Where built-ins go
- Beside a fireplace. Bookcases with closed cabinets below, matched on both sides of the chimney.
- Under a window. A seat with drawers or lift-up storage, sometimes with bookcases on each side.
- A home office wall. A desk, file drawers, shelves and a place to hide the printer.
- The dining room. A china cabinet with glass doors above and drawers for linens below.
- Stairs and odd corners. Space under stairs and in knee walls that a standard cabinet can't use.
A built-in office wall in deep forest greenFitting old walls
Old plaster walls bow and lean, and the floor near an old hearth is rarely level. We build the cases square, then scribe filler strips, end panels and top moldings to follow the wall, so the finished piece looks like it was always there. Trim can be profiled to match the house's existing casing and baseboard.
Shelves that don't sag
Long shelves full of books sag over time. We keep spans short or stiffen the front edge, and use adjustable shelf pins so you can change the spacing later.
Prices
Built-in cabinets
$2,000to$7,500
Average about $4,500
Angi · checked Oct 2026 · national
Per linear foot
$200to$600
Built-in cabinets
Angi · checked Oct 2026 · national
Angi's built-in cabinet guide lists $2,000 to $7,500 for most projects and $200 to $600 per linear foot. It gives average costs of about $1,500 for a bookcase, $4,000 for an entertainment center and $3,500 for office built-ins. HomeGuide lists entertainment centers at $1,500 to $9,000.
