How much does a custom closet cost?
Building a new, custom walk-in closet in a master bedroom or adding a new reach-in closet to an ordinary room is a valuable upgrade to most homes. A walk-in closet is typical in modern homes, and many buyers are looking for good-sized closets. Adding a new closet to a room that didn’t have one transforms it into a bedroom, making it more appealing to some buyers. New closets can be built to fit into a variety of spaces and can accommodate existing windows and doors. The cost factors of building a new closet include the size of the space, the number of components in the storage unit and the finish on the wood used.
Contractors and carpenters
In general, adding a new closet requires hiring a general contractor, such as A Hammer and Nail Construction in Willow Spring, North Carolina, to frame out and install drywall, and a carpenter, such as Ambry Designs in Largo, Florida, or Fuselier’s Customs in Houston, Texas, to build the custom storage system. Alternately, homeowners can hire a professional closet company, such as Closet Solutions in Somerville, Massachusetts, Empire Closets in Vancouver, Washington, or Closets by Design in San Francisco, to install a custom organization solution after the closet space is built.
Reach-in versus walk-in closets
Reach-in closets are the basic 6.5x2-foot or 8x3-foot closets found in many bedrooms. Walk-in closets can be 6.5x6.5 feet to 15x12 feet or larger—sometimes the size of a bedroom. The size and type of custom closet installed depends on the space. When there is room, including a walk-in closet in a master bedroom can add considerably to the resale value of a home.
Building the closet space
Adding a closet makes a bedroom more useful and helps eliminate clutter. Some new closets require building new walls, while others use existing walls for at least part of the construction. The more complicated the design and the more new construction required, the more expensive the cost will be. On average, adding a new closet costs about $2,000. Walk-in closets cost more, sometimes as much as $6,000 if they require building three new walls.
Some cities require permits to build a new closet, which generally start at $200 and go up from there, depending on the valuation of the building project.
Custom organization systems
Custom closet systems range from around $1,000 for basic systems that fit into reach-in closets to more than $50,000 for lavish rooms with center islands and vanities. The average price for a custom closet organization system is $3,000–$5,000.
Basic white or oatmeal laminate closets generally cost $125 per linear foot. A typical 6x6-foot walk-in closet is 18 linear feet; so, a basic white laminate custom closet of this size would cost $2,250. If a homeowner upgrades to a wood finish and adds custom molding, the closet would cost closer to $5,000. To customize a larger walk-in closet with 33 linear feet would cost $4,000–$8,000.
Professional closet remodelers can handle most cabinetry jobs, such as cutting finish trims and moldings correctly and modifying cabinet frames. Advanced work like this, however, drives up the overall cost of the project.
Closet flooring, lighting and paint
Depending on the extent of the project, a custom closet may include new flooring, lighting and paint. While a general contractor can probably handle installing new flooring and painting the space, the homeowner should hire an electrician to wire the closet for new light fixtures. Electricians, such as Alloway Electric in Garden City, Idaho, or KASE Electrical in Shawnee, Kansas, charge $50–$200 an hour.
