Planning & Checklists
Built-in Planning Checklist
Updated 3 min read
The short answer
The decisions that determine whether a built-in works are all made before anything is cut: what it has to hold, how much is hidden versus displayed, how it terminates at the ceiling, and what services run inside it. Changing a drawing costs nothing. Changing built cabinetry costs a great deal. Work through this list before your design is approved.
Capacity — start here, not with style
The most common cause of a disappointing built-in is designing the look first and discovering afterwards that it does not hold what you own.
- Count what goes inside: books, board games, files, a printer, a record collection, sports equipment.
- Measure the tallest item that needs to fit on a shelf — this sets your shelf spacing.
- Measure the deepest item — this sets cabinet depth, and deeper is not always better.
- Decide what proportion is hidden storage versus open display. Most people want more hidden than they first say.
- Allow for growth. A built-in sized exactly to today’s contents is full on day one.
Proportions and termination
- Confirm the ceiling height, and whether the unit runs full height or stops deliberately.
- If it stops short, make it look intentional — never 100–200mm below the ceiling, which reads as an error and creates an unreachable dust shelf.
- Decide how the unit meets the floor: a plinth, a toe recess, or furniture-style legs.
- Check whether existing baseboard is removed behind the unit or scribed around.
- Decide shelf thickness. Thin shelves over long spans look flimsy even when structurally adequate.
- Confirm whether shelves are fixed or adjustable — adjustable is almost always the right answer.
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Services — the expensive things to forget
Every item here is trivial to include at drawing stage and disruptive to add afterwards.
- Power inside the cabinetry, and where exactly it needs to land.
- Data or network cabling if equipment lives inside.
- Integrated lighting — channels must be machined before finishing and cable routed before installation.
- Ventilation for any equipment that generates heat.
- A television: its exact size, weight and mount type, since backing must be sized for it.
- Whether any existing outlet or switch is behind the unit and needs relocating by an electrician.
Materials and finish
- Painted or stained — this decision drives the entire material specification.
- If painted: confirm shop-sprayed or site-painted, and understand the durability difference.
- If stained: ask for a sample on the actual species, not a chip. Stain reads completely differently on maple than on oak.
- Confirm the carcass material and thickness.
- Confirm drawer box construction and slide type.
- Choose decorative hardware, or confirm you are supplying it.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
- How far ahead should I plan a built-in?
- Allow two to five weeks from approved drawings for most residential built-ins, longer for larger projects or specialty finishes. If the project involves an electrician, plan further ahead — trade coordination is usually what sets the schedule, not the cabinetry.
- Should I plan built-ins before or after painting the room?
- Before. Built-ins change which wall surfaces are visible, and painting first means repainting after installation anyway. If the room is being painted as part of a wider project, the built-in should be installed and caulked first, then everything painted together.
- What if I am not sure what I want yet?
- That is normal and it is what the consultation is for. Bring photographs of things you like, an honest account of what the storage has to hold, and your budget band. The design conversation resolves most of the uncertainty.
- Can I change the design after approving drawings?
- Before fabrication starts, yes — changes at that stage are straightforward. Once components are cut and finished, changes mean remaking parts, which is why we ask you to review drawings carefully rather than quickly.
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