The cost to add a closet to a room depends on the size of the desired closet, labor expenses, and materials used, but most homeowners will spend around $2,000.
On average, homeowners pay around $2,000 or between $250 and $6,000 to add a new closet to their home— the top end of that range is for those opting for higher-end materials or dealing with more complex projects.
Many house styles offer lots of open floor space at the price of fewer closets, and as you run out of places to put things, you might start to consider the option of building a new closet into an existing room. Closets can add storage space and value to your home, so they’re often worthwhile projects.
How much it will cost to add a room closet will depend on the specifics of the space, the size of the closet, and local labor and material costs, as well as several other factors.
Building permits are sometimes required for closet additions and normally cost between $100 and $450.
Make sure to carefully check the code in your area before proceeding with your project since making an addition of this kind without a required permit could lead to problems with code enforcement. Even if your municipality doesn’t notice the small construction project, not having necessary permits could create issues in the future if you go to sell your home.
Low-end materials for a simple closet addition—2x4 studs and sheetrock—could cost as low as $100, depending on the size of the closet. High-end materials for built-in wardrobes—like oak, mahogany, or another aesthetically-pleasing wood species—could cost upward of $5,000 for the materials alone.
There are many different materials you can work with based on your project and how you intend on using the project. A local contractor could help you choose the best option for your needs and budget if you’re unsure what you prefer.
Labor costs to build a closet can vary wildly, usually falling between $35 and $200 per hour. Where in that range your total falls depends on the skill needed to complete the work, the complexity of the project, and the size of your new closet.
For example, if you’re hiring a general contractor to frame out a simple closet space in a room, you’ll probably pay between $35 and $100 per hour for the work. A few hours would cover framing, drywall, and drywall preparation. On the other hand, if you’re hiring a master carpenter or a dedicated closet maker near you for your project, you’ll pay closer to $200 per hour for skilled work.
The size of your closet project makes a difference when it comes to the total labor costs. Smaller projects will take much less time and may total as low as $150 for the labor, while larger built-in wardrobes custom fit for your home could bring the total labor costs to around $2,000 or more.
Accessories for your new closet could total between $45 and $2,500, depending on how you want to build out your space. Adding a simple shoe rack to a standard closet will cost toward the lower end of that range, while installing custom lighting or an elegant island unit in a spacious walk-in closet will push up the accessory budget significantly.
The cost to add a bedroom closet can range from around $20 to $100 per square foot, so the size of your closet will play a major role in your total project costs. The difference between adding a small 6-square-foot reach-in closet and a luxurious 40-square foot walk-in closet can total over $1,000. Of course, the quality of the build will also play a role in this pricing.
The cost to build a closet will vary based on both the location in your home and your geographical location.
If the home addition cost needs to include moving a load-bearing wall, for example, or more extensively rearrange the existing architecture, prices can quickly rise far above the standard range.
Nationally, homeowners pay an average of $2,000 to add a closet to an existing space, but there is some regional variation. Expect to pay a few hundred dollars more in most cases in many larger coastal cities, and sometimes more: the average price in Seattle, for example, rises from around $2,000 to $2,780.
The type of closet you’re planning to install will also play a major part in the costs you ultimately pay.
A standard reach-in closet is the least expensive option, with average costs falling between $250 and $1,500 in most cases. The differences between the bottom and top of that range will largely depend on the materials you choose for your doors and the level of drywall finish.
Keep in mind that contractors often charge a higher hourly rate for smaller drywall jobs to make it worth their while, so if you intend to add multiple closets or other add-ons like an additional bathroom, it will prove most cost-effective to have them all built at once.
Typical costs for adding a walk-in closet are between $750 and $3,500. The main factor here is size, with a smaller walk-in, in the neighborhood of 5-by-5 feet, falling at the lower end of that range, and a larger one—around 100 square feet—at the higher end.
Walk-in closets also often feature built-in shelving and storage, which can drive up your price.
Expect to pay between $1,500 and $6,000 for a built-in wardrobe, depending on the size and level of customization you choose. The quality and cost of the materials you choose will play a major role in this pricing, as high-end wood species can double or triple the cost of materials for your project over choosing plywood or melamine, for example.
The cost to build a closet will vary based on both the location in your home and your geographical location.
If the home addition cost needs to include moving a load-bearing wall, for example, or more extensively rearrange the existing architecture, prices can quickly rise far above the standard range.
Nationally, homeowners pay an average of $2,000 to add a closet to an existing space, but there is some regional variation. Expect to pay a few hundred dollars more in most cases in many larger coastal cities, and sometimes more: the average price in Seattle, for example, rises from around $2,000 to $2,780.
The type of closet you’re planning to install will also play a major part in the costs you ultimately pay.
A standard reach-in closet is the least expensive option, with average costs falling between $250 and $1,500 in most cases. The differences between the bottom and top of that range will largely depend on the materials you choose for your doors and the level of drywall finish.
Keep in mind that contractors often charge a higher hourly rate for smaller drywall jobs to make it worth their while, so if you intend to add multiple closets or other add-ons like an additional bathroom, it will prove most cost-effective to have them all built at once.
Typical costs for adding a walk-in closet are between $750 and $3,500. The main factor here is size, with a smaller walk-in, in the neighborhood of 5-by-5 feet, falling at the lower end of that range, and a larger one—around 100 square feet—at the higher end.
Walk-in closets also often feature built-in shelving and storage, which can drive up your price.
Expect to pay between $1,500 and $6,000 for a built-in wardrobe, depending on the size and level of customization you choose. The quality and cost of the materials you choose will play a major role in this pricing, as high-end wood species can double or triple the cost of materials for your project over choosing plywood or melamine, for example.
Closet size, materials, and labor will be the primary cost factors across most closet additions, but the requirements of the room you’re altering, as well as the inclusion of particular features in the new closet, can quickly become major factors in the final price tag as well.
Some potential additional costs to consider include:
HVAC duct replacement: $10–$20 per linear foot
New vent installation: $250–$1,000
Installation of new electrical wiring: $6–$8 per square foot
Drywall repair: $300–$800
Lighting fixture installation: $100–$250 per fixture
Closet door installation: $150–$300
Built-in shelving: $75–$500+
The cost to install a closet yourself will usually fall between $100 and $2,000, depending on the type of closet you’re building, the size, materials used, and more.
Constructing a simple bump out in a bedroom out of 2x4s and drywall can cost as little as $100 or up to around $400, depending on the size. This is a pretty straightforward project that DIYers with some experience can handle without too much of an issue.
If you’re taking on a more complicated and intensive closet project, like installing a custom built-in wardrobe, you could pay between $1,000 and $2,000 for the materials. High-end materials like solid hardwood will push your project cost toward the higher end of that range, whereas plywood, melamine, or a softwood like pine will keep costs toward the lower end.
Adding a closet to your home can be quite expensive, but there are a few things you can do and options you can choose to help keep your costs down.
You could save as much as $80 per square foot by keeping the size of your closet down down. Since closet additions get more expensive the bigger they are, limiting the size of your closet will help keep costs as low as possible. We recommend thinking carefully about your clothes storage needs and choosing square footage carefully. It might even be a good idea to go through your clothes and donate anything you don’t need, which might mean a smaller and less expensive closet could suit you.
Oversizing your closet could leave you with additional space that you needlessly spent more money on, plus detracting from your room’s usable square footage can actually be detrimental to your home value.
Undersizing your closet could mean you need to go back to the drawing board and pay to add on additional space, ultimately making your closet more expensive.
If you’re building custom shelving for your reach-in or walk-in closet, or you’re building a full built-in wardrobe in your room instead of a closet, choosing lower-cost materials can save you between $250 and $4,000, depending on how large of a built-in wardrobe you’re making.
For example, plywood and melamine will cost around $1.50 per square foot, whereas buying oak or another hardwood can cost around $20 per square foot or more.
You can save between $200 and $2,000 on labor costs alone by installing your closet yourself, making a DIY job one of the best ways to save on your closet project.
Keep in mind that not all of the work is suitable for DIYing. For example, if you need to cut into existing studs or beams in your home to put your closet where you want it, we strongly recommend hiring a professional so that you don’t put the structural stability of your home at risk.
Additionally, some portions of a closet installation—like running new electrical service for lighting or installing new HVAC ducts to heat or cool the space—are jobs you should always leave to the professionals.
Finally, you can always consider alternatives to building a new closet to save some money. You could save a few thousand dollars by buying a pre-made wardrobe rather than building a new one.
You could also consider turning a spare guest room into a large walk-in closet rather than installing one in another bedroom. You might even be able to convert an attic to living space to use as a walk-up closet without detracting from your home’s existing square footage.
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A closet is an enclosed space for general storage that is permanently built into a larger room, framed, and drywalled, whereas a wardrobes can be either freestanding and semi-portable or a permanent feature and are primarily for clothing. Closets usually include a door of some kind to separate the space from the room around it, built-in wardrobes are more often exposed to the room with clothes visible, and standalone wardrobes can have drawers or small doors to close off the contents from view.
The addition of a properly installed built-in closet will generally make a home more competitive on the market and increase its sales price. If, however, you are converting an existing room into a walk-in closet, it will likely drive the value downward. The balance between utility and value is hard to get right, but generally speaking, if you add utility with a built-in closet that doesn’t detract much from the square footage of the room, then you’ll likely add value to your home.
In most cases, yes, adding a closet to your home will increase the value, as it makes your home more convenient to live in and use. However, building unnecessarily large closets into a room where they detract significantly from the usable square footage can drive the value of your home down. If you’re building a mudroom closet and taking square footage away from a non-living area, like a garage, then you’ll almost certainly add value to your home.
