Built-in wardrobe jobs
New built-in robes
A carcass built across a bedroom wall or into an alcove, scribed to the walls and ceiling so there are no gaps, with a kicker at the floor and a bulkhead to the ceiling if you want the robe to look built in rather than added on.
Fit-outs for existing robes
Old robes with one shelf and one rail, rebuilt inside with double hanging, adjustable shelves, drawers and shoe racks, keeping the existing doors or replacing them.
Sliding wardrobe doors
Mirrored, painted or laminate sliding doors on top-hung or bottom-rolling tracks, and new tracks and rollers for old sliders that jump or drag. Hinged doors suit narrow robes and alcoves where a slider would cover half the opening.
Walk-in robes and linen cupboards
Open shelving, hanging and drawer units for a walk-in robe, and shelving in linen and hall cupboards, set out around the light switch, the window and the door swing.
How much do built-in wardrobes cost in Brisbane?
A built-in robe is priced on its width, its height to the ceiling and what goes inside, then on the doors. Mirrored and painted sliding doors cost more than plain laminate, drawers cost more than shelves, and a robe built into an awkward alcove takes longer to scribe than one across a straight wall.
Board and finish matter too: melamine-faced board is the usual carcass, with painted or two-pack doors at the dearer end. Supplying your own flat-pack system and having it installed is another way to do it; say so in your enquiry so the quote is for installation.
For a sense of carpenters' hourly and call-out rates, see carpenter rates in Brisbane. A robe valued over $3,300 in total, counting labour, materials and GST, is building work for a QBCC-licensed contractor, with a written contract.
Planning the inside of a wardrobe
Most people want more hanging space than one rail gives them. Double hanging, one rail above another, suits shirts and jackets; a full-height section suits dresses and coats. Shelves that aren't too deep are easier to use, and drawers are easiest at waist height.
Measure the wall width at the floor and at the ceiling, and the ceiling height in two places: older Brisbane houses are rarely square, and the difference goes into the scribing.
- Long hanging for coats and dresses, double hanging for shirts
- Adjustable shelves rather than fixed ones
- Drawers inside the robe, or a chest of drawers saved
- Space at the base for shoes
- Lighting inside the robe, which needs an electrician
Built-in robes in Queenslanders and older homes
Older timber houses were often built with few robes, so a new robe usually goes across a bedroom wall or into the space beside a chimney breast. VJ-board walls and high ceilings mean the carcass is fixed to the wall framing, not just the board, and scribed to walls that aren't straight.
If the house was built before 1990, the Queensland Government says "there is a good chance that it contains asbestos", and it's often very difficult to identify by sight. Say when the house was built before anything is fixed into or cut out of an old wall lining. See asbestos before renovating.
Moving a wall for a walk-in robe
Taking out or moving a wall to make room for a walk-in robe can be structural work. Over $3,300, a load-bearing wall needs a contractor whose QBCC licence class covers wall framing, and a building certifier decides whether it needs approval. See carpenter or builder: QBCC licences.
What to send with your enquiry
- The wall width at the floor and ceiling, and the ceiling height
- Whether it's a new robe, a fit-out of an old one, or new doors only
- The doors you like: sliding, mirrored, painted or hinged
- What goes inside: hanging, shelves, drawers, shoes
- A photo of the wall or the old robe
- When the house was built
Questions about built-in wardrobes in Brisbane
How long does a built-in wardrobe take to install?
It depends on the robe's size, whether it's made to measure or a flat-pack system, and the doors. Made-to-measure carcasses and doors take longer to order than flat-pack systems. The carpenter quoting the job can give the timing for yours.
Can new doors go on an old wardrobe?
Usually. New sliding doors can go on new tracks in an old opening, and hinged doors can be replaced to match. Measure the opening at the top, middle and bottom, because older openings are often out of square.
Are sliding or hinged wardrobe doors better?
Sliding doors suit bedrooms where a swinging door would hit the bed, but you only see half the robe at once. Hinged doors open the whole robe and suit narrow alcoves. Mirrored sliders also make a small room feel bigger.
Can I supply a flat-pack wardrobe system to be installed?
Yes. Say which system you've bought and send the plan, so the quote covers assembly, fixing to the wall, scribing to the walls and ceiling, and fitting the doors.
Do I need a QBCC-licensed carpenter for a built-in wardrobe?
If the whole job is valued over $3,300, counting labour, materials and GST, it's building work and needs a QBCC-licensed contractor in the right class. Many custom robes pass that. Check the licence on the QBCC licensee register. See QBCC licences.
Where this information comes from
The rules and figures on this page come from these published pages, checked on 28 October 2026.
- QBCC: when you need a licence · Queensland Building and Construction Commission, last reviewed 11 August 2021
- QBCC: contracts and agreement types · Queensland Building and Construction Commission, last reviewed 27 June 2025
- Queensland Government: homeowners, look, check and prepare · asbestos.qld.gov.au, undated page
