Building a cabinet costs on average €150 to €600 in materials if you do it yourself. A comparable cabinet from IKEA costs €200 to €800, and having one custom-made by a furniture maker costs €800 to €3,000+. The big advantage of building your own? You decide the exact dimensions, layout and finish. In this guide you’ll learn everything about materials, tools, door types and follow a complete step-by-step plan to build your own cabinet.
What Does It Cost to Build a Cabinet? DIY vs Buying vs Custom
Cost Comparison
| DIY (materials) | IKEA / ready-made | Custom-built | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple bookcase (80×180 cm) | €60 – €150 | €100 – €300 | €500 – €1,200 |
| Wardrobe (120×200 cm) | €200 – €450 | €350 – €800 | €1,000 – €2,500 |
| Built-in wardrobe (alcove, 150×250 cm) | €250 – €600 | — | €1,200 – €3,000 |
| Linen cupboard (90×180 cm) | €150 – €350 | €200 – €500 | €700 – €1,800 |
| Storage cabinet with doors (100×200 cm) | €180 – €400 | €250 – €600 | €800 – €2,000 |
When Does DIY Pay Off?
Building your own cabinet pays off especially when:
- You need a non-standard size. An alcove that’s 137 cm wide? IKEA doesn’t have a solution for that. DIY does.
- You want a built-in wardrobe. Wall to wall, floor to ceiling – that’s custom work by definition.
- Your budget is limited but you still want quality. DIY with plywood produces a sturdier cabinet than an IKEA cabinet of chipboard, for the same price.
- You want to decide the layout yourself. Shelf heights, drawer units, hanging section – exactly the way you want it.
When buying is better? If you need a standard size, own few tools and have no woodworking experience. A PAX wardrobe from IKEA is perfectly fine in that case.
Types of Cabinets: What Will You Build?
| Type | Typical dimensions | Use | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wardrobe | 120-200 x 200-240 cm | Clothing, hanging section + shelves | Medium-hard |
| Bookcase | 60-120 x 180-220 cm | Books, decorations, open shelves | Easy |
| Storage cabinet | 80-120 x 180-200 cm | General storage, with doors | Medium |
| Linen cupboard | 80-100 x 180-200 cm | Towels, bedding, shelves | Medium |
| Built-in wardrobe | Depends on alcove | Hallway, bedroom, under stairs | Medium-hard |
| Floating cabinet | 60-120 x 40-80 cm | Living room, TV unit | Hard |
Best choice for beginners: an open bookcase without doors. No hinges, no precise alignment work. Just a sturdy cabinet with shelves. Want to take it a step further? Go for a storage cabinet with two doors – then you learn to work with hinges straight away.
Built-in vs Freestanding Cabinet
The difference between a built-in and freestanding cabinet determines your entire approach.
Freestanding Cabinet
- Has its own back panel, side panels, top and bottom
- Can be moved
- Must stand sturdy on its own (so needs a sturdier structure)
- Suitable for any room
- More material needed
Built-in Cabinet
- Uses the walls, floor and/or ceiling as part of the structure
- Fixed in place
- Less material needed (the walls are your side panels)
- Fits the alcove exactly – no wasted space
- Walls must be plumb and square (always check this)
Important with built-in cabinets: walls are rarely perfectly straight. Measure the width of the alcove at multiple heights. Work with the narrowest measurement and allow 5-10 mm clearance. Any gaps can be covered with a trim strip.
Choosing Sheet Material: The Comparison
The material you choose determines the look, strength and price of your cabinet. Here are your options:
| Material | Thickness | Strength | Price per sheet (244×122 cm) | Suitable for | Finishing needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MDF | 18-22 mm | Medium | €25 – €50 | Cabinets to be painted | Yes (primer + paint) |
| Chipboard (melamine-faced) | 18 mm | Low-medium | €20 – €40 | Budget cabinets, out of sight | No (already finished) |
| Plywood (birch) | 18 mm | High | €50 – €90 | Sturdy cabinets, visible wood | Optional (oil or varnish) |
| Plywood (poplar) | 18 mm | Medium | €35 – €60 | Cabinets to be painted | Yes (primer + paint) |
| Solid spruce (glued) | 18-28 mm | High | €40 – €80 per board | Rustic cabinets, visible wood | Yes (oil, stain or varnish) |
| Solid oak (glued) | 18-26 mm | Very high | €80 – €200 per board | Premium cabinets | Yes (oil or varnish) |
Which Material Do You Choose?
Best value for money: 18 mm MDF if you’re going to paint the cabinet. It’s smooth, easy to work with and cheap. Downside: MDF is heavy and not moisture-resistant.
Best for visible wood: 18 mm birch plywood. Beautiful edge grain, strong, and you can leave it untreated or oil it. Popular for modern, Scandinavian-style cabinets.
Budget choice: melamine-faced chipboard. Already finished in white, black or wood-look. Downside: screws hold less well and the edges are vulnerable.
Avoid for shelves wider than 80 cm: chipboard without intermediate support. Chipboard sags faster than MDF or plywood. For wide shelves always use 18 mm plywood or add an extra shelf support in the middle.
Required Tools
Essential
- Cordless drill with bit and drill set
- Handheld circular saw with guide rail (or have the material cut to size at the DIY store)
- Tape measure (minimum 5 metres)
- Spirit level (minimum 60 cm, preferably 120 cm)
- Combination square
- Pencil
- Bar clamps (minimum 4)
Handy But Not Essential
- Router (for edge finishing and grooves)
- Jigsaw (for cutouts)
- Mitre saw (for precise cuts)
- Sander (for finishing)
- Kreg Jig or other pocket hole system (for invisible joints)
- Laser distance measurer (indispensable for built-in cabinets)
Save on tools: have the sheet material cut to size at the DIY store. Most stores cut for €0.50 to €1.00 per cut. Then you don’t need a circular saw at home and the cuts are straighter than with a handheld circular saw.
Doors: Hinged vs Sliding
The choice between hinged doors and sliding doors affects the cost, the space you need and the look.
Hinged Doors vs Sliding Doors Compared
| Hinged doors | Sliding doors | |
|---|---|---|
| Door hardware cost | €5 – €15 per hinge (2-3 per door) | €30 – €100 for a complete rail system |
| Space needed | Swing room for the door (60-80 cm) | No swing room needed |
| Access to contents | Full access when door is open | Always 50% covered (doors slide past each other) |
| Difficulty | Medium (aligning hinges) | Medium (mounting rail level) |
| Appearance | Classic, traditional | Modern, sleek |
| Suitable for | All cabinets | Especially large cabinets, bedroom wardrobes |
Hinge Types
| Type | Price each | Suitable for | Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concealed cup hinges (35 mm) | €2 – €5 | Most cabinets | Adjustable in 3 directions, standard choice |
| Surface mount hinges | €1 – €3 | Budget cabinets | Visible from outside |
| Soft-close hinges | €4 – €8 | Quality cabinets | Close dampened, no slamming |
| Push-to-open | €5 – €10 | Handle-free cabinets | Push to open, sleek design |
Recommendation: use 35 mm concealed cup hinges with soft-close. They’re adjustable in three directions (height, depth, sideways), allowing you to perfectly align the doors, even if your construction isn’t 100% square.
Sliding Door Rails
For sliding doors you need a rail system. The rail is mounted at the top of the cabinet. The doors hang from rollers in the rail.
- Budget: aluminium rail with plastic rollers (€30 – €50 per set)
- Quality: steel rail with ball-bearing rollers and soft-close (€60 – €100 per set)
- Industrial: visible steel rail with large rollers (€80 – €150 per set, also decorative)
Note: with sliding doors you always need at least two doors, and together they must be wider than the cabinet opening (they slide past each other).
Hanging Shelves: Supports, Rails and Hidden Mounting
Shelf Supports Compared
| Type | Price | Adjustable | Load capacity | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelf pins (metal, 5 mm) | €0.10 – €0.30 each | Yes (in pre-drilled holes) | 15-25 kg per 4 pins | Most cabinets, standard choice |
| Shelf pins with spoon | €0.20 – €0.50 each | Yes | 20-30 kg per 4 pins | Heavier shelves |
| Wooden battens | €2 – €5 per metre | No (fixed) | 30-50 kg | Fixed shelves, simple |
| Shelf support rails (system 32) | €3 – €8 per rail | Yes (every 32 mm) | 25-40 kg per 4 pins | Professional cabinets |
| Invisible shelf supports | €5 – €15 each | No (fixed) | 10-20 kg per 2 supports | Floating shelves, designer cabinets |
The Standard: 5 mm Shelf Pins in Pre-Drilled Holes
This is the most commonly used method. Here’s how:
- Drill two rows of holes on the inside of each side panel – one row at the front, one at the back
- Use 32 mm or 64 mm spacing (system 32 is the standard in the furniture industry)
- Drill the holes 10-12 mm deep with a 5 mm drill bit. Stick tape on the bit to mark the correct depth.
- Use a jig or a perforated strip as a drilling guide – this guarantees all holes are in exactly the same position
- Insert the shelf pins at the desired height and lay the shelf on top
Tip: drill more holes than you currently need. That way you can adjust the shelf height later without re-drilling.
Step-by-Step Plan: Build a Cabinet in 10 Steps
This step-by-step plan is based on a freestanding storage cabinet of 100 cm wide, 200 cm high and 40 cm deep, with two doors and four adjustable shelves. Material: 18 mm MDF.
Step 1: Create a Design with Dimensions
Draw your cabinet on paper or in a free programme like SketchUp. Determine:
- Outer dimensions (width x height x depth)
- Number of shelves and spacing
- Door type (hinged or sliding)
- Material thickness (this affects your inner dimensions)
Calculating inner dimensions: width of the cabinet minus 2x the material thickness. For a cabinet 100 cm wide with 18 mm MDF: inner dimension = 100 – 2 x 1.8 = 96.4 cm. Your shelves and intermediate panels must therefore be 96.4 cm wide.
Step 2: Make a Cut List and Buy Materials
| Part | Quantity | Dimension | Material |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side panels | 2 | 200 x 40 cm | MDF 18 mm |
| Top and bottom | 2 | 96.4 x 40 cm | MDF 18 mm |
| Fixed divider (optional) | 0-1 | 96.4 x 40 cm | MDF 18 mm |
| Adjustable shelves | 4 | 96.2 x 38 cm (2 mm clearance) | MDF 18 mm |
| Back panel | 1 | 100 x 200 cm | Hardboard or MDF 6 mm |
| Doors | 2 | 199.6 x 49.4 cm (for overlay doors) | MDF 18 mm |
| Plinth (optional) | 1 | 96.4 x 8 cm | MDF 18 mm |
Have it cut to size at the DIY store. The cuts are straighter than at home and you save time and dust. Take your cut list along and check all measurements on the spot.
Step 3: Drill the Holes for Shelf Supports
- Mark the positions for the shelf support holes on both side panels
- Drill two rows of holes per side panel: one row at 5 cm from the front, one at 5 cm from the back
- Use a drilling jig to get all holes in exactly the same position
- Drill 5 mm holes, 10-12 mm deep
Do this NOW, before assembly. Drilling holes in an already assembled cabinet is much harder.
Step 4: Mount the Bottom to the Side Panels
- Lay one side panel flat on the floor (inside facing up)
- Place the bottom panel at right angles against the side panel, at the bottom
- Pre-drill with a 3 mm bit (prevents MDF from splitting)
- Screw together with 4×40 mm screws and wood glue. Use 4-5 screws per joint.
- Check with a combination square that the angle is 90 degrees
Alternative for visible screws: use a Kreg Jig for pocket hole joints. The screws then sit on the inside and are invisible from the outside.
Step 5: Mount the Top
- Place the top panel on the side panel, at the top
- Pre-drill and screw together – same method as step 4
- Check again that everything is square
Result: you now have a U-shape (two side panels + top + bottom).
Step 6: Mount the Second Side Panel
- Turn the construction on its side
- Place the second side panel on the top and bottom
- Pre-drill and screw together
- Measure the diagonals to check the cabinet is square – both diagonals must be equal
Important: if the diagonals aren’t equal, the cabinet is out of square. Gently push the cabinet into the correct position before mounting the back panel. The back panel locks the shape.
Step 7: Attach the Back Panel
- Lay the cabinet flat on the floor with the back facing up
- Check once more that the cabinet is square (measure diagonals)
- Lay the back panel on the cabinet
- Screw or pin the back panel to all edges, every 15-20 cm, with 3×20 mm screws or panel pins
- Start in one corner and work to the opposite corner
The back panel is crucial. This is not optional. The back panel makes the cabinet square and rigid. Without a back panel your cabinet wobbles like a house of cards.
Step 8: Mount the Plinth
- Stand the cabinet upright
- Attach the plinth to the bottom, between the two side panels
- Set the plinth back 2-3 cm from the front – this creates a toe kick so you can stand close to the cabinet
Step 9: Hang the Doors
With concealed cup hinges (recommended):
- Mark the hinge positions on the door: 10 cm from top and bottom, optionally a third in the middle for doors taller than 120 cm
- Drill the cup holes (35 mm) with a Forstner bit. Drill 12-13 mm deep – not through the door.
- Mount the hinge in the cup hole with the supplied screws
- Attach the mounting plate to the side panel of the cabinet
- Click the hinge onto the mounting plate
- Adjust the door with the three adjustment screws: left/right, up/down and depth
Tip: hang both doors loosely first, then adjust them together. That way you can distribute the gap between the doors evenly.
Step 10: Finishing
Choose your finishing method and apply it before placing the shelves and shelf supports.
When painting:
1. Sand all surfaces lightly with 180 grit
2. Apply an MDF primer (MDF absorbs paint like a sponge without primer)
3. Sand lightly with 240 grit after drying
4. Apply 2 coats of acrylic or alkyd paint
5. Sand lightly between coats with 240 grit
When staining (plywood or solid wood):
1. Sand with 180 grit
2. Apply stain with a brush or cloth, in the direction of the grain
3. Let dry and optionally apply a second coat
4. Seal with a coat of matt varnish or hard wax oil
With furniture wrap (budget option):
1. Clean the surface thoroughly
2. Use self-adhesive furniture wrap in wood-look, white or marble
3. Smooth out air bubbles with a squeegee
4. Cut the wrap with 2 cm overlap and fold around the edges
Finishing: Paint, Stain or Wrap?
| Finish | Cost | Result | Difficulty | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Painting (lacquer) | €20 – €60 (primer + 2 coats) | Sleek, opaque, any colour | Medium | MDF, plywood, solid wood |
| Stain + oil | €15 – €40 | Grain visible, natural | Easy | Plywood, solid wood |
| Hard wax oil | €20 – €50 | Matt, natural, protective | Easy | Plywood, solid wood |
| Furniture wrap | €10 – €30 per roll | Wood-look, white, marble | Easy | Chipboard, MDF, old cabinets |
| Untreated | €0 | Raw, industrial | None | Birch plywood |
Best result for MDF: two coats of white acrylic paint on an MDF primer. Smooth, sleek finish that looks professional. Use a small foam paint roller for the smoothest possible result – better than a brush.
Common Mistakes When Building a Cabinet
1. Not Pre-Drilling in MDF or Chipboard
MDF and chipboard split easily if you drive screws directly. Always pre-drill with a bit thinner than the screw (3 mm bit for 4 mm screw). It takes 30 seconds and prevents a split panel.
2. Not Using a Back Panel
A cabinet without a back panel becomes a wobbly mess. The back panel – even if it’s just 3 mm hardboard – gives the cabinet its rigidity. Never skip this.
3. Calculating Inner Dimensions Incorrectly
Don’t forget to subtract the material thickness. If your cabinet is 100 cm wide and your material is 18 mm thick, your shelves are 100 – 2 x 1.8 = 96.4 cm wide. Not 100 cm. This mistake is the #1 reason self-built cabinets don’t fit together.
4. Not Building the Cabinet Square
Always measure the diagonals. If they’re not equal, your cabinet is skewed – and then your doors won’t close properly. Use the back panel to pull the cabinet into the correct position.
5. Chipboard Shelves Too Wide Without Support
18 mm chipboard sags visibly on shelves wider than 80 cm, especially with books on them. Use plywood, make the shelf thicker (25 mm) or add a shelf support in the middle.
6. Not Priming MDF Before Painting
MDF absorbs paint like a sponge, especially at the cut edges. Without primer you use three times as much paint and get a blotchy result. Always use a dedicated MDF primer.
7. Aligning Doors Without Adjustable Hinges
Cheap, non-adjustable hinges make it nearly impossible to align doors neatly. Invest in 35 mm concealed cup hinges with three-way adjustment. The price difference is a few euros per hinge; the difference in result is enormous.
8. Not Allowing Clearance With Built-in Cabinets
Walls are never perfectly straight. Measure the width at a minimum of three heights and work with the narrowest measurement minus 5-10 mm. Cover gaps with a trim strip. Better a small gap than a cabinet that doesn’t fit.
Frequently Asked Questions About Building a Cabinet
How much does it cost to build a cabinet yourself?
A simple bookcase costs €60 to €150 in materials. A wardrobe with doors costs €200 to €450. A wall-to-wall built-in wardrobe costs €250 to €600. Have the material cut to size at the DIY store and you save on tool costs.
What material is best for a cabinet?
18 mm MDF if you’re going to paint – smooth, cheap, easy to work with. 18 mm birch plywood if you want visible wood. Melamine-faced chipboard if you want a budget cabinet that’s already finished.
How do I build a built-in wardrobe?
Measure the alcove precisely – at multiple heights. Work with the narrowest measurement and allow 5-10 mm clearance. Mount horizontal battens to the walls at the spots where the shelves go. Lay the shelves on the battens. Hang doors from a frame that you mount in the alcove.
How do I hang cabinet doors straight?
Use 35 mm concealed cup hinges with three-way adjustment. Drill the cup holes with a Forstner bit (35 mm, 12-13 mm deep). After hanging you can adjust the door millimetre by millimetre in three directions until it hangs perfectly straight and closes evenly.
Is 18 mm MDF strong enough for a cabinet?
Yes, for most cabinets 18 mm MDF is strong enough. For shelves wider than 80 cm that are heavily loaded (books), use 22 mm MDF or 18 mm plywood instead. Or add an extra support point in the middle.
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