition, talk through colors. Some homeowners come in already knowing what they want; others want help. Either is fine.
  2. 2

    Site protection (this is the make-or-break step)

    Before any product comes out of the can, we mask everything. Floors covered with breathable, taped-down protection. Countertops protected. Adjacent walls and ceiling masked. Appliances covered with plastic and tape. The kitchen becomes a controlled spray booth.
  3. 3

    Demo of doors & hardware

    Doors and drawer fronts come off and go to our shop or a controlled on-site finishing area. Hinges and hardware removed and labeled.
  4. 4

    Prep

    Surfaces cleaned, degreased, sanded. Holes and dings filled and re-sanded smooth. This is the step most contractors skimp on. We don't — bad prep means a finish that fails.
  5. 5

    Primer

    Industrial bonding primer sprayed and back-rolled where appropriate. We use products specifically rated for cabinet refinishing — not whatever's on sale at the paint store.
  6. 6

    Finish coats

    Sprayed enamel, minimum two coats, sanded between coats. The result is a smooth finish with no orange peel, no roller marks, no brush strokes.
  7. 7

    Re-installation

    Doors and drawer fronts re-hung. Hinges re-installed. New hardware (if you're upgrading knobs and pulls) installed using a template so every hole is in the same spot.
  8. 8

    Walk-through

    You inspect under both natural and artificial light. We don't sign off until you do.

What gets line-itemed on a refinish

We don’t sell packages. Every item below shows up discretely in your scope and quote — and the things on the right are common add-ons you’ll see line-itemed if you opt for them.

Standard refinish line items

  • Cabinet boxes, face frames, doors, drawer fronts, crown molding, exposed end panels
  • Hardware removal and re-install
  • All masking and site protection
  • Prep, primer, and 2 coats finish enamel
  • Final clean

Common add-ons (priced separately)

  • Door style change (we can paint your existing doors any color, but if you want shaker doors instead of raised-panel, that’s new doors)
  • New hardware purchase (we install it; you pick it)
  • Interior cabinet painting (most homeowners skip this — it adds time without much visible benefit)

Cold weather note

We work year-round, but cabinet finishes need stable temperature and humidity to cure properly. In December and January, we may schedule indoor finishing in our shop space rather than on-site, or extend the cure window. We’ll talk through this with you during the on-site visit if your project falls in cold months.

Timeline & Investment

  • Standard kitchen refresh (boxes, faces, all doors painted)
    5 to 8 days on site
    $3,500 to $9,000
  • Larger kitchens or two-tone (uppers one color, base another)
    7 to 10 days
    $5,500 to $12,000

For the technical homeowner

Materials & finish standards

Site protection

  • Floors covered with breathable protection (not plastic, which traps moisture and slides under foot traffic)
  • Countertops covered, taped at perimeter
  • All openings to other rooms sealed with plastic and tape
  • Appliances covered, masked, and tape-sealed at edges
  • Air filtration / negative-pressure where the spray work is happening

Prep

  • All surfaces cleaned with appropriate degreaser
  • Sanded with 220-grit minimum
  • Holes and dings filled with appropriate filler, sanded smooth
  • Doors and drawer fronts removed for shop or controlled-area finishing

Primer

  • Industrial-grade bonding primer rated for cabinet refinishing (we use one approved product company-wide)
  • Sprayed application, back-rolled on flat panels where appropriate
  • Allowed full cure per manufacturer spec before finish coats

Finish coats

  • Sprayed enamel — high-end product specifically formulated for cabinetry, not wall paint
  • Minimum 2 coats
  • Sanded between coats with appropriate grit
  • No brush, no roller — the entire visible finish is sprayed for uniformity

Quality bar

  • No orange peel
  • No drips, sags, or pooling
  • No visible roller marks or brush strokes at arm’s length
  • Even sheen across all surfaces
  • Inspection under natural daylight AND artificial light before sign-off
  • No paint on floors, countertops, fixtures, hardware, or hinges

Frequently asked questions

How long does cabinet refinishing take?
Standard kitchen refresh — boxes, faces, all doors painted — runs 5 to 8 days on site. Larger kitchens or two-tone (uppers one color, base another) run 7 to 10 days. Most of the time is masking, prep, and the spray-cure cycles.
How much does cabinet refinishing cost?
Standard kitchen refresh runs $3,500 to $9,000. Larger or two-tone kitchens run $5,500 to $12,000. That's typically half the cost of replacement and the result lasts 10+ years when done right.
Will the paint hold up over time?
Yes — when the prep, primer, and finish are right. We use an industrial bonding primer rated specifically for cabinet refinishing, then a high-end sprayed enamel formulated for cabinetry (not wall paint). Two coats minimum, sanded between coats. The reason most refinish jobs fail in 6-12 months is wall paint instead of cabinet enamel, or rushed prep — both we don't do.
Will overspray get on my floors and counters?
No. Site protection is our #1 quality standard on a refinish job. Floors covered with breathable taped-down protection, counters covered, all openings to other rooms sealed with plastic and tape, appliances covered and tape-sealed at edges. The kitchen becomes a controlled spray booth before any product comes out of the can.
Can I change the color completely?
Yes. We can paint your existing cabinets any color — light to dark, dark to light, two-tone. What we can't change with refinishing is the door style. If you want shaker doors instead of raised-panel, that's new doors, which is a different scope.
Should I refinish or replace?
Refinish if your cabinet boxes are structurally sound, the layout works, and you like the door style. Replace if the boxes are particleboard with water damage, you want to change the layout, or you want a different door style. We have a detailed decision guide that walks through the structural test you can run yourself.

Schedule a free in-home estimate.

We'll look at the cabinets, talk through colors and finishes, and tell you whether refinishing is the right call (or whether you'd be better served by a refresh-style remodel).

Get a free estimateCall 832-390-8685

Free in-home estimates in The Woodlands area. For projects outside that area, a travel fee applies.