Short answer: custom built-ins start around $500 for a simple piece, and most of our projects land between $500 and $5,000. A full wall of bookcases in white oak is a different animal than a small mudroom bench — here’s what moves the number.
What counts as a built-in
Bookcases, window seats, mudroom lockers, home office walls, fireplace surrounds, pantry walls, laundry storage. If it’s attached to your house and made to fit the space, it’s a built-in.
What affects the price
Size. A single 3-foot bookcase is a day’s work. A 12-foot wall of cabinetry with a window seat is a week. Size is the biggest driver, full stop.
Complexity. Open shelving is straightforward. Add doors, drawers, file storage, a bench cushion, lighting, or cable management and the labor climbs — but so does how much you’ll actually use it.
Materials and finish. Paint-grade poplar keeps costs down and looks sharp. Stained hardwoods — white oak, walnut, maple — cost more in both material and finishing time. This is where the furniture vs. cabinetry decision lives.
The wall itself. Out-of-square walls, baseboard heaters, outlets that need moving, plaster that crumbles — older Portland homes keep things interesting. We scribe everything to fit, but tricky conditions add time.
Why not just buy a bookcase
A store-bought bookcase is 72 inches wide. Your wall is 74. You get a gap, a wobble, and something that looks like it wandered in from somewhere else.
A built-in fits to the sixteenth, matches your trim, and looks like it was always part of the house — because it was made for it. It also adds real value when you sell. Appraisers and buyers both notice.
What we build most
- Bookcase walls and library shelving
- Window seats with storage below
- Mudroom lockers and benches
- Home office built-ins
- Fireplace surrounds and media walls
The short version
Simple built-in: starting at $500. A bookcase wall: typically $1,500–$4,000. Full rooms and premium hardwoods go higher. Send us a photo of the wall and rough dimensions — we’ll give you a real number, free.
Call or text (360) 606-1106 or email scott@foundrycabinets.com for a free estimate.
Or get started right now: request your free estimate here
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