Most kitchens that look finished are not. The carcasses are sound, a few hinges have dropped, a panel under the sink has swollen, and the colour is dated. That is a repair-and-repaint job, not a replacement.
It is the highest-value spend in a kitchen that is structurally fine. Replacement options are covered under Kitchen Renovations Cape Town.
Send a photo and a rough count of doors and drawers.
Get a Cabinet Painting QuoteWhat Can and Cannot Be Saved
- Repairable. Dropped or stiff hinges, worn runners, chipped edging, loose handles, minor surface damage.
- Sometimes repairable. A single swollen panel, if the swelling has not spread through the carcass.
- Not repairable. Board that has delaminated, carcasses that are out of square, and wrap that has lifted across a whole door.
Cabinet Painting and Repair Prices in Cape Town
| Item | Indicative range | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Repaint cabinets, small kitchen | R12,000 – R26,000 | Around 10 to 15 fronts. |
| Repaint cabinets, medium kitchen | R20,000 – R42,000 | The most common band. |
| Per door or drawer front | R500 – R1,300 | Size and profile dependent. |
| Hinge replacement | R120 – R350 per door | Soft-close upgrade at the same time. |
| Drawer runner replacement | R250 – R750 per drawer | Undermount costs more. |
| Swollen or chipped panel repair | R350 – R1,200 | Not always possible. |
| Door realignment and adjustment | R450 – R1,200 | Usually a single visit. |
| New handles fitted | R80 – R600 each | The cheapest visible upgrade. |
These are indicative market ranges, not a quotation. They are compiled from published South African kitchen pricing to give you a starting point for budgeting. They are not the rate card of any company on this platform.
Ask what primer is being used over melamine. An adhesion primer made for laminate surfaces is the difference between a finish that lasts a decade and one that chips off the door edges inside a year.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is repainting cabinets cheaper than replacing them?
Considerably. Repainting a medium kitchen runs R20,000 to R42,000 against R85,000 to R150,000 for a full replacement.
It only makes sense where the carcasses are square, dry and firmly fixed.
How long does painted cabinetry last?
Eight to fifteen years where preparation was done properly. Failures are almost always adhesion failures from skipped degreasing or the wrong primer, and they show inside the first year.
Can hinges and runners be upgraded at the same time?
Yes, and it is worth doing while the doors are off. New soft-close hinges cost R120 to R350 a door and are the single biggest day-to-day improvement.
What if only one panel is damaged?
A single swollen or chipped panel can often be replaced or repaired individually for R350 to R1,200. If the swelling has spread through the carcass, the unit needs replacing.
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