Closet kit or custom closet: which is right for you?
The short answer
A kit is cheapest and quickest, but you fit your closet to its sizes. A custom closet company fits the closet to you, usually after a designer’s visit. We sit between: you design it online, we build it to your measurements in our shop, and it arrives flat-packed or installed.
- Kits are the cheapest and you can have one today. They come in set widths, and you fit the gaps.
- Custom closet companies usually start with a designer in your home and a quote some days later.
- We build every cabinet to the sixteenth of an inch, 18″ to 33″ wide, and price it live online.
- Whoever you choose, compare panel thickness, edges, joints, drawer slides and the warranty.
Closet kits
Closet kits come in two main kinds: wire shelving that hangs on rails screwed to the wall, and laminate cabinets or towers in a handful of set widths, sold boxed at home centers and online.
What they do well: they cost the least, you can often take one home the same day, and they’re easy to undo, which suits a rental. For a simple closet that a stock width happens to fit, a kit can be the right answer.
What to watch for: you fit your closet to the kit, not the other way round, so a wall rarely fills edge to edge. Many kits use thinner panels than a cabinet shop would, shelves that span the full closet, and drawers on simpler slides. Check what you’re getting against the list below.
Custom closet companies
A custom closet company fits the closet to your room. Usually a designer comes to your home, measures, draws a plan and sends a quote, and an installer comes back weeks later to build it.
What they do well: you hand the whole job over, and a good designer brings ideas you wouldn’t have had.
What to watch for: you rarely see a price until the designer has been, the choices can be hard to compare between companies, and the visit and the install add time.
The middle way: made to order, online
That’s us. You lay out the closet yourself in the Closet Builder, cabinet by cabinet, and see the price change as you go. We build every cabinet to your measurements, to the sixteenth of an inch, from 3/4″ thermally fused laminate with matching edges, on our own CNC in Ringgold, GA.
It arrives flat-packed, with the fiddly work done: slides fitted, drawer fronts on, hinges mounted, connectors set and rods cut. Delivery (curbside) is included anywhere in the lower 48 states and DC, with a step-by-step assembly guide; near our workshop, our own crew can install it, included too. One shop does all of it, and one warranty covers the hardware, the cabinets and the finish.
What you give up is the designer in your living room. The measuring is yours, and a custom order can’t be returned, so we’d rather you call us with a question before you order. We’ll go through your plan with you.
What to compare, whoever you buy from
| Ask | Ours |
|---|---|
| Panel thickness | 3/4″ throughout |
| Edges | Banded to match on every edge you can see |
| Longest shelf span | 33″; wider walls take another cabinet |
| Joints | Steel connectors that pull each joint tight |
| Drawers | Full extension, soft close, rated for 100 pounds |
| Doors | Slab, full overlay, soft close (wardrobe cabinets) |
| Sizes | Any width 18″ to 33″ and height 84″ to 92-5/8″, to the 1/16″ |
| Price | Live, online, delivery included |
| Warranty | Lifetime limited, hardware included |
Which one is right for you
- Choose a kit for a rental, a short stay, or a simple closet that a stock size fits.
- Choose a custom closet company if you want a designer to take the whole job off your hands.
- Choose us if you want a closet built to your measurements, are happy to measure and plan it yourself, and want to see the price before anyone visits.
Not sure your walls are measured right? How to measure a closet takes ten minutes.
Questions we get
Is a custom closet worth it over a kit?
If the closet is yours for years and a kit’s set widths don’t fit your walls, usually yes: you get a closet that fills the wall, on thicker panels and better hardware. For a rental or a short stay, a kit is often the sensible choice.
Do you send a designer to measure?
No, we never measure on site. You design the closet online in the Closet Builder, and we’re a phone call away if you’d like us to look over your plan before you order.
Can I install it myself?
Yes. Every order comes flat-packed with a step-by-step assembly guide, and delivery is included anywhere in the lower 48 states and DC. You need a drill, a stud finder and a helper.
Ready to plan yours?
Lay out your closet cabinet by cabinet and see it priced live, built to the measurements you give us.
