Kitchen cabinet refacing in Redwood City, CA

Checking whether your boxes qualify

Open the sink base first: swollen particleboard, soft spots or signs of an old leak there usually mean that box should be replaced. Doors that won't stay aligned can point to loose frames. A remodeler checks each box before pricing refacing, and one kitchen can mix refaced runs with one or two new boxes.

What refacing leaves alone

Counters, plumbing, wiring and the floor usually stay put, so the kitchen stays usable for more of the project and the work generally stays out of permit territory. If you also want to move the sink or add outlets, that part of the job becomes permitted work in Redwood City.

Vocabulary in a refacing quote

Stile and rail: the vertical and horizontal pieces that frame a shaker-style door. Overlay: how much of the cabinet frame a door covers, from partial to full. PSA veneer: a pressure-sensitive, peel-and-stick wood veneer applied to the boxes. End panel: the finished side of a cabinet run that faces the room. Concealed hinge: a cup hinge hidden inside the door, often swapped in during refacing.

Permits in Redwood City

Redwood City requires a building permit for any work that section 105.2 of the California Building Code does not exempt; the City's FAQ names painting, flooring and similar finish work as typical exempt residential items.
Applications are filed online through the City's eTRAKiT portal. Residential interior remodels can qualify for One-Stop plan review, in which Building Division staff review the plans with the applicant at City Hall.
The City says plan review takes 6 to 24 weeks depending on scope. A permit is valid for 365 days from issuance, and each passed inspection extends it another 365 days.

City of Redwood City Building Division · (650) 780-7350, permits@redwoodcity.org

Common questions

How long does refacing take?

The on-site work often takes several days once the new doors and fronts arrive; waiting for them to be made is usually the longer part. Each estimate should state both.

Can I add new cabinets while refacing the rest?

Yes. New boxes can be built to match and faced with the same doors and veneer, which is common when a pantry is added or a damaged sink base is replaced.