Guide

Kitchen facelift cost in NZ: paint, new doors or a reface

A kitchen facelift keeps the cabinet boxes and the layout and replaces what you see. Superior Renovations' line-item total for a cosmetic refresh is $5,600–12,200 (2026). Spray-painting the existing doors is about $2,000–4,000, and refacing with new doors and drawer fronts is $4,830–12,420 + GST. So $10,000 can be enough, if the carcasses are sound.

Updated 19 October 2026

Key takeaways

A full cosmetic refresh adds up to about $5,600–12,200 line by line (Superior Renovations, 2026).
Professionally spray-coating existing doors is about $2,000–4,000; DIY paint materials are $200–500, but rarely give the same finish.
Refacing (new doors and drawer fronts on the existing boxes) is $4,830–12,420 + GST (Superior Renovations, 2026).
A new kitchen, even a budget one, is a different job: about $15,000–25,000 (CheckMyBuilder, July 2026).
Swapping a tap or sink is still sanitary plumbing, and hard-wired lighting is still electrical work: both go to licensed trades.

Is $10,000 enough to renovate a kitchen in NZ?

For a facelift, yes; for a new kitchen, no. $10,000 covers new handles, spray-painted doors, a laminate benchtop, a tiled splashback, a new tap and sink and some lighting on Superior Renovations' 2026 figures. It does not cover new cabinetry, which is why a budget replacement starts at about $15,000 (CheckMyBuilder, July 2026).

A cosmetic refresh, line by line (Superior Renovations, 2026; GST basis not stated)
Item	Typical cost
New handles and hardware	$150–500
Spray-coat the existing cabinet doors	$2,000–4,000
Laminate benchtop	$1,500–3,000
Tile splashback, professionally laid	$800–2,000
Mid-range mixer tap and sink	$400–1,000
Plumber to swap the tap and sink	$300–500
Under-cabinet LED and pendant lighting	$300–800
Wall paint, done yourself	$150–400

Superior Renovations totals the refresh at $5,600–12,200, and about $8,000–10,000 with a professional spray-coat and a laminate benchtop.

Paint, wrap, new doors or reface: which is right?

Paint if the doors are flat, solid and only tired. Replace the doors if they are damaged or the profile dates the room. Reface if you want the kitchen to read as new without paying for new boxes. Each step up costs more and lasts longer, and all of them rely on the carcasses underneath being sound.

Ways to refresh cabinets you are keeping
Option	Typical cost	Best for
DIY paint	$200–500 in materials	A rental or a stop-gap. Brush marks show on gloss doors
Professional spray-coat of the doors	$2,000–4,000	Flat or shaker doors in good condition
Refinish the cabinetry	$2,070–4,140 + GST	Sound cabinets that need a new face colour
Reface: new doors and drawer fronts	$4,830–12,420 + GST	A new look on boxes that are dry and square
Vinyl wrap	No published NZ figure found	Ask for it priced per door, and ask about heat near the oven

Superior Renovations, 2026. Refinish and reface are stated + GST; the paint figures carry no GST basis.

When is a facelift the wrong money?

When the cabinet boxes are failing, when the layout is the problem, or when you plan to move the sink within a few years. New doors on swollen particleboard or worn drawer runners still feel like an old kitchen, and anything spent on the face is lost when the boxes are replaced later.

Look under the sink and around the dishwasher. Swollen or crumbling board there means the boxes are near the end of their life.
Open every drawer. Runners can often be swapped, but if the drawer boxes themselves are failing, refacing does not fix them.
Be honest about the layout. If you walk around the room to cook, no colour fixes it. That is a layout question and a different budget.
Check the benchtop line. A new benchtop on old cabinets is fine; a stone benchtop on cabinets you will replace in five years is not.

Which parts of a facelift still need a licensed trade?

Painting, handles, doors and a laminate benchtop are yours to organise however you like. Disconnecting and reconnecting the sink, tap or dishwasher is sanitary plumbing for a PGDB-authorised plumber, and new hard-wired lighting or power points are for a registered electrician, who must give you the certification.

If the house was built before 2000, get an old splashback lining or vinyl floor tested for asbestos before anyone cuts or lifts it. A facelift usually changes no plumbing, wiring or structure; if yours moves any of those, check canibuildit.govt.nz and your council. More on who has to be licensed.

What order should a kitchen facelift go in?

Decide the benchtop first, because it sets the colours for everything else. Then doors or paint, then the splashback (which sits on the new benchtop), then the tap and sink, then lighting and handles. Painting the walls last covers any marks the trades leave.

Benchtop chosen and measured.
Doors sprayed, or new doors and drawer fronts ordered to the existing openings.
Old benchtop out, new benchtop in.
Splashback fitted down to the new benchtop.
Plumber reconnects the sink, tap and dishwasher.
Electrician fits any hard-wired lighting.
Handles on, walls painted.

Questions

Is $10,000 enough for a new kitchen?

Not for new cabinetry: a budget replacement is about $15,000–25,000 (CheckMyBuilder, July 2026). $10,000 is a good facelift budget, covering sprayed doors, a laminate benchtop, a tiled splashback, a tap and sink and lighting (Superior Renovations, 2026).

How much does it cost to paint kitchen cabinets in NZ?

About $2,000–4,000 to have a standard kitchen's doors professionally spray-coated, depending on how many doors and the finish (Superior Renovations, 2026). Doing it yourself costs $200–500 in materials.

Can I replace just the kitchen cupboard doors?

Yes, if the cabinet boxes are dry and square. A joiner can make doors and drawer fronts to your existing openings; with new soft-close hinges at the same time, it is most of the effect of a new kitchen. Refacing like this is $4,830–12,420 + GST (Superior Renovations, 2026).

How much does a kitchen facelift cost in NZ?

Usually about $5,600–12,200 line by line for doors or paint, a laminate benchtop, a splashback, a tap and sink and lighting (Superior Renovations, 2026). Stone instead of laminate adds about $2,000–6,000 (CheckMyBuilder, July 2026).

Sources

Checked 19 October 2026. We re-check every published figure quarterly.