Cost for a custom Built in book-shelf ?

[evident]

Has anyone ever had a custom built-in bookshelf made in their house? We just redid a downstairs room with hardwood floors and want to turn it into an office. Wife wants to have a built-in bookshelf made along the side of a wall. One person quoted us at $1400 for materials for about a 10 ft long and $2000 for labor.

I have no idea what to expect for labor costs, but the $1400 in materials seems believable, since it's going to take up an entire wall. The price is for poplar and birch plywood, with MDF backing. we'll be painting it white. *

Labor costs, I have no idea though, anyone have experience getting this done?

 

[Muse]

I built my own and it's gorgeous. It's about 9.5 feet wide (actually 3 abutted, each a little over 3 feet wide), they are ~7 feet tall. Including the top level, there are 7 levels. It's made of knotty pine, bought from Home Depot and I finished every single surface before assembly including the bottom surfaces of the shelves. On the back, there is unfinished thin plywood that's stapled to the edges of the pine. They are bolted to the wall using small steel L brackets, because we are in earthquake country.

I did this about 2003 and it cost me around $185 in materials before finishing. Add to that the cost of Shellac and boiled linseed oil, and I waxed it all when cured. Fancier wood would have run me close to $500, but I did some online research on finishing pine and I'm thrilled with how it came out.

This is from my notes:

When I did my bookshelves I basically did this:
1. Sanded and dusted the wood nicely.
2. Applied a 1/2# cut shellac coat to semi-seal it so BLO would penetrate sufficiently but not enough to blotch.
3. Wiped on boiled linseed oil, wiped off after 5-10 minutes. Wiped off well with old socks on my hands.
4. Let dry several days, longer if the weather wasn't so good.
5. Apply two coats full strength (3# cut?) orange shellac.
6. Applied two coats of furniture wax with 00 steel wool and buffed.

 

[TheGardener]

More quotes might answer your question. Labor rates vary across the country, so what sounds expensive in a rural area of high unemployment, might be a bargain in a major city. Also if the person is a licensed carpenter, expect to pay more. Quality of workmanship is very important too.

 

[Humpy]

When I was doing that type of work the total cost would average ~3x material cost for paint grade and ~4x for stain grade.

Average, so some were more or less.

 

[evident]

This is my friend's 20 year old brother who's is a carpenter by trade. He does good work and is in the trade but i think he's still an apprentice.

I've read that since we'd be painting our stuff white we could be using cheaper materials, like plywood or even MDF. some people swear there is a difference even when painted white. Would we be able to tell the difference? I definitely appreciate real hard wood, but in this situation when everything would be painted, would we just be wasting money on real wood material?

 

[Muse]

This is my friend's 20 year old brother who's is a carpenter by trade. He does good work and is in the trade but i think he's still an apprentice.

I've read that since we'd be painting our stuff white we could be using cheaper materials, like plywood or even MDF. some people swear there is a difference even when painted white. Would we be able to tell the difference? I definitely appreciate real hard wood, but in this situation when everything would be painted, would we just be wasting money on real wood material?

Unless you expect serious wear issues (kids?), I'd think that solid oak would be overkill. I've not seen any deterioration on my finished pine. If you don't want to see knots under your white paint, use something with a nice surface.

 

[highland145]

You plan on painting the oak white?

If you don't want to see knots under your white paint, use something with a nice surface.

This too. The knots will bleed through.

 

[Homerboy]

If you're painting it, and money is an object to you, then you don't need oak.
Labor rates can vary GREATLY between locations and experience of the craftsman.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

This is my friend's 20 year old brother who's is a carpenter by trade. He does good work and is in the trade but i think he's still an apprentice.

I've read that since we'd be painting our stuff white we could be using cheaper materials, like plywood or even MDF. some people swear there is a difference even when painted white. Would we be able to tell the difference? I definitely appreciate real hard wood, but in this situation when everything would be painted, would we just be wasting money on real wood material?

$1400 for solid oak seems a bit steep to me, but not crazy steep. Especially if he's having a lot of the milling/cutting done for him. (But that would usually lower your labor costs a lot, since he'd be assembling it kit-style.) Bookshelves should be fairly easy, even for an apprentice. Unless you're doing some crazy custom decorative work.

If the material is properly sanded, and you use multiple coats of a quality paint, you shouldn't be able to tell the difference. Finishing/painting sucks. I hate doing it. For $2k he better do a good job though.

If you use knotty pine, eventually a knot might work itself a little loose and cause a little blip in the finish, but you can fill it in and repaint if you want.

I'd mostly steer away from MDF because it sags under its own weight, and got forbid you get it wet. If you're using the shelves for books (as opposed to a lighter duty trophy case or something) you may notice lighter-weight (cheaper) pine sagging as well.

 

[bruceb]

It would be a shame to ruin top quality solid oak with paint. If you insist on paint, use a lower grade of wood, like a nice, knot free pine.

 

[evident]

Should something else be used other than oak, like say poplar? There's no crazy decorative work being planned. just bookshelves, with cabinets at the bottom and a surface to put crap on. and some cutaways for existing power outlets.

 

[Homerboy]

Poplar.
Pine.
Hell, finished plywood could be used for a lot of it too

 

[Humpy]

Should something else be used other than oak, like say poplar? There's no crazy decorative work being planned. just bookshelves, with cabinets at the bottom and a surface to put crap on. and some cutaways for existing power outlets.

Low cost = finger jointed pine and mdf
Quality and low cost = poplar and plywood
Higher quality = soft maple and plywood

I wouldn't consider using regular pine boards unless you were looking for "rustic". I wouldn't consider using oak because of its deeper grain that doesn't match well with plywood unless additional work is put in to painting.

Poplar is easy to work with, saves labor, takes paint well, but isn't considered as durable as a true hardwood.

Soft maple was always my choice for paint grade hardwood. Almost as easy to work as poplar but heavier and harder.

 

[evident]

Actually I just looked at the quote again. the quoted price IS for poplar and birch plywood.


is $2000 reasonable for labor costs?

 

[Humpy]

Assuming it's well done, $3,400 for 10' of shelves over cabinets with a counter top and some electrical work seems perfectly reasonable. In my area it would be considered cheap.

 

[Imp]

If you're painting the wood and not using solid wood throughout , I'm not seeing the advantage of going the custom route versus the Ikea route. Biggest concern I can imagine is mounting them to the walls properly so they don't tip over.

These are white and $70 a pop at 202 cm x 28 cm x 80 cm:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00263850/

So, 31.5" each for $70. At 10', that's 3.8 shelves also known as 4. You can even buy glass doors with them:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S99023408/#/S49017834

I've actually had two of these Billy bookcases. Both are probably ten years old. Not a sign of wear other than dust. Assembly was straightforward.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Actually I just looked at the quote again. the quoted price IS for poplar and birch plywood.


is $2000 reasonable for labor costs?

Yeah - if he's doing cabinets too, that's a whole 'nuther level.

 

[SSSnail]

If you're going to paint it white, why not just go to Ikea and get a quote? It'll be a lot less than what's quoted to you, and if you're handy at all, install it yourself.

 

[tynopik]

labor cost = $0

 

[olds]

I'd be skeptical that a 20 year old would have the skill set and I was paying him to learn and possibly make mistakes.

 

[evident]

Yeah - if he's doing cabinets too, that's a whole 'nuther level.

Yep, there wil lbe cabinets at the bottom.

 

[Yakk]

Cabinet maker labor rates vary immensely depending on your location and reputation/quality level of work. A 20 year old apprentice will not have near the skill level of a journeyman millworker, though he/she almost always think they do. Depending on complexity of item that can still be ok mind you.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Personally I would hire an architect first and then go from there. You get what you pay for or don`t pay for....

 

[evident]

Personally I would hire an architect first and then go from there. You get what you pay for or don`t pay for....

Honest question, why would i need to hire an architect for a bookshelf? I didn't think this project would warrant that type of scrutiny but maybe i severely underestimated it.

 

[Yakk]

Architects give a general design to the millworker who in turn works out any issues while developing shop drawings for production. This is generally for larger projects, not just 1 wall. Also MDF (MDO if you want it waterproof) & poplar are better and cheaper for painting.