Cabinet Repair & Refacing
Kitchen Cabinet Repair & Refacing — Fix It Before You Replace It
Misaligned doors, failing hinges, stuck drawers, water-damaged boxes, and worn-out finishes. NorTech technicians assess what’s actually wrong before recommending repair, refacing, or replacement — and they’re straight with you when replacement is the right call.
Request a Free QuoteEvery cabinet repair and refacing job is backed by NorTech’s 1-year labor warranty. If the repair fails due to workmanship within 12 months, we return and fix it. View warranty details →
New Customer Offer
15% Off Your First Cabinet Repair Service
New customers receive 15% off the total labor cost on their first cabinet repair or refacing booking. Mention the code when scheduling or apply it at checkout.
CABINET REPAIR SPECIALISTS
Kitchen Cabinet Repair & Refacing — Most Problems Don’t Need New Cabinets
Kitchen cabinet replacement is one of the most expensive renovations a homeowner can undertake — and in most cases, it’s not necessary. Hinges wear out. Drawer slides fail. Doors go out of adjustment. Finishes oxidize. Water gets under the sink. Every one of those problems is repairable when the underlying cabinet box structure is sound. NorTech technicians start every cabinet job by assessing the boxes first. If the frames are structurally intact, repair or refacing almost always delivers a better cost-to-result ratio than ripping everything out.
Box Assessment Included Free
All Cabinet Materials Serviced
Written Estimate Before Work Starts
WHAT WE REPAIR
Cabinet Repair Services — Every Failure Type Covered
Cabinet problems range from a loose hinge screw to full water-damaged box replacement. Here’s what each repair type involves and what NorTech technicians look for before recommending an approach.
Hinge Repair & Replacement
Loose, stripped, broken & misadjusted hinges
Most cabinet door problems trace back to the hinges — either the hinge itself has failed or its mounting screws have stripped out of the box wall. Euro-style concealed hinges are adjustable in three directions and can often be realigned without replacement. Stripped screw holes require a wood plug repair before a new screw will hold reliably.
- Adjust Euro hinges for door gap, height, and depth alignment
- Repair stripped hinge screw holes with wood glue and hardwood plug
- Replace broken hinge cups or full hinge assemblies
- Re-bore new hinge cups when box material is too damaged to repair
- Install soft-close dampers on hinges that lack them
Cabinet Door Adjustment & Alignment
Doors that won’t close, sit crooked or hit each other
Doors that don’t sit flush, don’t close fully, or hit adjacent doors are almost always a hinge adjustment issue on newer cabinets. On older face-frame cabinets, the door stop or catch hardware may have shifted. In rare cases where the cabinet box has racked out of square — from building settlement or improper installation — hinge adjustment alone will not fix the alignment.
- Diagnose whether misalignment is hinge, box, or door warp
- Adjust concealed hinge screws for correct door position
- Replace or reposition door catches and magnetic closures
- Assess box squareness where hinge adjustment doesn’t resolve the issue
- Plane or shim warped solid wood doors as a last resort
Drawer Slide & Glide Repair
Sticky, falling, racking & soft-close failures
Drawer problems fall into two categories: slides that have physically failed or bent, and slides that need cleaning, lubrication, or minor adjustment. Modern undermount and side-mount metal slides rarely break structurally — they more often lose their soft-close dampers or come off their tracks from overloading. Wooden runner drawers in older cabinets swell with humidity and require a different repair approach.
- Clean and lubricate slides to restore smooth operation
- Replace bent, broken, or worn undermount or side-mount slides
- Repair or replace soft-close damper mechanisms
- Re-secure slides that have pulled away from box walls
- Plane or wax wooden runner drawers that stick from humidity
Cabinet Box & Frame Repair
Damaged corners, delaminated panels & structural failure
Cabinet box damage — cracked corners, delaminated side panels, sagging shelves — is usually caused by overloading, impact, or moisture exposure. Plywood boxes are far more repairable than particle board, which swells irreversibly when wet. When damage is limited to specific panels or joints, targeted repair is almost always more cost-effective than full box replacement.
- Re-glue and clamp delaminating panel edges and corners
- Replace individual side or bottom panels on plywood-box cabinets
- Install shelf pin inserts where shelf support holes have stripped
- Re-square racked cabinet boxes and re-secure to wall studs
- Assess particle board boxes for moisture damage extent before repair
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front Refacing
Worn, dated or cosmetically failed doors — box structure intact
When the cabinet boxes are structurally sound but the doors, drawer fronts, and finish are worn or outdated, refacing replaces only the visible components without demolishing the existing installation. New doors and drawer fronts are ordered to the existing dimensions, box face frames are covered with matching veneer, and hardware is updated. The result looks like a new kitchen at a fraction of the cost of full replacement.
- Measure existing door and drawer dimensions for replacement order
- Remove old doors, drawer fronts, and exposed face frame finish
- Apply veneer or laminate to box face frames
- Hang new doors with matching hinges and adjust for alignment
- Install new drawer fronts and updated hardware throughout
Hardware Replacement
Knobs, pulls, handles & catches across all cabinets
Updating hardware is the lowest-cost and highest-visual-impact change you can make to kitchen cabinets. New pulls and knobs installed consistently across all doors and drawers can make a dated kitchen look intentionally updated without any other work. NorTech handles hardware replacement alongside any repair job — or as a standalone service when the cabinets themselves are in good condition.
- Remove existing hardware and fill holes if new hardware doesn’t align
- Drill new pilot holes to customer-specified hardware positions
- Install pulls, knobs, or bar handles consistently across all doors
- Replace worn or broken door catches and magnetic closures
- Update hinge finish to match new hardware where visible
REPAIR, REFACE OR REPLACE?
The Cabinet Decision Most Homeowners Get Wrong
The most searched question in kitchen cabinets. Here’s the honest breakdown — based on the actual condition of your boxes, not on what’s most profitable to sell you.
✓ Repair — Hardware & Component Failures
- Hinges are worn, stripped, or misadjusted
- Drawer slides have failed or are sticking
- Doors are out of alignment but boxes are square
- Under-sink panel is damaged but surrounding boxes are dry
- Finish is worn but door material is structurally intact
- Hardware is dated but everything else is functional
✓ Reface — Cosmetic Overhaul, Sound Boxes
- Box frames are plumb, square, and structurally solid
- Doors and drawer fronts are warped, delaminating, or severely dated
- Finish is beyond what paint or repair can address
- You want a significant style change without full demolition
- Layout works well — no need to move anything
- Budget is available for door replacement but not full install
→ Replace — Box Failure or Layout Change Needed
- Box frames are racked, rotted, or structurally compromised
- Water damage has spread through multiple cabinet boxes
- Particle board boxes have swelled and delaminated throughout
- Layout needs to change to function better for the household
- Cabinets are so old that matching parts are unavailable
- The cost of repair approaches the cost of replacement
WATER DAMAGE UNDER THE SINK
The Most Overlooked Cabinet Problem in Every Kitchen
Under-sink cabinets absorb slow leaks from drain lines, supply valves, and garbage disposals for months before homeowners notice. By the time the cabinet bottom feels soft or the door starts sticking, moisture has usually been present long enough to compromise the box material.
Particle board and MDF — the material in most builder-grade cabinets — absorbs moisture and swells permanently. It cannot be dried back to its original condition. The bottom panel almost always needs replacement. Side panels and the door are salvageable if the leak is caught before moisture wicks up the full height of the box.
NorTech technicians probe moisture levels in the cabinet box before recommending scope. If the leak source hasn’t been fixed yet, we identify it and flag it before closing the cabinet — a second water event after a repair is avoidable.
Signs of Under-Sink Water Damage
- Cabinet bottom feels soft or spongy underfoot
- Swelling or bubbling on the cabinet floor panel
- Door that previously closed now sticks or won’t latch
- Visible watermarks or tide lines on interior cabinet walls
- Musty odor inside the cabinet even with the door open
- Finish or laminate peeling from interior cabinet surfaces
- Mold or mildew visible at the base of the cabinet box
PRICING TRANSPARENCY
Cabinet Repair & Refacing Cost — What to Expect
Cabinet repair costs vary based on the number of doors, extent of damage, and whether refacing or box repair is required. NorTech provides a written estimate after the free on-site assessment — before any work begins. No surprises.
Hardware & Hinge Repairs
Hinge adjustment, screw hole repair, slide replacement
Most resolved in a single visit. Materials are low-cost; the estimate primarily covers skilled labor time. Hardware replacement can be completed in the same visit when parts are on the truck.
Damage & Box Repairs
Panel replacement, water damage, structural repairs
Multi-hour jobs where material sourcing and box repair complexity determine scope. Under-sink replacements require moisture assessment before a final price is confirmed. Estimate provided on-site.
Refacing
New doors, drawer fronts, veneer & hardware throughout
Scoped by linear foot and door count. Material lead times apply for custom door orders. Full timeline and cost confirmed during assessment once box condition and dimensions are measured.
HARDWARE & MATERIALS WE WORK WITH
Cabinet Hardware & Materials NorTech Uses
Our technicians carry and install hardware from leading manufacturers. Have a brand preference or existing hardware to match? Let us know when booking.
Blum Hardware
Häfele
Grass Hardware
Richelieu
Rev-A-Shelf
Amerock
Liberty Hardware
Hickory Hardware
Knape & Vogt
Sugatsune
3M Adhesives
Titebond Wood Glue
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
What Homeowners Say About NorTech Cabinet Repair
4.8
Based on 1,000+ verified ratings
“Six cabinet doors that wouldn’t close properly. Tech adjusted all of them in under an hour — two needed stripped screw holes repaired first. Everything closes flush and the soft-close dampers all work again. Couldn’t believe how fast it was.”
Harlan D.
“Under-sink cabinet was soft at the bottom from a slow drain leak. Tech assessed the moisture levels, replaced the floor panel, and noted that the left side panel was also compromised. Fixed both in the same visit. Loses one star only because the job ran about an hour longer than quoted.”
Cecile M.
“Told us upfront that three of our cabinet boxes had racked and that refacing wouldn’t fix the alignment issues — we needed those boxes replaced. We appreciated the honesty. They replaced just those three, rehanged the doors, and everything lines up perfectly now.”
Finnian O.
“Drawer slides replaced and working well. Three stars because I had to ask twice to get a copy of the written estimate before work started. Once I had it everything was fine but that step shouldn’t require chasing.”
Luz T.
“Had all cabinet hardware replaced throughout the kitchen as part of a light refresh. Tech drilled new pilot holes cleanly, no tear-out on the cabinet faces. The new pulls are perfectly consistent across every door and drawer. Small job but done with real care.”
Bjarni K.
“Refacing job came out excellent — new doors, veneer on the face frames, all new hardware. Kitchen looks genuinely new. Only reason for four stars is that the door order took a week longer than the original timeline, though they communicated about it proactively.”
Solange V.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Cabinet Repair & Refacing FAQs
The questions homeowners ask most before booking cabinet repair or refacing with NorTech.
Should I repair, reface, or replace my kitchen cabinets?
+Repair makes sense when the damage is limited to hardware, doors, or drawer components — and the cabinet boxes are structurally sound. Refacing makes sense when the boxes are solid but the doors, drawer fronts, and finish are dated or worn beyond what repair can address. Replacement makes sense when the box frames themselves are damaged, racked, or rotted, or when the layout no longer functions for the household. NorTech technicians assess all three during the free on-site estimate and give you a straight recommendation based on the actual condition of your cabinets.
Why do cabinet doors become misaligned or stop closing properly?
+Cabinet door misalignment is almost always a hinge issue — either worn hinge cups, stripped mounting screws, or hinges that have shifted in their bore holes. Euro-style concealed hinges are adjustable in three directions and can usually be brought back into alignment without replacement. Stripped screw holes require the hole to be repaired with wood glue and a hardwood plug before a new screw will hold. In rare cases where the cabinet box itself has racked out of square, hinge adjustment alone will not fix the alignment.
Can a stripped cabinet hinge screw hole be fixed without replacing the cabinet?
+Yes. The standard repair is to fill the stripped hole with wood glue and a hardwood toothpick or dowel plug, allow it to cure fully, then drill a fresh pilot hole and reinstall the screw. This repair holds as well as the original installation when done correctly. A hinge mounted into a properly repaired hole is not a weak point in the cabinet. NorTech technicians carry materials for this repair on every service call.
What causes kitchen cabinet drawers to stick or fall out?
+Sticky or failing drawers are most commonly caused by worn or bent drawer slides, debris buildup in the slide tracks, or humidity-related wood swelling on older wooden-runner drawers. Modern undermount and side-mount metal slides rarely fail structurally — they more often lose their soft-close dampers or come off their tracks after overloading. Replacement slides are widely available and most are direct bolt-in swaps when the same slide width and depth are used.
How serious is water damage under the kitchen sink cabinet?
+Under-sink cabinets are the most common location for water damage in kitchens because slow leaks from drain lines, supply lines, and garbage disposals go unnoticed for months. Particle board and MDF cabinet boxes absorb moisture and swell irreversibly — once the bottom panel has swelled and delaminated, it cannot be dried back to its original condition and must be replaced. The door and side panels are usually salvageable if the leak is caught early. NorTech technicians assess which components can be repaired versus replaced.
What is cabinet refacing and how is it different from cabinet painting?
+Cabinet refacing replaces the visible door and drawer fronts while keeping the existing cabinet box structure in place. The box face frames are typically covered with a matching veneer or laminate. The result is a kitchen that looks like new cabinets without the cost or demolition of full replacement. Cabinet painting, by contrast, applies a finish coat over the existing door and drawer surfaces without removing or replacing them. Painting is lower cost but the finish is less durable and can chip or peel in high-humidity kitchens. Refacing is the better long-term investment when the existing door material is worn, warped, or dated beyond what paint can address.
Can NorTech repair particle board and MDF cabinets, or only solid wood?
+NorTech repairs all cabinet box materials including solid wood, plywood, particle board, and MDF. Each material has different failure modes and repair methods. Particle board is particularly susceptible to screw pull-out and moisture damage — repairs to stripped holes and swollen panels follow different procedures than solid wood repairs. MDF door faces that have swollen at the edges from humidity exposure are generally not worth repairing and are best replaced.
Does NorTech repair bathroom and laundry room cabinets as well as kitchen cabinets?
+Yes. NorTech cabinet repair and refacing services cover kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanity cabinets, laundry room cabinets, and utility room storage. Bathroom vanity cabinets are particularly prone to hinge and drawer slide failure due to constant humidity exposure, and under-sink water damage is as common in bathrooms as it is in kitchens.
SERVICE COVERAGE
Cabinet Repair & Refacing — Serving Major U.S. Markets
NorTech dispatches cabinet repair technicians across the country. View the full service territory →
Get a Free Cabinet Repair Estimate — No Obligation
Our technicians assess the cabinet boxes first, then give you a straight recommendation. Request your estimate online and we confirm dispatch within the hour.
