Typical kitchen timeline
About a week — one to two days for cleaning, sanding, and masking, then spray days for doors and drawers, and a final day for curing, rehanging, and hardware.
Professional Coatings · Cabinets
Cabinet Painting & Refinishing
Cerro Painting sprays and refinishes kitchen and bathroom cabinets across Wilmington, NC for a factory-smooth finish at a fraction of replacement cost. Doors and drawers are sprayed with cabinet-grade lacquer; boxes are finished on site with full masking and daily cleanup.
Licensed & insured
•Owner-led crews
•Cabinet-grade sprayed finish
•2-year workmanship warranty
•Written estimate in one business day
How we work
How does cabinet refinishing work?
A sprayed finish gives you a like-new kitchen without the cost or downtime of replacement. We reuse your existing cabinet boxes, doors, and hardware, then rebuild the surface from bare wood up so the new color holds through years of coastal cooking and cleaning.
Our five-step cabinet process
- Assess & label. We test adhesion, note repairs, and label every door, drawer, and hinge so hardware returns to its exact spot.
- Degrease & sand. Kitchen grease is the enemy of adhesion. Every surface is degreased, scuff-sanded, and dust-extracted.
- Prime with bonding primer. A bonding primer locks the new finish to wood, MDF, or previously painted surfaces.
- Spray cabinet-grade finish. Doors and drawers get sprayed lacquer or enamel; boxes are finished on site with fine-finish rollers.
- Cure, rehang & walkthrough. Finishes cure fully before rehanging. We adjust hinges, reinstall hardware, and walk the kitchen with you.
Planning a bigger refresh? Cabinet projects pair well with our residential interior painting in Wilmington.
Project snapshot
What to expect at a glance.
The details Wilmington homeowners ask about first — timeline, finish, warranty, and how usable your kitchen stays during the work.
Finish
Doors and drawer fronts are sprayed with cabinet-grade lacquer or enamel for a factory-smooth surface. Boxes are finished on site with fine-finish rollers.
Kitchen access
We stage the work so your sink and appliances stay reachable each evening, use low-odor products indoors, and clean up daily.
- Typical timeline
- About a week
- Finish
- Sprayed lacquer or enamel
- Warranty
- 2-year workmanship + touch-up kit
- Surfaces
- Wood · MDF · previously painted
Repaint vs. replace
Cabinet painting vs. refacing vs. replacement
See how a sprayed repaint compares to refacing and full replacement on cost, disruption, and finish.
| Factor | Painting (Cerro) | Refacing | Full replacement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relative cost | Lowest — reuses doors, boxes, and hardware | Mid — new doors and veneer over existing boxes | Highest — new cabinets plus installation |
| Typical disruption | About a week, kitchen stays usable evenings | 1–2 weeks | Several weeks, kitchen out of service |
| Best when | Boxes and doors are structurally sound | Doors are damaged but boxes are sound | Layout changes or failing cabinets |
| Finish result | Factory-smooth sprayed color of your choice | Limited to available door styles | Any style, longest lead times |
Where we paint cabinets
Kitchens & vanities across the coast.
The same prep standards and sprayed finishes cover a single vanity or a full kitchen, from inland neighborhoods to beachfront rentals.
Wilmington & Leland homes
Kitchens, bathroom vanities, laundry rooms, and built-ins across Wilmington, Forest Hills, Sunset Park, and Leland get sprayed finishes with full dust control.
Beach rentals & coastal properties
Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach rentals get moisture-tolerant enamel systems scheduled between bookings, with photo documentation for owners.
Vanities, built-ins & more
Beyond the kitchen, we refinish bathroom vanities, bookcases, and laundry cabinets with the same durable enamel systems and labeled hardware.
Kitchen cabinetsBathroom vanitiesLaundry cabinetsBuilt-ins & bookcasesWoodMDFPreviously paintedThermofoil & laminate (with prep)
Cabinet FAQ
Cabinet painting questions Wilmington homeowners ask.
Straight answers on timeline, cost, finish, and surfaces before we start.
01How long does cabinet painting take in Wilmington?+
Most kitchens take about a week: one to two days for cleaning, sanding, and masking, then spray days for doors and drawers, and a final day for curing, rehanging, and hardware. Coastal humidity affects cure times, so we schedule spray days around Wilmington weather.
02Is painting cabinets cheaper than replacing them?+
Yes. Repainting reuses your existing cabinet boxes, doors, and hardware, so you avoid the material and installation costs of full replacement. For structurally sound cabinets, a sprayed finish delivers a like-new look for a fraction of replacement cost.
03Do you spray cabinets or brush them?+
Doors and drawer fronts are sprayed with cabinet-grade lacquer or enamel for a factory-smooth finish. Cabinet boxes are finished on site with fine-finish rollers and brushes, with full masking to protect counters, floors, and appliances.
04Can I use my kitchen during the project?+
Mostly, yes. We stage the work so your sink and appliances stay reachable in the evenings, use low-odor products indoors, and clean up daily. Doors and drawers cure off site or in a masked spray zone.
05What cabinet surfaces can be painted?+
Wood, MDF, and previously painted cabinets take paint well after degreasing, sanding, and a bonding primer. Thermofoil and laminate need extra prep and an adhesion test first, which we do during the estimate walkthrough.
Start a conversation
Have a surface that needs protecting?
Tell us about your project and a Cerro Painting project manager will respond within one business day. Prefer to talk? Call or email anytime.
Request a free estimate
Most quotes delivered within one business day with a clear scope, timeline, and prep plan.