Cabinet Repair or Replace? How to Fix Doors, Drawers & Sink Bases

You can fix most cabinet problems without replacing a thing. If your cabinet boxes are still solid and the trouble sits in one door, one drawer or one spot under the sink, a repair will save you time and a lot of money.

When a door won’t close, a drawer drops into your hand, or you find a soft spot under the kitchen sink, it’s easy to picture tearing out the whole kitchen. Plenty of homeowners panic, call for new cabinets, and spend thousands they never needed to.

At Majestic Cabinets, we repair, refinish, reface, and build cabinets in our own Las Vegas shop.

Not sure what your cabinets need? Book a free in-home estimate, and we’ll tell you whether to repair, refinish, or replace.

Should You Repair or Replace Your Cabinets?

Repair your cabinets when the boxes are in good shape and the damage is limited to hardware, doors or one section. Replace them when the boxes are swollen, moldy or broken in several places, or when repairs would cost more than about half the price of new cabinets.

Ask yourself three quick questions. Are the cabinet boxes solid? Is the damage limited to one area? Do you still like the layout? If the answer to all three is yes, repair is the way to go.

How to Fix Sagging Cabinet Doors

Most sagging doors come down to the hinges, and nearly all of them can be fixed in under 30 minutes.

Screws loosen every time a door swings. Over the years, the screw holes get stripped and stop holding. Heavy doors put extra strain on hinges, and old hinges simply wear out.

The Fixes

Tighten every hinge screw. If a screw just spins, the hole is stripped. Pull the screw out, push a few wooden toothpicks or a golf tee coated in wood glue into the hole, let it dry, snap off the ends, and drive the screw back in. For badly chewed-up holes, drill out the hole and glue in a small wooden dowel.

If you have European (concealed) hinges, each one has adjustment screws. One moves the door in and out, one moves it side to side, and the screws on the mounting plate move it up and down. Small quarter turns usually bring a crooked door back in line.

Tall or heavy doors may need a stronger hinge or a third hinge in the middle.

Repair or Replace?

Replace the door rather than the cabinet if the door is warped or the frame edge that attaches the hinge is cracked.

How to Fix Broken Cabinet Drawers

Drawer issues occur as often as door issues, and most can be solved with simple tools.

Drawer Off Its Track

A drawer that sticks or drops usually has a loose or bent slide. Pull the drawer out and tighten the slide screws on both the cabinet and the drawer. Check that both slides sit at the same height. If a slide is bent or its rollers are worn, replace it.

Loose Drawer Front

If the drawer front wobbles, tighten the screws inside the drawer that hold it in place. If the joint has come apart, add wood glue, clamp it overnight, and it should be as good as new.

Sagging or Broken Bottom

A bowed bottom can be reinforced by attaching a thin strip of wood to the underside of the bottom, spanning from front to back. If the bottom has cracked or dropped out, replace it with a new one.

While you’re at it, consider soft-close slides. They stop drawers from slamming and help them last longer.

How to Repair a Water-Damaged Sink Base

Sink-base damage is the most serious of the three, so take it one step at a time.

Step 1: Stop the Leak and Dry Everything

Turn off the water valves under the sink, and call a plumber if anything is still leaking. Empty the cabinet, leave the doors open and run a fan. Try to get the wood fully dry within 24 to 48 hours, since that helps stop mold from growing. If you find a small patch of mold, you can clean it yourself while wearing gloves and a mask.

Step 2: Check the Material

Look at the cabinet floor and sides. Plywood can often be dried, sanded, and sealed. Particleboard is different. Once it swells and crumbles, it rarely recovers.

Step 3: Replace the Cabinet Floor

If only the floor is damaged, cut a new panel to fit, set it on top of the old floor or on support strips, and seal the edges. Finish by adding a waterproof sink-base mat to catch future drips.

When to Replace the Whole Sink Base

If the swelling has spread into the sides or the face frame, if the wood is soft or rotting, or if the cabinet has leaked more than once, replacement is the better call. 

In bathrooms, this is often a good time to plan a bathroom vanity remodel.

Here in Las Vegas, hard water leaves mineral build-up on supply lines and fittings, and the dry air helps small drips evaporate before you notice them. 

Check under your sinks every few months for white crust or stains.

Repair vs Refinish vs Reface vs Replace

Here’s how the four options compare:

Option	What changes	Best when	Relative cost	Time
Repair	Hinges, slides, single panels	Damage is limited to one area	Lowest	Hours
Refinish	Color and finish	Boxes and doors are solid, finish is worn	Low	A few days
Reface	New doors, drawer fronts and veneer	Boxes are solid, you want a new look	Medium	About a week
Replace	Everything	Boxes are failing or the layout no longer works	Highest	Several weeks

For a sense of scale, Angi puts cabinet refacing at about $900 to $6,000 (around $2,100 on average) and full replacement at about $2,000 to $30,000 (around $6,400 on average). 

Rule of thumb: if repairs would cost more than about half the price of new cabinets, replacing usually makes more sense.

If your cabinets just look older, cabinet refinishing brings back the color and finish. If you want a whole new style without tearing anything out, cabinet refacing often costs much less than replacing. 

And when it really is time for something new, our team handles cabinet installation and full kitchen remodeling with cabinets built in our own Las Vegas shop.

When to Call a Cabinet Professional

Call a professional when the problem goes beyond one door, one drawer, or one panel. That includes several failing cabinet boxes, mold, plumbing hidden behind the cabinet, heavy or custom doors, or a cabinet that’s pulling away from the wall.

Majestic Cabinets is licensed and insured in Nevada (B2-0079140, C-3B 0068142), and every visit starts with a free written estimate.

Fix What You Can, Replace What You Must

Most single cabinet problems can be fixed with a little time and the right parts. When damage spreads across several cabinets, refacing or replacing usually makes more sense.

Not sure which one you need? Book a free in-home estimate with Majestic Cabinets. Veterans get 10% off, and 0% financing is available for 2 years.

Cabinet Repair FAQs

How much does cabinet repair cost compared to replacement?

Simple fixes like hinges or drawer slides often cost little more than the parts. Full replacement is much bigger: Angi puts it at about $2,000 to $30,000, with an average around $6,400. That’s why repairing solid cabinets almost always saves money.

How much does cabinet repair cost compared to replacement?

Simple repairs like hinges or slides often cost little more than the parts. Full replacement usually runs thousands of dollars, so fixing solid cabinets almost always saves money.

Can a water-damaged sink base be repaired, or must the whole cabinet go?

If only the floor is damaged and the sides are solid, you can usually replace the floor panel. Swollen sides, rot or repeat leaks mean the cabinet should be replaced.

Is refacing worth it if my doors are sagging?

Yes, if the cabinet boxes are solid. Refacing gives you new doors and new hinges, which fixes the sagging and updates the look in one job.

How long do kitchen cabinets last before they need replacing?

Well-made cabinets often last 20 years or more with basic care. Cheaper particleboard cabinets may wear out sooner, especially near sinks and dishwashers.