Custom Built-Ins
Built-In Bookshelves & Custom Built-Ins
Monty's builds and installs custom built-ins that add storage to the rooms you use most: built-in bookshelves, cabinets, entertainment centers, mudroom lockers and window seats, measured and fitted to your walls.
What's included
- Built-in bookshelves
- Built-in cabinets
- Built-in entertainment centers
- Mudroom built-ins and lockers
- Window seats and nooks
- Floating shelves and wall units
- Trim and finish carpentry
What's not included
- Painting or staining
- Outlet, lighting or TV wiring
- Moving walls or plumbing
What are custom built-ins?
Custom built-ins are shelves, cabinets and storage built to fit a specific wall or space in your home and fastened in place, so they look like part of the house rather than furniture standing in front of it.
The most common custom built-ins are bookshelves flanking a fireplace, cabinets with shelves above them in a living room or office, entertainment centers around a TV wall, mudroom lockers and benches by the garage door, and window seats with storage underneath. Because they're sized to the room, built-ins make use of space that freestanding furniture wastes: alcoves, the area under stairs, awkward corners and the full height of a wall. They're built from cabinet-grade materials such as MDF, plywood and hardwood, then trimmed out with face frames, crown molding and baseboard so the seams disappear. Monty's measures the space, builds or assembles the units, installs them level and square, and finishes the trim so they're ready for paint or stain.
How much do built-in bookshelves cost?
Built-in bookshelves from Monty's typically cost $400 to $2,000 for a bookcase or wall unit with four to six shelves, based on our cost estimator. Floor-to-ceiling and full built-ins cost more.
Three things move the price the most: the type of unit, the size, and the material. Floating shelves sit at the low end of the range. A bookcase or wall unit with four to six shelves sits in the middle. A full built-in with lower cabinets, upper shelves and trim, especially one that runs floor to ceiling, sits above the range because there's more material, more joinery and more time spent fitting it to the wall. MDF costs less than hardwood, and custom details such as glass doors, arched openings or integrated seating add to the total. Every project starts with a free walkthrough and a written, line-item quote, so you can compare a simpler version with a full built-in before you decide.
Can Monty's build built-in cabinets and entertainment centers?
Yes. Monty's builds built-in cabinets for living rooms, offices, dining rooms and laundry rooms, and built-in entertainment centers that frame the TV with shelves and closed storage.
Built-in cabinets are usually base cabinets with doors or drawers along the bottom and open shelves or a countertop above, which hide clutter while leaving room to display books and decor. A built-in entertainment center adds a space sized for the TV, shelves on either side, and cabinets below for media equipment, with openings for cords so they stay out of sight. We plan the layout around the TV size, the seating distance and any windows or vents on the wall. If the entertainment center needs a new outlet, lighting or in-wall TV wiring, that part needs a licensed electrician, and we can recommend one and leave the openings ready for them. We can also mount the TV once the built-in is finished.
What are mudroom built-ins?
Mudroom built-ins are lockers, benches, hooks and cubbies built into the entry from the garage or back door, giving everyone in the house a set place for shoes, coats and bags.
A typical mudroom built-in has a bench with cubbies or baskets underneath for shoes, open lockers above with hooks for coats and backpacks, and a shelf or closed cabinet at the top for things you don't need every day. Each family member gets their own section, which is what keeps the entry from filling up with piles. Mudroom built-ins work in a dedicated mudroom, a laundry room, a wide hallway or even a few feet of wall by the garage door. Monty's sizes the lockers to your space and your family, builds them from durable materials that stand up to wet boots and daily use, and secures them to the wall studs so they stay solid for years.
How does a custom built-in project work?
A Monty's built-in project goes from a free walkthrough to a written quote to installation, and most shelving and built-in installs take four to ten hours of work on site.
At the walkthrough we measure the wall, look at what you want to store or display, and talk through the style: open shelves or doors, how high the unit should go, and how it should meet the ceiling, windows and baseboard. You then get a written, line-item quote with the size, materials and scope. Once you approve it and the materials are in, our team builds or assembles the units, installs them level and fastened to the studs, and finishes the trim so the built-in looks like part of the room. Larger floor-to-ceiling and multi-section built-ins sit at the long end of the range or beyond it. Painting or staining is not included, so you can choose your own finisher once the carpentry is done.
What it costs
$400 – $2,000
Typical range for a bookcase or wall unit with four to six shelves, from the Monty's cost estimator. Floating shelves cost less; full and floor-to-ceiling built-ins can run higher. Your exact price comes from a free walkthrough and a written, line-item quote.
Our Locations
Find Monty's Near You
Every Monty's is locally owned and run by people who live in the communities they serve. Pick your area to meet your local team.
Idaho
North Carolina
Tennessee
Texas