How Much Does a Fitted Wardrobe Cost? A Guide for Derby Homes

What changes the price

Two wardrobes the same width can be priced very differently. These are the things that make the difference.

• The size of the run

  Width and height set how many carcasses, doors and panels are needed. Going floor to ceiling costs more than stopping short, but gives you far more storage for the extra.

• The doors

  Doors are often the biggest single cost. Plain flat doors are the most economical. Mirrored, glass, painted shaker or handleless doors cost more, and large sliding doors need good-quality tracks.

• What goes inside

  Rails and plain shelves are inexpensive. Internal drawers, pull-out trouser rails, shoe pull-outs, pull-down rails and lighting each add to the price.

• The room itself

  Sloping ceilings, chimney breasts, bulkheads and walls that are badly out of true all take extra cutting and scribing time, which shows up in the labour.

• Materials and finish

  Melamine-faced board is hard-wearing and keeps costs down. Painted MDF and real wood veneers cost more and take longer to finish.

• Electrics

  Hard-wired lighting needs an electrician as well as a joiner. Battery or plug-in sensor lights are a cheaper alternative.

Where to save without regretting it

• Open some of it up. Shelves and hanging rails without doors cost less than the same length of wardrobe behind doors, which is why a walk-in or part-open layout can be cheaper than you might expect.
• Choose drawers carefully. A few internal drawers are worth having, but a bank of them adds up quickly. Baskets or shelves in the same space cost much less.
• Keep the doors simple and put the money into the interior you will use every day. Doors can be changed later; a carcass that is the wrong size cannot.
• Use what is already there. A builder’s recess or an alcove with sound walls can take doors and an interior without a full carcass.
• If you have found a wardrobe system you like from a supplier, we also offer an install-only service, so you can buy the product and pay us only to fit it.

Cheap fitted wardrobes: what to watch for

Many people search for cheap fitted wardrobes, and there is nothing wrong with wanting good value. The risk is in where the saving comes from. The cheapest options usually use thin carcass board, light-duty sliding tracks and doors that are made to standard sizes, then filled in with panels where the room does not fit. They can look fine on day one and start to sag, rattle or jam sooner than you would like.

A better way to keep the cost down is to spend on the parts that wear, such as the carcass, the hinges, the drawer runners and the door tracks, and save on the parts that are easy to change, such as handles and the number of drawers.

Fitted or freestanding?

A freestanding wardrobe from a furniture shop is almost always cheaper to buy. The difference is how much you get for the money. A fitted wardrobe uses the full height and width of the wall, so the same floor space holds a great deal more, and there are no gaps on top or at the sides to fill with clutter or dust. It also stays with the house when you move.

Comparing wardrobe quotes

When you compare quotes, check that each one was given after someone measured the room, and that they cover the same things: carcass material and thickness, the door style and track, every internal fitting, removal of any old wardrobe, filler and scribe panels to the walls and ceiling, and any electrical work. A low price that leaves out the interior or the fitting is not a like-for-like comparison.

Fitted wardrobe cost questions