Hiring a woodworker for built-ins: what to know first
Built-ins, such as bookshelves flanking a fireplace, a window seat, a media wall or a closet fitted floor to ceiling, change how a room works. They're also a different job from freestanding furniture, because the piece has to fit a real wall in a real house. Here's what to know before you ask for bids.
Why built-ins are different
Walls aren't straight. Floors slope, walls bow and corners aren't square. A good built-in is scribed: its edges are cut to follow the wall and floor so there are no gaps. That usually means the maker measures on site, and leaves extra material on the edges to fit during installation.
Installation is part of the job. Most built-ins are made in the shop as cabinets or boxes, then installed, leveled, fixed to the wall and trimmed in place. Ask whether installation is included in the bid and who does it.
The house is involved. Built-ins may cover outlets, vents, switches or baseboards. Moving wiring or adding lighting inside shelves is often work for a licensed electrician, depending on where you live. Check your local rules and tell the maker what you want.
HomeAdvisor's figures
HomeAdvisor's custom furniture cost guide lists built-in entertainment centers at $1,500 to $20,000, and custom woodworking labor generally at $50 to $100 an hour plus materials. The range is wide because built-ins range from a single alcove of shelves to a whole wall of cabinetry with doors, drawers and lighting.
Materials
Built-in cabinet boxes are often made from hardwood plywood, which is stable and comes in large sheets, with solid wood face frames, doors and edges. Painted built-ins may use poplar or MDF for parts that will be painted. Ask the maker what they plan to use where, and why.
Shelves that don't sag
Long built-in shelves full of books are where sag shows. Span, thickness and the material decide how much a shelf bends; a solid front edge strip and fixed shelves help a lot. Our shelf sag calculator lets you check a span and thickness for solid wood before you agree on a design.
The brief
- Which wall or space, with photos from straight on and from the side.
- Overall dimensions: width, height (to the ceiling?) and depth.
- What the built-in has to hold: books, a TV and equipment, clothes, a seat cushion.
- Doors, drawers, open shelving, lighting.
- Painted or clear-finished wood, and the species if clear.
- Obstacles: outlets, vents, switches, windows, radiators, baseboards and crown molding.
- Whether you need installation, and your address so local makers can visit.
- Your timeline and budget range.
Choosing a maker
For built-ins, a local maker is usually worth it: they can measure, scribe and install. Ask to see past built-ins, not only freestanding furniture, and ask how they handle out-of-square walls.
On The Spool List you post the brief once and say "local maker preferred". Verified woodworkers bid with a price and a timeline, you pay when you accept a bid, and the platform holds the payment until you confirm the work was delivered.
Post your built-in commission free.