At a Glance
A custom built-in wardrobe in Australia typically costs $3,000–$15,000 per job, depending on size, door style, materials, and how much you want happening inside. A single-door linen cupboard with basic shelving sits at the lower end. A full walk-in robe with soft-close drawers, pull-out shoe racks, and timber veneer finishes sits at the upper end. Most standard bedroom wardrobes (1.8–2.4m wide, sliding doors, melamine internals) land around $8,000.
This page covers custom-built wardrobes designed and installed by a Cabinet Maker. If you are looking at flat-pack wardrobe assembly (IKEA PAX, Bunnings Kaboodle), that is a general carpentry job and falls into a different pricing category.
What's Included
A custom wardrobe quote from a Cabinet Maker typically covers:
- Site measure and design. Your cabinet maker visits, measures the space (including any out-of-square walls or ceiling angles), and produces a design layout showing shelf positions, hanging zones, and drawer placements.
- Carcass manufacture. The box structure, built from 18mm board (melamine, MDF, or plywood depending on finish), cut and edged in the workshop. All board should comply with AS 4386:2018 Domestic Kitchen Assemblies which covers cabinetry construction standards including wardrobe systems.
- Doors. Hinged, sliding, or mirrored sliding — quoted as part of the package.
- Internal fitout. Shelves, hanging rails, drawers, and any accessories (shoe racks, pull-out baskets, jewellery trays) as specified in the design.
- Delivery and installation. Transport to site, fitting to walls (secured to studs or masonry), levelling, and final adjustment of doors and drawers.
- Hardware. Hinges, drawer runners, handles or knobs. Soft-close hardware is standard on mid-range and above.
Not typically included: electrical work for internal wardrobe lighting (an electrician handles that separately, ~$200–$500 per wardrobe for LED strip or sensor lights), painting of surrounding walls, or carpet trimming.
Door Styles and What They Cost
The door style is the single most visible decision and has a meaningful impact on cost.
Hinged doors ($800–$1,200/lm for the complete wardrobe). The most affordable option. Standard overlay hinges with soft-close are now the norm. Best suited to bedrooms with enough floor space in front of the wardrobe for doors to swing open fully. A 2.4m wardrobe with four hinged doors in white melamine runs roughly $2,000–$3,000.
Sliding doors ($1,200–$2,200/lm for the complete wardrobe). Roughly 50–80% more than hinged because sliding door tracks, rollers, and frames add material and fitting cost. The trade-off is that they do not need clearance space in front — ideal for compact bedrooms. Two-door systems are standard; three-door bypass systems suit wider openings. Tracks should be aluminium, not plastic — plastic tracks wear out within a few years.
Mirrored sliding doors ($1,400–$2,600/lm for the complete wardrobe). A premium on standard sliding, adding full-length mirror panels (4mm safety-backed mirror is standard). Popular in master bedrooms and apartments where the mirror replaces the need for a separate full-length mirror. The glass weight means heavier-duty tracks and rollers are essential.
Doors with profiled or shaker-style panels add $100–$250/lm over flat panel equivalents. Painted MDF (polyurethane or 2-pac finish) is the typical material for profiled doors — melamine cannot be routed.
Internal Fitout Tiers
What goes inside the wardrobe matters as much as the doors. Cabinet makers typically offer three tiers:
Basic (~$800–$1,200/lm). Adjustable shelves and a single hanging rail. Functional and clean. Suits spare bedrooms, kids' rooms, and rental properties.
Standard (~$1,200–$1,600/lm). Adds soft-close drawers (typically 2–4 per section), double hanging (short garments on top, short on bottom), and adjustable shelf spacing. This is the most popular tier for master bedrooms.
Full fitout (~$1,600–$2,200/lm). Everything in Standard plus pull-out shoe racks, tie/belt racks, pull-out trouser hangers, jewellery drawer inserts, laundry hamper, and LED sensor lighting. Walk-in robes almost always fall into this tier.
Walk-in Wardrobes
Walk-in robes are the premium end of custom wardrobe work. A well-designed walk-in is essentially a small room fitted out with cabinetry on two or three walls, typically configured in zones:
- Long-hang zone for dresses, coats, and suits
- Double-hang zone for shirts, folded trousers, and shorter garments
- Shelving zone for folded items, bags, and boxes
- Drawer bank for undergarments, accessories, and smaller items
- Shoe storage — angled shelves, pull-out racks, or open cubbies
A basic walk-in fitout (melamine, two walls, shelves and rails) starts around $5,000–$7,000. A premium three-wall walk-in with timber veneer, island bench, integrated lighting, and full accessory fitout runs $8,000–$15,000+. The island bench alone (with stone or timber top) adds $2,000–$4,000.
Material Tiers
White melamine. The workhorse of Australian wardrobes. Durable, easy to clean, and the most affordable option. Available in smooth or textured finishes. Brands like Laminex and Polytec supply most Australian cabinet makers. Expect $800–$1,500/lm installed.
Wood-look laminate. Textured laminates that mimic timber grain — oak, walnut, and ash looks are popular. Same durability as plain melamine with a warmer aesthetic. Polytec Ravine and Laminex AbsoluteMatt are common ranges. Adds $50–$150/lm over white melamine.
Timber veneer. Real timber (usually 0.6mm) bonded to an MDF or plywood substrate. Gives a genuine timber look and feel. Available in most Australian hardwood species. More expensive and requires more care (no harsh chemicals). Expect $1,200–$2,000/lm installed.
Painted MDF (polyurethane or 2-pac). MDF panels sprayed with a two-pack polyurethane finish for a smooth, lacquered look. Available in any colour. The most expensive panel option because of the multi-coat spray process and curing time. Popular for shaker-style and profiled doors. Expect $1,400–$2,200/lm installed.
What Affects the Cost
- Linear metres. The primary cost driver. A 1.8m bedroom wardrobe is a very different job to a 4m wall of built-ins across two bedrooms.
- Door style. Hinged is cheapest, sliding costs 50–80% more, mirrored sliding adds another premium on top.
- Internal complexity. Every drawer, pull-out, and accessory adds cost. A wardrobe with eight drawers and pull-out shoe racks costs significantly more than one with shelves and a rail.
- Material finish. White melamine to timber veneer can double the per-linear-metre rate.
- Ceiling height. Standard 2,400mm ceilings are straightforward. Floor-to-ceiling in homes with 2,700mm or 3,000mm+ ceilings (common in Victorian-era Melbourne homes and newer apartments) requires taller panels and sometimes two-piece construction, adding 10–20%.
- Wall condition. Out-of-square walls, uneven floors, or bulkheads require scribing and custom trimming — extra labour that adds to the quote.
- Access. Ground-floor bedroom with wide hallway access is simple. Upstairs bedrooms in narrow terrace houses with tight stairwells add delivery difficulty.
- Walk-in vs reach-in. Walk-in robes cost more overall because they fit out multiple walls, but often cost less per linear metre because the cabinet maker is already on-site for a larger job.
A single 1.8m hinged-door wardrobe in white melamine with basic shelving sits toward $3,000. A full walk-in robe fitout with timber veneer, soft-close drawers, pull-out accessories, mirrored sliding feature, and LED lighting pushes toward $15,000.
City and Regional Price Comparison
Sydney (NSW) serves as the baseline at $3,000–$15,000 per job. Melbourne tracks close to Sydney, with the city's older housing stock (high ceilings, out-of-plumb walls) adding a scribing premium on many jobs. Brisbane sits at or slightly below Sydney — larger bedrooms in newer estates make for more straightforward installations. Perth and Adelaide run 5–15% higher due to smaller cabinet-making trade pools and material logistics.
Within any city, the spread depends on your specific property. A new-build estate home with standard 2,400mm ceilings, plasterboard walls, and wide hallway access is the easiest job. An older inner-city terrace with 3,000mm ceilings, plaster-on-brick walls, narrow stairwell access, and rooms that are not quite square adds time and custom fitting that pushes toward the upper end.
How We Calculate
Estimates are based on current trade rates for licensed Cabinet Makers across Australian capital cities, adjusted for regional labour costs and typical material prices. All figures include GST. Ranges reflect the spread between a basic single wardrobe and a premium walk-in robe fitout.