Custom joinery questions, answered

As 2026 market context, not our prices, published guides put a budget kitchen at roughly $15,000 to $25,000, mid-range at $25,000 to $45,000 and premium fully-custom at $45,000 to $80,000 or more. Cabinetry is usually 30 to 45% of a full renovation. See our cost guide for the full breakdown. We quote exactly after a free measure.

As indicative 2026 Sydney market context, a built-in wardrobe with sliding doors typically starts from around $4,000, and a walk-in dressing room commonly runs $8,000 to $15,000 or more. The internal fit-out makes most of the difference. Drawers, shoe storage and lighting cost more than simple hanging rails and shelves.

Yes. After a free on-site measure and 3D design, you get a written quote itemised by design, board, finishes, hardware and installation. The price you sign off is the price you pay. If you change the scope after sign-off, we price that change in writing before any work is done on it.

Custom joinery is priced to your room, your materials and your hardware. Wall lengths, ceiling height, access and where the plumbing sits all change the figure, so a firm number needs an on-site measure. What we can promise is a written, itemised quote with no hidden extras.

For rooms you will keep and use every day, generally yes. Custom cabinetry fits the room exactly, uses better-grade board and hardware, and lasts longer, which matters most in kitchens, laundries and awkward layouts. For a rental or a short-term fix, flat-pack can be the sensible choice, and we will say so.

Yes. Most projects are invoiced in stages: a deposit at sign-off, a payment during manufacture and the balance on installation. The schedule is written into your quote before you commit, so you know exactly what is due and when. Nothing is ordered until the deposit is paid.

More linear metres of cabinetry, 2-pac or veneer finishes instead of laminate, drawers instead of doors, specialty internals such as corner pull-outs, and difficult site conditions like out-of-square heritage walls or apartment lift access. Benchtops and appliances are also significant, and they are usually separate line items.

Cabinetry is typically made in 4 to 8 weeks from design sign-off. Laminate is fastest, and 2-pac and timber veneer take longest because of spraying and curing. A full kitchen renovation commonly runs 12 to 20 weeks end to end. Smaller pieces, such as a single wardrobe, are faster.

It starts with a free consultation and in-home measure. We then prepare the design, shop drawings and a 3D concept, followed by a written, itemised quote. Once you sign off, we manufacture in our workshop, install and adjust everything on site, and finish with a handover.

A vanity, laundry or single wardrobe is often installed in a day. A kitchen usually takes several days for cabinetry, followed by a gap while the stone mason templates and fits benchtops, then a return visit for plumbing and final adjustments. We give you an install schedule before the work starts.

Yes, and that is the point of it. Changes at the design stage cost nothing in materials, because nothing has been cut. You can move drawers, swap finishes or rethink the layout on the drawings. Once the design is signed off and board is ordered, changes are priced in writing.

Most people stay home. There will be a period without a working kitchen, usually from demolition until benchtops and plumbing are connected. Setting up a temporary kitchen with a microwave, kettle and fridge in another room makes that much easier. We'll give you realistic dates so you can plan.

Usually not. Replacing cabinetry or fitting wardrobes inside an existing home is generally internal work. Approval becomes relevant when the joinery is part of a larger renovation that needs one, or for some heritage-listed homes. Apartments usually need strata approval, which is worth starting early.

Work back from your deadline. Allow a couple of weeks for measure, design and quote, 4 to 8 weeks for manufacture depending on finish, and time for installation and trades. For a full kitchen, starting 4 to 5 months ahead of your target date is sensible.

Doors are made in 2-pac polyurethane, laminate from Polytec or Laminex, or timber veneer, with some solid timber. Carcasses are moisture-resistant particleboard or MDF, with HMR board in wet areas. Hardware is soft-close from Blum, Hettich and Häfele, chosen for long service life.

Laminate is the tough, value all-rounder and the quickest to make. 2-pac gives a premium sprayed finish in any colour, but it marks more easily than laminate and costs more. Timber veneer brings natural grain. Many kitchens use a mix, and we'll recommend the right combination for each room at your consultation.

Yes. Soft-close runners and hinges are standard across our cabinetry, using Blum, Hettich or Häfele. These mechanisms are engineered for a very high number of open and close cycles, and they carry their own manufacturer warranty. Handle-free push-to-open options are also available.

HMR stands for high moisture resistant. It is a particleboard or MDF made to resist swelling when it gets damp. We use it in bathrooms, laundries and under kitchen sinks, where a slow leak would ruin standard board. It is not waterproof, so good sealing and prompt leak repairs still matter.

2-pac is a sprayed polyurethane paint finish that gives a smooth, even look in any colour and gloss level. Laminate is a pressed surface that is harder to chip and cheaper. The honest trade-off is that laminate won't look like sprayed 2-pac up close, particularly on edges and in deep colours.

We specify board to Australian emission classes, generally E0 or E1, which are low-formaldehyde grades. If you have a particular sensitivity or want the lowest emission option throughout, tell us at the consultation and we'll specify it and show it on the quote.

Porcelain, natural stone, laminate and timber all work. Porcelain and natural stone are the most common for kitchens. Laminate is a lower-cost option and suits laundries well. We coordinate the stone mason's template and install so the benchtop matches the cabinetry exactly.

Most kitchen benches finish at around 900 mm, which suits a wide range of people. Because the cabinetry is custom, we can go a little higher or lower to suit the main cook, and some kitchens use two heights, for example a lower baking bench.

Allow a walkway of 1,000 to 1,200 mm between the island and the back bench. Less than about 1,000 mm feels tight when drawers and the dishwasher are open, and much more than 1,200 mm means extra steps while you cook.

Drawers in most places. You can see and reach everything without kneeling down to the back of a cupboard. They cost more than a door and shelf because each drawer carries its own runners, so many people use doors for the sink cabinet and corners and drawers elsewhere.

Yes. We design around the exact model numbers and cut-out sizes of the appliances you are keeping or buying. Send us the models early. Integrated fridges and dishwashers in particular need precise panel sizes and ventilation gaps, so late changes can mean remaking panels.

If you entertain often or have a busy household, it usually is. A butler's pantry keeps appliances, prep mess and bulk storage out of the main kitchen. As indicative market context, a compact shelved nook starts from around $8,000, and a fully fitted pantry runs $25,000 to $45,000 or more.

Often, and it saves money. We measure your existing sink, dishwasher and gas points and design around them. If you are moving them anyway as part of a renovation, we design first and your plumber works to our drawings. Either way, the rough-in and the cabinetry end up matching.

About 600 mm is standard for hanging clothes on a rail across the width. If the space only allows 450 to 500 mm, a pull-out rail running front to back works better. Walk-in wardrobes need a clear aisle of around 1,000 mm or more to move comfortably. See custom wardrobes for layouts.

It depends on the room. A built-in wardrobe makes the most of a standard bedroom wall and costs less. A walk-in needs a dedicated space but lets you see everything at once and add drawers, shoe storage and a mirror. We'll look at your floor plan and suggest what fits.

Yes. Sloped ceilings, under-stair voids, non-square heritage walls and tight apartments are exactly where custom joinery earns its cost, because it is measured and built to fit the space as it actually is, not trimmed down from standard modules with filler strips.

Yes, wall-hung and floor-standing, single and double basin, built in HMR board and designed around your plumbing points. As indicative market context, a standard single vanity with a stone benchtop runs $3,500 to $5,500. See bathroom vanities for more on layouts and pricing.

A bench at a comfortable working height, a trough or sink, space for a front-loading washer and dryer (stacked or side by side), overhead cupboards and a tall cupboard for brooms and the ironing board. HMR board is essential. Our laundry joinery page has the details.

Yes. We build desks and shelving, full-wall libraries, floating media consoles and full media walls with concealed cabling. Planning cable routes and power points before the joinery is made is the main thing to get right, so bring your equipment list to the consultation.

Traditionally a cabinet maker builds fitted and freestanding furniture in a workshop, while a joiner makes and installs building elements like doors and panelling on site. In modern Sydney practice the two overlap, and like most workshops, we do both.

Custom joinery is cabinetry and fitted timber work designed and built to the exact dimensions of your space, instead of being assembled from standard-size modules. It covers kitchens, wardrobes, vanities, laundries, storage, shelving and more, all made to your measurements and installed to fit.

We design, make and install the cabinetry and hardware, and coordinate benchtops. Plumbing, electrical and gas are done by licensed trades we coordinate, so each connection lands exactly where the design intends. Appliances are installed and connected as part of that coordination.

Workmanship is covered by our [10-year] guarantee, and hardware such as Blum and Hettich mechanisms carries its own manufacturer warranty. Full terms are set out in your quote, so you can read exactly what is covered before you sign, including how to arrange a service visit.

Yes. Our licence number is [licence number], and we carry public liability insurance. We're happy to show you current certificates at the consultation, and you should ask any joiner you are considering for the same. Licensed trades we coordinate carry their own licences and insurance.

We work right across greater Sydney: the Eastern Suburbs, North Shore, Inner West, Northern Beaches, Hills District and the CBD and Inner South. See our service areas page, or tell us your suburb and we'll confirm coverage straight away. Travel within these areas is included.

Yes. We check lift and loading-dock dimensions at the measure, size the cabinetry to fit, and plan delivery around booked windows and building work hours. We can also supply drawings and a scope description for your strata application, which gives the committee what it needs to assess the work.

Yes. Our our work page shows example projects, and we can share more photos of similar rooms or suburbs at your free consultation. Seeing finished work in a similar home is often the easiest way to decide on layout, finish and hardware.