What makes fitted wardrobes cost what they cost?

The five things that set the price

In order of impact on most bedrooms.

• Size of the run and ceiling height, including whether it goes full height or stops with a bulkhead.
• Carcass material: paint grade MDF, moisture resistant board or veneered ply all behave and cost differently.
• Doors: hinged is simpler and cheaper to make, sliding needs precise tracks and heavier panels.
• Internals: shelves and a rail are modest, drawer boxes, soft close runners, pull down rails and internal lighting are not.
• The room itself: sloping ceilings, chimney breasts, skirting to scribe around and floors that fall away all add time.

Why bespoke and flat pack are not the same product

A modular wardrobe is a box placed against a wall, with fillers hiding the gaps. A fitted wardrobe is built to the room: scribed to the wall, level despite the floor, and sealed at the top so there is no dust ledge.

That difference is mostly labour, not materials, which is why fitted work is quoted per project rather than off a price list.

Where you can save without regretting it

You do not have to specify everything at the top end to get a good result.

• Keep the carcass simple and put your budget into the doors, which are what you look at every day.
• Hinged doors instead of sliding, where the room has space for a door swing.
• Paint grade finished on site rather than a sprayed factory colour.
• Fewer drawer boxes, more shelves. Drawers are the most expensive item per unit inside a wardrobe.
• Do the whole room in one visit rather than adding to it later.

What a good wardrobe quote should tell you

It should state the finished run size, the carcass and door materials, the internal layout, who is decorating, and whether removal of the old furniture is included. If any of those are missing, the number is not comparable with anyone else's.

Questions we're asked about this