How long do kitchen cabinets last?
Updated August 2026
Kitchen cabinets last 20–50 years, and it is the boxes, not the doors, that usually set the number. Solid-wood doors and face frames can pass 50 years easily; a plywood carcass holds up 30–40, while a cheaper particleboard or MDF box is a 10–20 year part that swells and crumbles the moment water reaches it. The moving hardware, hinges and drawer slides, wears out on its own schedule of 10–20 years and gets swapped two or three times over the life of the boxes. The fastest way to lose a cabinet is a slow leak under the sink, which is where most kitchens fail first.
Lifespan by type and situation
| Type or situation | Typical lifespan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solid-wood doors and face frames | 50+ years | The doors outlast everything; hinges and slides give out first |
| Plywood boxes | 30–40 years | Resists moisture and holds screws; the durable carcass material |
| Particleboard / MDF boxes | 10–20 years | Swells and crumbles the moment water gets under the sink |
| Under-sink cabinet | Often first to fail | Slow leaks rot the base and back panel here before anywhere else |
| Hinges and drawer slides | 10–20 years | Wear out and get replaced two or three times over the box life |
| Thermofoil doors | 15–25 years | The foil delaminates and peels near ovens, dishwashers, and steam |
Signs yours is near the end
- Doors that sag, no longer close flush, or hinges pulling loose from the wood
- Swelling, bubbling, or crumbling at the cabinet base, almost always under the sink
- Peeling laminate, thermofoil, or paint across the door faces
- Drawer slides that stick, drop, or jump the track
- A soft or spongy shelf bottom that flexes underhand, a sign of a slow leak
- A dated finish or layout that no longer works for how you cook
How to add years
Cabinets rarely wear out, they get flooded out, so protecting them is mostly about water. Fix any drip under the sink the day you notice it, wipe standing water off the base, and keep the kitchen from staying humid, because particleboard has no defense once it gets wet. The hardware is the true wear item: hinges and slides run 10–20 years, and swapping a worn soft-close hinge or slide for a $2–10 replacement is an easy afternoon that makes the whole kitchen feel new. When the boxes are still solid but the look is tired, refacing (new doors and veneer over your existing boxes) runs $4,000–10,000 against $8,000–20,000 to rip everything out, and a fresh coat of paint costs far less than either. Time any redo with your countertops, and keep the leak checks on your home maintenance checklist.
What it costs to replace: plan on $8,000–20,000 for a full replacement; refacing runs $4,000–10,000 and a repaint far less. Replacing on your own schedule, before it fails, is almost always cheaper than the emergency version. The home maintenance cost calculator helps you set the money aside before it comes due.
OnOtto tracks your cabinet hardware checks age and service history, and warns you before end of life instead of after the flood.
Track your home's systems, free for 30 daysFrequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to reface or replace kitchen cabinets?
Refacing is far cheaper, at $4,000–10,000 versus $8,000–20,000 for a full replacement, because it keeps your existing boxes and only swaps the doors, drawer fronts, and visible veneer. The rule of thumb: reface when the boxes are structurally sound and the layout works, and you just want a new look. Replace when boxes are water-damaged or crumbling, the layout needs to change, or you are moving plumbing and appliances anyway. If the doors alone are dated, a repaint runs even less and can buy several more years.
What ruins kitchen cabinets the fastest?
Water, without much competition. A slow supply-line or drain leak under the sink soaks into the base and back panel, and particleboard or MDF swells, delaminates, and crumbles once it is wet, damage that does not reverse. Chronic kitchen humidity and steam do a slower version of the same thing, especially to thermofoil doors near the oven and dishwasher, which peel as the foil lets go. After moisture, the next thing to go is the moving hardware, hinges and slides worn loose from tens of thousands of open-and-close cycles. Solid wood and plywood shrug off far more of this than budget board.
Can you just paint old cabinets instead of replacing them?
Yes, if the boxes and doors are solid wood or quality plywood in good shape, painting is the highest-value refresh there is. A careful DIY job runs $200–600 in primer, paint, and supplies; hiring it out runs $3,000–8,000 depending on the number of doors and prep. The surfaces that fight back are thermofoil and laminate: paint struggles to bond to them, so they need special bonding primer and still may peel. Proper prep is everything here, degrease, sand or de-gloss, and prime, or the new finish will chip at the edges within a year.
How long do cabinet hinges and drawer slides last?
Roughly 10–20 years, which means you will likely replace them two or three times before the boxes wear out. They are the busiest parts in the kitchen, cycling tens of thousands of times, so sagging doors, slides that stick or drop, and hinges pulling out of the wood are normal mid-life symptoms rather than a sign the whole cabinet is done. Replacement soft-close hinges and slides cost about $2–10 each and install with a screwdriver, so refreshing the hardware is one of the cheapest ways to make old cabinets feel solid again.