- Service
All-wood cabinet installation, cabinet refacing and layout changes for kitchens in Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina and Raleigh, measured, set and trimmed by owner Chris Muragas.
New cabinets, refaced cabinets, or a better layout with the cabinets you have
Cabinets are most of a kitchen’s budget and all of its daily wear, which is why they are the first thing to get right. HomePro Remodeling installs new all-wood cabinetry, refaces solid existing boxes with new doors and drawer fronts, and reworks cabinet layouts for homeowners in Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina and Raleigh. Owner Chris Muragas measures the kitchen, orders the cabinets, sets and levels every box and trims it out himself, so the kitchen fits the room and the doors line up. Cabinet work is part of our kitchen remodeling service.
Three ways to update your kitchen cabinets
| Option | What happens | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Replace | Old cabinets come out. New all-wood boxes, doors and drawers go in, in the same layout or a new one, with new counters because the old ones rarely survive removal | Boxes are particleboard, water-damaged or the layout needs to change |
| Reface | Existing boxes stay. New doors, drawer fronts, hinges and slides, with matching veneer or paint on the frames and end panels, and new hardware | Boxes are plywood and square, the layout works, and you want a new-looking kitchen for a fraction of a full replacement |
| Rework | Keep most cabinets, add or change a few: a taller pantry, a new island, pull-outs, a trash cabinet, or a run of uppers to the ceiling | The kitchen mostly works and one or two things drive you crazy |
At the free in-home visit Chris opens a few doors, checks the boxes and the hinges, and tells you honestly which of the three makes sense. Our article on full versus partial kitchen remodels covers the same decision from the budget side.
The cabinets we install
- All-wood construction. Plywood boxes and solid wood face frames, doors and drawer fronts, never particleboard. It survives the humidity in a Triangle kitchen and the occasional dishwasher leak.
- Dovetail drawers on soft-close slides. Full-extension slides so you can reach the back, and drawers that close quietly.
- Blum soft-close hinges. Concealed, adjustable, and the standard we use on every door.
- Door styles. Shaker, slab, raised panel, inset and beaded inset, painted or stained. See our kitchen cabinet trends guide for what Cary homeowners are choosing this year.
- Semi-custom and custom sizing. Semi-custom lines in standard widths with modified depths and heights cover most kitchens. Fully custom cabinets are built to the inch for odd walls, tall ceilings and furniture-style pieces.
- Storage that works. Pull-out trash and recycling, drawer dividers, a pull-out pantry, corner solutions that replace the lazy Susan, spice pull-outs and a tray cabinet above the fridge.
- Finishing touches. Crown molding to the ceiling, light rail under the uppers with LED lighting, matching panels on the fridge and dishwasher, and a furniture toe kick.
Cabinet refacing in Cary: when it makes sense
Many kitchens in Cary, Apex and Holly Springs homes from the late 1990s and 2000s have plywood cabinet boxes that are perfectly sound under honey-oak doors. Refacing keeps those boxes, replaces every door and drawer front with a new style and finish, covers the frames and end panels to match, and adds soft-close hinges and new hardware. The kitchen stays usable through most of the work, the counters usually stay, and the result looks like a new kitchen. Refacing does not make sense when the boxes are particleboard, swollen from water, or when you want the layout changed. Chris tells you which you have at the first visit.
Cabinet layouts that fix the common Cary kitchen
The typical kitchen we remodel has 30-inch uppers with a foot of dead space above them, a peninsula that blocks the family room, a corner cabinet nobody can reach, and a pantry closet with wire shelves. The usual fixes: uppers to the ceiling with a stacked top cabinet, the peninsula replaced by an island with seating and drawers, a blind-corner pull-out, and a cabinet pantry with roll-out shelves. For a standard galley or L-shaped room, our 10×10 kitchen cabinet layout guide shows what fits.
Installation, done right
A good cabinet is only as good as the install. We check the floor and walls for level and plumb first, because the floors in a 25-year-old house never are, then set the uppers and bases to a laser line, shim and fasten them into the studs, join the face frames so the reveals are even, and hang and adjust every door. Fillers, scribe molding and crown are cut on site to fit your walls. Counters are templated after the cabinets are set, never before.
How a cabinet project works
- Free in-home consultation. Chris measures the kitchen, checks the existing boxes, and talks through replace, reface or rework.
- Design and selections. A cabinet layout drawing, then door style, finish, hardware and storage accessories. We tell you which showrooms to visit and what to look for.
- Written proposal and ordering. An itemized proposal with the scope and your selections. Cabinets are ordered and on hand before the old ones come out.
- Removal and installation. Old cabinets out, any plumbing or electrical changes made and inspected, new cabinets set, leveled and trimmed.
- Counters, backsplash and walkthrough. Counters templated and installed, backsplash and hardware on, then a walkthrough together.
Permits for cabinet work
Replacing cabinets in the same layout, refacing, and new counters do not need a permit in Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina or Raleigh. Moving the sink, the range or the dishwasher, or adding circuits for under-cabinet lighting or a new island, does, and HomePro pulls it with your town’s inspections office.
Kitchen cabinet questions we hear most
How much do new kitchen cabinets cost in Cary?
Cabinets are usually the single biggest line in a kitchen budget and the price depends on grade, door style, finish and how many cabinets the layout needs. Our Cary kitchen remodel cost guide gives current market ranges, and every HomePro quote is itemized for your kitchen.
Is refacing worth it, or should I just paint?
Painting keeps your existing doors and their style. Refacing gives you new doors, drawer fronts, hinges and slides, so the kitchen works like new as well as looking new. If you want a different door style or your drawers are failing, reface. If you like the doors and just want a color change, painting is the cheaper route and we can do that too.
Can I keep my countertops if I replace the cabinets?
Usually not. Laminate and tile counters rarely come off in one piece, and stone tops are cut for the old layout. Refacing keeps the counters; replacing generally means new ones.
How long does a cabinet replacement take?
Cabinet lead time is the long part, often several weeks from order to delivery depending on the line. Once they arrive, removal and installation in a typical kitchen takes a matter of days, plus counter templating and fabrication. We give you a written schedule with the quote.
What brands do you install?
We install all-wood semi-custom and custom cabinetry with Blum hardware, and we match the line to your budget and door style. Chris shows you samples and tells you where to see full displays.
Do you install cabinets I bought myself?
We prefer to supply and install together so the layout, sizes and fillers are right, but we will look at a kitchen you have already ordered. Send us the layout drawing with your estimate request.
Get a free cabinet estimate
Call (919) 758-3683 or request a free estimate. Chris comes out, measures and tells you whether to replace, reface or rework before you spend anything.