Bespoke Closet Budget Estimator

Builds a realistic all-in budget for a custom walk-in closet from your cabinetry run, finish tier, extras and the installation and design fees quotes tend to leave out.

Your estimate

Cabinetry cost...

Installation and design fees...

Total project estimate...

All-in cost per linear foot...

Estimates only. Assumptions are listed below, and you can change every input.

Quotes for a custom closet rarely arrive on the same basis. One designer prices per linear foot of cabinetry, another quotes a lump sum for the room, a third leaves installation and lighting as a line to be confirmed. Comparing them, or setting a realistic budget before the first meeting, is harder than it should be.

This estimator puts everything on one basis. Enter the run of cabinetry the room will hold, the base rate you have been quoted or want to test, and the finish tier. Add an allowance for the pieces that sit outside the cabinetry price (island, lighting, decorative hardware, mirrors), then the installation and design percentages your quotes use. The tool returns the cabinetry cost, the soft costs on top, the total and an all-in figure per linear foot you can compare directly across proposals. No market averages are baked in: the numbers you enter drive the result.

How to use this tool

Enter the cabinetry run in linear feet, ideally from a designer's sketch or from the layout calculator.
Set the base rate per foot you have been quoted or want to test, choose the finish tier and add an allowance for island, lighting and hardware.
Adjust the installation and design percentages to match your proposals, then compare the all-in cost per linear foot across quotes.

What the math assumes

The finish tier applies a planning multiplier to your base rate: 1.0 for laminate or melamine, 1.4 for wood veneer or lacquer and 1.9 for solid hardwood. These are ratios for comparison, not market prices; if you already have a quote for a veneer or hardwood closet, choose the laminate tier and enter that quoted rate directly.
Installation is calculated as a percentage of the cabinetry cost only, since the extras allowance is assumed to include its own fitting.
The design fee is calculated on cabinetry plus extras, before installation, which is how most studios structure it; change the percentage to match your proposal.
Sales tax, permits, electrical work for lighting circuits, flooring, paint and any demolition of an existing closet are not included.
All figures are in US dollars and are rounded to the nearest dollar.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do if my quote is a single lump sum for the room?

Divide the lump sum by the linear feet of cabinetry in the drawings to get an all-in rate, then enter it here as the base rate with the laminate tier and zero installation and design so the estimate matches. That gives you a per-foot figure to compare with other proposals.

Why is the design fee applied to extras as well as cabinetry?

Most studios charge their fee on everything they specify and coordinate, including islands, lighting and hardware. If your designer charges only on cabinetry, lower the percentage slightly or set the extras allowance to 0 and add it back to the total yourself.

Does this estimate include the value the closet adds to my home?

No. It covers what you will spend. Resale value depends on your market and the rest of the house, and any recovery of the cost at sale should be treated as a possibility rather than a return.

Link to this toolhttps://wardrobr.com/tools/bespoke-closet-budget/

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More free tools from Wardrobr

Walk-In Closet Layout Capacity Calculator: Estimates how many linear feet of bespoke cabinetry a room can hold, which layout it supports and whether a dressing island will fit, for homeowners planning a walk-in closet.
Wardrobe Hanging Rod and Shelf Calculator: Turns a count of your garments, folded pieces and shoes into the feet of hanging rod, shelving and cabinetry run a bespoke closet needs to hold them comfortably.

A Dressing Room Made for You

A designer guide to bespoke walk-in closets and dressing rooms.

Read the complete guide