Can You Replace Countertops Without Replacing Cabinets?

Yes. If your kitchen cabinets are solid, sit level, and are a style you still like, you can replace the countertops and keep the cabinets. Many homeowners around Mokena, IL start a kitchen update exactly this way, with new countertops and a new backsplash, then decide later whether the rest of the kitchen needs work.

The cabinets decide it. A new stone countertop is templated to the boxes underneath it, so those boxes need to be strong, dry and level before it goes on. The Floor 4U, owned by Matt Pehr, installs countertops, backsplash tile and cabinets across Will County, and this guide explains how to check what you have and how the work runs.

Watch the project: See a Matteson kitchen get granite countertops and a subway tile backsplash without new cabinets, then use this guide to plan your own kitchen.

When you can keep your cabinets

Keeping your cabinets works when three things are true:

• The boxes are sound. No soft or swollen panels, no loose joints, and no water damage under the sink.
• They sit level and stay put. A stone top needs a flat, steady base along its full length.
• You still like them. If the layout works and the style suits you, new countertops and tile can change the whole room around them.

Our kitchen remodeling page calls this a cosmetic refresh. Here is how it compares with the bigger projects:

A countertop and backsplash update is the smallest of these. Within a cosmetic refresh, you do not have to do everything at once. Many homeowners start with countertops or a backsplash and add new flooring a year or two later, and each project is planned to fit with the later upgrades. New cabinets are the exception, as covered below.

What the Matteson kitchen video shows

In this Matteson, IL kitchen, The Floor 4U installed new granite countertops and a subway tile backsplash and kept the existing wood cabinets. The clip is short, so here is what you can see in it:

• Before: white tile countertops with a single row of tile along the wall, and bare painted wall above it.
• After: granite countertops, with light subway tile running from the countertop up to the upper cabinets.
• The cabinets: the same white cabinets in both shots.

The change comes from two surfaces. The countertop and the wall above it are most of what you see when you walk into a kitchen, so replacing those two made the room look new while the cabinets stayed.

A 20-second clip leaves a lot out. It does not name the granite or the tile, show how the cabinets were checked, or say what the job cost. Treat it as one kitchen, not a promise about yours.

How to check the cabinets you want to keep

You can do a first check yourself before anyone visits. Look for these things:

1. Look under the sink. Soft, swollen or stained panels point to an old leak. That box may need repair or replacement before stone goes on top of it.
2. Push on the corners. Base cabinets should not rock, shift or flex. Granite and quartz are much heavier than laminate, so the base has to carry them without moving.
3. Check for level. Lay a level across the tops of the base cabinets in a few places. Small differences are normal in an older kitchen; a run that dips or bows is worth pointing out.
4. Open every door and drawer. A sagging door can often be adjusted. A box that is coming apart cannot.
5. Decide on the look. If the boxes are sound and only the doors bother you, ask about a refresh and reface during your estimate.

Bring up anything you find during your free in-home estimate. We measure the space, listen to what you want, and review what is and isn’t feasible before you get a written quote.

How countertop replacement works with existing cabinets

Here is how a countertop installation runs when the cabinets stay:

1. Free in-home estimate. Matt Pehr or a crew member visits, measures the space, and talks through material options.
2. Slab selection. Visit the Mokena showroom or work from samples to choose the material, color and edge profile.
3. Templating. The crew returns to template the existing layout, so seam placement and overhangs are planned before the slab is cut.
4. Fabrication. The slab is cut, edged and polished to that template.
5. Installation. The old countertop comes off if needed, then the new one is delivered, dry-fit, set with adhesive and brackets, caulked and sealed. If the sink needs reconnecting, that is coordinated with a licensed plumber.
6. Final walkthrough. Every seam, edge and cutout is inspected with you before the job is marked complete.

Installation itself is typically completed in one day. Templating and installation are two separate visits, with fabrication in between, and both dates are confirmed before fabrication begins.

Removing the old countertops is an add-on, priced separately and confirmed during your free estimate. Laminate comes off easily. Tile countertops can take more labor when the tile was set on cement board.

What happens to the backsplash

Plan the backsplash at the same time as the countertops, even if you install it later. In a full kitchen project the order is flooring, then cabinets, then countertops, with the backsplash last. When the cabinets stay, that leaves countertops first and tile second.

Many older kitchens have a short splash along the wall that comes off with the old countertop. That leaves a strip of bare wall, and you need a plan for it. One customer had Matt match their existing tile instead of replacing it:

We had Matt come in when we got new counter tops installed and needed to match the current backsplash tile that had been put in years ago, to fill in the 4 inch back splash from the old counters. He did a great job matching the old with the new.

Linda M., customer review on our tile backsplash page

Most homeowners take the chance to go further. A simple lip needs about 4 inches, while a full-height backsplash running from the countertop to the upper cabinets, roughly 18 inches, gives a more finished look. The Matteson kitchen went full height, and that wall of subway tile is a big part of why the room looks different.

Our backsplash installation covers measuring and layout, removing old tile, setting, grouting, sealing and cleanup. For the step-by-step detail, read our guide to kitchen backsplash installation.

Choosing countertops and tile for the cabinets you keep

Start from the cabinets, since they are the part you are not changing. Pick a countertop that either contrasts with your cabinet color or harmonizes with it, then let the backsplash tie the two together. Our guide to matching kitchen cabinets and countertops walks through color, texture and hardware.

In the Matteson kitchen, the light cabinets stayed, the granite brought in warmer tones, and light subway tile kept the wall bright. That is a safe pattern for white or cream cabinets, but it is not the only one.

• Granite is natural stone, so every slab is different. It is heat resistant and very durable, but it needs periodic sealing.
• Quartz is engineered stone. It is non-porous, resists stains, needs no sealing, and comes in colors that look like marble or granite.
• Backsplash tile can pull one color from the countertop or the cabinets so it looks intentional. Grout color changes the look too. See how to choose a backsplash color.

Bring photos of kitchens you like, along with a cabinet door photo or sample, to the showroom. It narrows the choices fast.

When new cabinets are the better call

Keeping your cabinets is not always the right move. Replacing them makes more sense when:

• The boxes have water damage, broken joints or sagging shelves that a repair will not fix.
• You want a different layout, such as moving the sink or adding an island. Moving plumbing, gas or electrical is licensed work, scheduled and coordinated as part of the same project.
• You expect to replace the cabinets in the next few years. New stone countertops are cut to fit the cabinets under them and set with adhesive, and the backsplash tile sits on top of the slab. Pulling them up later to change cabinets can crack the stone or the tile, so decide on the cabinets first.

If that sounds like your kitchen, our cabinet installation page explains the options, from a refresh and reface to complete custom cabinets.

What drives the cost

We do not publish a single price for a countertop and backsplash update, because no two kitchens are the same. These are the things that move the number:

• The square footage of countertop, and the material you choose.
• The edge profile, and the number of sink and cooktop cutouts.
• Seams, since L-shaped and U-shaped kitchens typically need one or two.
• Tear-out of the old countertops, which is priced separately.
• For the backsplash, the wall area plus the number of outlets, corners and window returns, and how complex the tile pattern is.

Our countertop cost page explains each of these. For your own kitchen, a free in-home estimate gives you a written, itemized quote, and you are welcome to compare it with other bids.

Frequently asked questions

Can you replace countertops without replacing cabinets?

Yes, as long as the cabinets are solid, level and dry. New countertops are templated to the cabinets you already have, so the boxes underneath have to carry the new top without flexing. Fix or replace any water-damaged or loose cabinets first.

Will my old cabinets hold granite countertops?

Usually, if the boxes are sound and sit level. Granite and quartz are much heavier than laminate, so soft spots, loose joints and old water damage are the warning signs. Point them out during your free in-home estimate.

Do you have to replace the backsplash when you replace countertops?

Not always, but plan for it. A short splash that is part of the old countertop comes off with it and leaves a strip of wall to cover. An existing tile backsplash can stay only if two things hold. The old countertop has to come out without damaging the bottom row of tile, and the new top has to meet that tile cleanly. Many homeowners replace both at once.

How long does it take to replace kitchen countertops?

Installation itself is typically completed in one day. Templating and installation are two separate visits, with fabrication in between, and both dates are confirmed before fabrication begins.

Should you replace cabinets or countertops first?

Cabinets first. Stone countertops are cut to fit the cabinets under them, so in a full kitchen project the order is flooring, then cabinets, then countertops, with the backsplash last.

Do new countertops have to match old cabinets?

No, but they should work with them. Choose a countertop that either contrasts with or harmonizes with your cabinet color, then pull one color into the backsplash. Bring a photo or sample of your cabinets when you pick materials.

Get a free in-home estimate

Thinking about new countertops for the cabinets you already have? We will measure your kitchen, listen to what you want, review what is and isn’t feasible with the cabinets you have, and follow up with a written quote. Request your free in-home estimate or call Matt Pehr at (708) 775-3648. There is no pressure to buy.

We provide countertop and backsplash installation in Mokena, Frankfort, Tinley Park, New Lenox, Orland Park, Homer Glen, Plainfield, and throughout Will County, IL. We also work in nearby suburbs such as Matteson, where the kitchen in the video is. See all of the areas we serve.