How much does a built-in wardrobe cost?

A built-in wardrobe usually costs $1,200 to $5,000 supplied and installed, with $2,500 typical, according to What's The Damage (October 2026). Its Gold Coast page puts the range at $1,175 to $4,900, typically $2,450.

Below are the prices for flat pack, modular and made-to-measure robes, the cost per metre, walk-in versus reach-in, door and drawer prices, a worked example and the Queensland rules. These are market prices from cost guides, checked on 5 October 2026. They are not a quote from us.

How much does a built-in wardrobe cost in 2026?

Most standard built-in robes land between about $1,200 and $5,000. Custom wardrobes with more drawers, better doors or a walk-in layout can go well past that.

Why the gap? What's The Damage says its range depends on "size, timber type, and internal fittings", with custom joinery at the top end and modular systems cheaper. Sparky's figure is for custom work only. It covers the site measure and design, the carcass, doors, internal fit-out, delivery, installation and hardware. Sparky says Brisbane prices sit at or a little below its Sydney baseline.

What is the price difference between flat pack, modular and custom wardrobes?

Flat pack is cheapest, then modular, then made to measure. Here is how the guides split them.

A flat pack price is for the unit itself. Someone still has to put it together and fix it in place. What's The Damage's Gold Coast handyman page puts flat-pack furniture assembly at $78 to $275.

How much does a built-in wardrobe cost per linear metre?

About $800 to $3,000 per linear metre installed, depending on the finish. A linear metre is the width of the wardrobe, measured along the wall.

So a 2.4 metre robe in white melamine would come to about $1,920 to $3,600 at Sparky's rate (our sum).

Does a walk-in wardrobe cost more than a built-in?

Yes, a walk-in costs a lot more. Sparky prices a basic walk-in fit-out (melamine, two walls, shelves and rails) at $5,000 to $7,000. A premium three-wall walk-in with veneer, an island and lighting runs $8,000 to $15,000 or more, and the island alone adds $2,000 to $4,000.

Airtasker and Trade Heroes both list walk-in wardrobes at $20,000 to $30,000 or more. Neither page says what that includes. Sparky's prices are for fitting out the space, so if walls need to move to make the room, that is extra building work.

A reach-in robe (the standard built-in along one wall) is the What's The Damage range above: about $1,200 to $5,000.

Do sliding, hinged or mirrored doors cost more?

Hinged doors are the cheapest per metre, and mirrored sliding doors cost the most. Sparky's 2026 prices per linear metre:

Airtasker prices mirrors on their own at $550 to $950 per metre. Hinged doors need clear floor space in front to swing open. Sliding doors run past each other on a track, so they suit a tight bedroom.

What do drawers, shelves and lighting add?

Open hanging space and plain shelves are the cheap part. Every drawer and pull-out adds to the bill.

Sparky says the electrical work for lighting is usually not in the wardrobe quote, so ask about it if you want lights.

What makes a built-in wardrobe cost more?

Size, finish and inside fit-out set most of the price. These are the things that push it up:

• High ceilings. Sparky says floor-to-ceiling robes in rooms with 2,700 mm or 3,000 mm ceilings need taller panels, and add 10-20%.
• Odd shapes and crooked walls. Out-of-square walls, uneven floors and bulkheads need scribing and custom trimming, which Sparky says is extra labour.
• Materials. White melamine is the budget choice. Veneer and painted MDF cost more per metre.
• Drawers and pull-outs. Each one adds $250 or more.
• The old robe. Taking out an old wardrobe can leave holes in the plaster. What's The Damage's Gold Coast handyman page puts minor plaster patching at $120 to $490, typically $195. Sparky says painting the room ($400 to $1,600) is usually not included either.

Labour is part of every line. Airtasker says installation usually takes 5 to 15 or more hours. Our guide to what a carpenter costs per hour has current rates.

What would a typical built-in wardrobe cost? A worked example

Take a 2.4 metre reach-in robe with sliding doors, a standard 2,400 mm ceiling and two drawers. The old robe comes out and the wall needs a plaster patch.

Painting is not in that total. With a 2,700 mm ceiling, add 10-20% to the wardrobe line, which is about $290 to $1,060 more (our sums again). Most versions of this job come out above $3,300, so the Queensland rules below apply.

What are the Queensland rules for a built-in wardrobe?

In Queensland, building work valued over $3,300 must be done by a contractor with a QBCC licence. Under that amount, the QBCC says a handyman can do the work, as long as it is not electrical or plumbing work and needs no occupational licence. The QBCC's carpentry licence covers installing "fitments", and its joinery licence covers making and installing joinery units.

The deposit is capped too. The QBCC's deposit rules are:

• $3,300 or less: up to 20%
• $3,301 to $19,999: up to 10%
• $20,000 or more: up to 5%

There is one exception. A deposit of up to 20% is allowed when custom work or prefabrication done away from the site is more than 50% of the contract price. A made-to-measure wardrobe built in a workshop can fall under this, so ask your contractor which rule their deposit is based on.

How do I compare built-in wardrobe quotes?

Quotes only compare if they cover the same job. Trade Heroes warns that price ranges don't tell you whether a quote includes drawers, accessories, delivery, installation, removal of old built-ins, or the finish around cornices and skirting. Check that each quote says:

• the width in metres, and whether it runs floor to ceiling
• the board material and the door type
• how many drawers, shelves and pull-outs are inside
• whether the old robe is removed and taken away
• who patches and paints the wall
• whether lighting and the electrician are included
• the QBCC licence number, if the job is over $3,300

Ask about timing too. Sparky says manufacturing takes 3 to 6 weeks, and installing a single wardrobe takes about half a day.

We build built-in cupboards and wardrobes across the Gold Coast, made to fit the room. See our carpentry work for the wardrobes, cupboards and fit-outs we do.

Where do these figures come from?

Checked on 5 October 2026: What's The Damage (national carpenter costs, Gold Coast carpenter costs and Gold Coast handyman costs, all verified October 2026), Sparky (custom wardrobe costs, published March 2026), Airtasker (built-in wardrobe costs, updated February 2025) and Trade Heroes (wardrobe installation costs, 2026). Rules from the QBCC (when you need a licence, licence scopes, and deposits and progress payments). The per-metre total and the worked example are our sums. We will check the prices again every three months.

See our carpentry work, or check what your job will cost.