Hi Reader,
“I just need a quote. How much will it cost, and how long will it take?”
Why is it so hard to get an answer to what seems like a simple question?
If you’re like most homeowners I talk to, you just want to price out your options and timing so you can make a decision and move forward.
And yet most of the time I can’t give them the answers they’re looking for. Not because I’m trying to be difficult or make the process harder than it needs to be, but because there’s usually more to your reno than meets the eye… even when your project seems small.
Let me give you an example.
Last week an inquiry came through my shop. They were new homeowners who had just bought a condo with a pre-existing wall unit built around a fireplace. They wanted to know what it would cost to build a “simple” AI-generated mockup: a built-in unit with lots of floating open shelves, wall panelling, and a relocated fireplace.
And they wanted it done in two weeks so it would be ready when they moved in.
From their perspective it was simple: Take out what’s there and put in what I want.
But from a construction perspective there are a bunch of things at play.
First there’s the fireplace. Whether it’s gas or electric, you need to get behind the drywall to move lines and fittings, then re-install the fireplace. That’s expensive.
Then there’s the open shelves. What’s going to hold them up? The wall is drywall — that’s not strong enough. So what’s behind the drywall? I won’t know for sure until I can check, but in most condos, it’s a steel stud… and steel steeds are notorious for not being able to support anything.
So now you have to tear the wall apart, build support into the steel structure to hold up your shelves, and rerun your electrics / natural gas to accommodate the fireplace.
And we haven’t even gotten into the materials you want to use for the built-ins — how much they cost, how long it takes to order them, how simple or complicated the design is.
That’s a lot of variables to price out! And it’s hard to be more specific until we know what we’re dealing with… which means you’re getting a whole lot of “it depends” and not a whole lot of certainty.
The simplest solution to built-ins
I’ll give you the same advice I gave this couple: 99% of the time when we’re talking built-ins, you’ll be far better off finding furniture that's already made, that you just bolt to the wall. Buying something that’s self-supporting is a lot simpler and a lot less expensive than custom built-in millwork.
Yes, that means I just talked myself out of a job. But when budgets are tight and timelines are even tighter, this route means you’ll have a lot less complication, headache, and drywall dust to deal with.
Have any questions about custom millwork or other smaller home reno projects? Hit reply and let me know! I read and reply to every email.
I’ll be back next week with another built-ins story about an $8,000 desk we had to cut out of the client’s home with a welding torch. 😱
Have a great weekend,
Gerald