How Long Does Cabinet Refinishing Really Take?
A realistic day-by-day timeline for a Calgary cabinet refinish — including how long your kitchen is actually out of service.
The honest answer for most kitchens is five to ten working days on site, plus three to six weeks of lead time to get on the schedule. Here is how those days are actually spent.
Days 1–2: Protection and Prep
We mask floors, counters, and openings, set up containment, and remove and label every door and drawer front. Prep is the least glamorous stage and the one that determines whether the finish lasts — degreasing, sanding, and grain filling all happen here.
Days 3–6: Spraying
Doors and fronts are finished off site in a controlled spray environment. Boxes and face frames are sprayed in place inside sealed containment with filtered air extraction. Each coat needs cure time before the next, which is why this stage cannot be compressed.
Days 7–8: Reinstall and Detail
Doors go back on, hardware is installed, alignment is adjusted, and we walk the kitchen with you door by door. Anything that is not right gets fixed before we leave.
How Usable Is Your Kitchen?
You keep your sink, fridge, and stove throughout. Cabinet interiors are open for about a week, so most clients move everyday dishes to a temporary shelf or the dining table. Cooking is fine — the coatings we use are low-odour and the containment keeps overspray away from living space.
What Slows a Project Down
Large door counts, dark-to-light colour changes needing extra coats, and cabinet repairs discovered during prep. We flag all three at the walk-through so the schedule you get is the schedule you keep.
