How Long Does Cabinet Refinishing Take?
A typical MV Painting cabinet project runs on two tracks at the same time. The fixed cabinets — the boxes your doors hang on — are prepared, primed and finished on site in 1 to 2 days, often a single day when no major repairs are needed. The doors and drawer fronts are removed, taken to our shop, and finished in a professional spray booth, and that stage takes approximately 7 days because of demand. Here is how the timeline breaks down, stage by stage.
Track one: two days on site
Everything that cannot be removed — the cabinet frames and fixed parts — is done in your kitchen over 2 days. Those surfaces are masked and protected, degreased, lightly sanded, and repaired where repair is possible, including minor damage such as scratches and small dents. They are then sprayed with one to two coats of a high-adhesion, stain-blocking PX primer using an airless sprayer, followed by the finish coats — so the fixed cabinets are completed on site, typically in a single day for an average kitchen with no major repairs, and up to two days when conditions or repairs demand more.
Track two: the spray booth, about 7 days
Everything that can be removed, is removed. On a typical project of 20 to 40 doors and drawer fronts, carefully removing and labelling every piece takes about 3 to 5 hours, so each door goes back in exactly the right opening. The pieces then go to our shop, where they are sanded, given any minor repairs, primed, and sprayed with the finish coats in a professional booth with a controlled environment.
Because of demand, this booth stage takes approximately 7 days. It is worth the wait: a controlled environment keeps dust off the wet finish and lets the coating cure evenly, which produces a smoother, harder result than spraying everything on site.
What this means for your kitchen
Plan on the fixed parts of the kitchen being worked on for 2 days, and on your doors and drawer fronts being away for about a week while they are finished and cured in the shop’s booth. Your written estimate confirms the schedule for your specific kitchen, including how many pieces it has and where it sits in the booth queue.
Common questions
Why does the booth stage take about 7 days?
Each piece is sanded, repaired where needed, primed and sprayed with finish coats, with curing time between stages — and the booth works through projects in order, so current demand sets the queue. The controlled result is worth it: smoother, harder and cleaner than spraying doors on site.
How many doors and drawers does a typical kitchen have?
Most of the kitchens we refinish have 20 to 40 doors, drawer fronts and other removable pieces. Removing and labelling them takes about 3 to 5 hours so every piece returns to its exact opening.
Is booth spraying really better than spraying on site?
Yes. In a controlled booth there is no household dust settling into wet paint and the temperature and airflow stay consistent while the coating cures. The fixed frames are prepared, primed and finished on site, usually within one to two days; the removable pieces get the shop’s professional booth finish.
Plan your cabinet project
Cabinet Painting & Refinishing — Our full cabinet refinishing service for Calgary kitchens and built-ins.
Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets in Calgary — The factors that set the price of a refinishing project.
Spray vs. Brush for Kitchen Cabinets — Why the application method changes the finish you end up with.
Ready for a fresh finish?
Tell us about your painting project through our online request page, and our team will follow up with you. Prefer to talk? Call (403) 667-3064.
Request a Free Estimate Call (403) 667-3064