Cabinet Repair in Houston: Water Damage, Doors, Drawers and Finish
Cabinet repair in Houston usually means one of a handful of problems: a sink base that got wet, a door that sags, a drawer that no longer glides, or a finish worn through at the handles. Kitchen Remodel Masters repairs cabinets as part of our cabinet refinishing work, with Jose, our cabinet maker of 20 years, rebuilding the parts that cannot be fixed in place.
This page covers the problems we see most in Houston kitchens, the repair-versus-replace rules, what our shop can rebuild, how we match an existing finish, what to do after a leak, and what repairs cost in the Houston market. Prices are market ranges from named sources, not Kitchen Remodel Masters quotes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does cabinet repair cost in Houston?
Most cabinet repairs run $200 to $490 with an average of $280 per project, per HomeAdvisor and Angi (2026). By type: door repair $100 to $400, drawer repair $120 to $350, water damage $150 to $500 per cabinet, hinge replacement $30 to $80, hardware $40 to $150. Labor runs $50 to $100 an hour. Kitchen Remodel Masters prices each repair after a free in-home visit.
Can a water-damaged sink base cabinet be repaired?
Yes, when the sides and face frame are sound. The swollen bottom panel is cut out and replaced with a new plywood floor, which runs $150 to $500 per cabinet per HomeAdvisor (2026). When the side panels have swelled or show mold, Jose builds a new sink base in our shop and matches the door to the rest of the kitchen.
Why do my cabinet doors not close straight anymore?
Usually one of three things. The hinge screws have pulled out of the box, the hinge needs a side-and-depth adjustment, or the door has warped in Houston humidity. The first two are a quick fix. A warped solid-wood door over 24 inches tall often needs replacing, because it will keep moving.
Can peeling thermofoil cabinet doors be fixed?
Not well. Thermofoil is a vinyl skin glued over MDF, and once heat or humidity lifts it, re-gluing holds for weeks, not years. The fix is new doors. Jose builds replacement doors to your openings and we paint them to match, or we reface the whole kitchen if most of the doors are peeling.
Is it worth repairing old cabinets or should I replace them?
Repair when the boxes are plywood or solid wood, the layout works, and the problem is a door, a drawer, a hinge or one water-damaged base. Replace when particleboard boxes have swelled, more than a third of the doors are failing, or the layout has to change. New custom cabinets in Houston run $15,000 to $35,000 per Fresh Coat Painters of West Houston (2026).
Can you match the finish on my existing cabinets?
On painted cabinets, yes. We match the color and sheen and spray the new part in our shop. On stained wood, a new door can be stained to read close, but 20-year-old sun-faded oak will not match a new door exactly. In that case we refinish the run the new door sits in so the whole bank matches.
What should I do about cabinets after a leak or a flood?
Stop the water, pull everything out of the cabinets, and run fans to dry the boxes for several days before any repair. Photograph the damage before you remove anything for your insurance claim. Particleboard that has swelled will not shrink back and needs replacing; plywood often dries flat.
Do I need a permit to repair cabinets in Houston?
No. Cabinet repair, new doors, new drawer boxes and refinishing are cosmetic work. The City of Houston requires permits for plumbing, electrical, gas and structural changes. If the leak that damaged the cabinet needs a new supply line or drain, that plumbing work does need a permit.
Common Cabinet Problems in Houston Kitchens
- Sink-base water damage. A slow drip from the faucet supply or the disposal soaks the cabinet floor. Particleboard swells and crumbles; plywood delaminates. This is the most common repair call we get.
- Swollen MDF. Doors and end panels made of MDF swell at the edges when water or steam reaches them, often near the dishwasher or the range.
- Peeling thermofoil. The vinyl skin on 1990s and 2000s white doors lifts at the corners, usually on the doors next to the oven or above the coffee maker.
- Sagging doors. Hinge screws pull out of a soft box, or the hinge drifts out of adjustment, and the door drops on one side.
- Broken drawer glides. Old epoxy side-mount glides wear out, and the drawer tips or sticks.
- Humidity-warped doors. Houston’s 74.7 percent average humidity (NOAA data via Wikipedia) moves solid-wood doors, and a tall pantry door can bow enough that it never closes flat.
- Finish wear at the handles. Paint or clear coat rubs through on the doors you open most, usually the trash pull-out and the dishes cabinet.
Many of these show up in 1990s kitchens in Katy, Sugar Land and Spring, and in Harvey-era kitchens that got wet and were dried out without replacing the bases.
Repair or Replace: The Rules We Use
Repair when:
- The boxes are plywood or solid wood and still square.
- The problem is one door, one drawer, hinges, glides or one water-damaged base.
- The layout works and the door style is one you want to keep.
Replace when:
- Particleboard boxes have swelled at the toe kick or under the sink. Swollen particleboard does not shrink back and will not hold a hinge screw.
- More than a third of the doors are peeling, warped or cracked. At that point new doors on the existing boxes, which is refacing, costs less than fixing them one by one.
- The layout has to change. Moving a sink, adding an island or removing a wall means new boxes, which is custom cabinets.
Our guide on whether to paint, stain, reface or replace walks through the full decision.
What Our Shop Can Rebuild
Jose builds cabinets in our own shop on Washington Avenue, so repairs are not limited to what can be glued in your kitchen.
- New sink base. A new plywood box built to the old opening, with the same face-frame width and a door that matches the rest of the kitchen.
- New doors to match. Shaker, slab, raised panel or a cathedral arch copied from your existing doors, built to your openings and finished to match.
- New drawer boxes. Dovetailed or doweled plywood boxes on soft-close undermount slides, sized to the old drawer front so nothing else changes.
- New end panels and toe kicks. Replaced when MDF has swelled.
- Shelves and roll-outs. Sagging shelves replaced with thicker plywood; roll-out trays added to deep base cabinets.
Matching an Existing Finish
On painted cabinets we match the color and the sheen, spray the new part in our conditioned shop and let it cure before installing it. A new white door next to a 10-year-old white door reads as a match once the sheen is right.
On stained wood, a new door can be stained to read close to the old ones, but sun-faded honey oak or cherry that has darkened will not match a fresh door exactly. When that happens we refinish the bank of doors the new one sits in, so the whole run matches. See cabinet staining for how we restain.
After a Leak or Flood
- Stop the water and empty the cabinets. Pull everything out of the base, including the shelf liner.
- Photograph everything before you remove it. Your insurance adjuster will want photos of the damage as found.
- Dry it out for several days. Fans and a dehumidifier aimed into the open cabinet. Do not close the doors.
- Check what the box is made of. Plywood that dries flat can usually be saved. Particleboard that has swelled cannot.
- Check behind the cabinet. Wet drywall or a wet subfloor has to be addressed before the cabinet goes back.
We can look at the cabinets once they are dry and tell you which bases need a new floor and which need a new box.
Cabinet Repair Cost in Houston
Most cabinet repairs run $200 to $490 with an average of $280 per project, per HomeAdvisor and Angi (2026). Labor runs $50 to $100 an hour and makes up about half the bill.
| Repair | Market range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Door repair | $100 to $400 per door | HomeAdvisor, 2026 |
| Drawer repair | $120 to $350 per drawer | HomeAdvisor, 2026 |
| Water damage repair | $150 to $500 per cabinet | HomeAdvisor, 2026 |
| Hinge replacement | $30 to $80 | HomeAdvisor, 2026 |
| Hardware replacement | $40 to $150 | HomeAdvisor, 2026 |
| Finish touch-up or refinish | $200 to $600 | HomeAdvisor, 2026 |
| New doors on all boxes (refacing), Houston | $3,579 to $8,998 | Angi Houston, 2026 |
| New custom cabinets, Houston | $15,000 to $35,000 | Fresh Coat Painters of West Houston, 2026 |
A single new sink base or a set of matched doors built in our shop sits between the per-cabinet repair figures and the refacing range, depending on the door style and finish. Kitchen Remodel Masters does not publish a price list because the box material, the number of doors and the finish change every job. The cost to paint kitchen cabinets and custom cabinets cost pages show the Houston ranges for the two bigger options.
Cabinet repair is cosmetic work and needs no City of Houston permit. The Houston Permitting Center residential plan review page lists what does: plumbing, electrical, gas and structural work.
Get an Exact Number
Sean comes to your kitchen, checks the boxes for water damage, and tells you which cabinets can be repaired and which should be rebuilt. If the kitchen is a candidate for refacing or new cabinets instead, he shows you both in a free 3D design. The consultation and the 3D design are free. Call (713) 364-6603 or request your free consultation.
Sources
- HomeAdvisor, “How Much Does Cabinet Repair Cost?” https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/cabinets-and-countertops/repair-cabinets/ (updated June 2026)
- Angi, “How Much Does Cabinet Repair Cost?” https://www.angi.com/articles/cabinet-repair-cost.htm (2026)
- Angi, “How Much Does Resurfacing Kitchen Cabinets Cost in Houston, TX?” https://www.angi.com/articles/how-much-does-cabinet-refacing-cost/tx/houston (updated March 2026)
- Fresh Coat Painters of West Houston, “How Much Does It Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets in Houston?” https://freshcoatpainters.com/resources/blog/west-houston/cabinet-painting-cost-houston/ (2026)
- Houston Permitting Center, “Residential Plan Review” https://www.houstonpermittingcenter.org/building-code-enforcement/residential-plan-review
- Wikipedia, “Climate of Houston” (NOAA humidity normals) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Houston