Carpentry and joinery
Fitted wardrobes and storage
Whether this needs a licence in Ireland
No licence required
Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer
Fitted wardrobes and storage: what the job involves
Built-in wardrobes, alcove units, understairs storage and shelving made or fitted to the exact space, scribed to walls and ceilings that are rarely straight. They use awkward corners, sloping attic ceilings and chimney-breast alcoves that freestanding furniture cannot.
Also asked for as: built in wardrobes · sliderobes · alcove units · understairs storage · bespoke wardrobes
How the job is usually done
- Measure the space: width, height and depth at several points, the slope of any ceiling, skirting, sockets, radiators and the swing of doors nearby.
- Agree the layout: hanging rails, shelves, drawers, shoe storage and lighting, and the door style (hinged, sliding or none).
- Make the carcasses in the workshop or order them from a supplier, and the doors and fronts to match.
- Remove skirting or coving where the units sit, and fix a level base and wall battens.
- Install and fix the carcasses, scribing end panels and fillers to the walls and ceiling.
- Hang and adjust the doors, fit the interior, handles and any lighting, and finish the gaps.
Fitted wardrobes and storage: what is included
Usually included
- Measuring and a layout drawing
- Making or supplying and fitting the units
- Scribing to walls, floor and ceiling
- Hanging and adjusting doors and fitting handles
Usually not included — agree it separately
- Painting units made in raw MDF, unless agreed
- Moving sockets or adding a new circuit for lighting, which needs a registered electrician
- Moving a radiator out of the way
- Disposal of old wardrobes
Materials and who supplies them
- Melamine-faced board, MDF or plywood carcasses
- Doors: painted MDF, veneer, mirror or sliding systems
- Hinges, runners, rails and handles
- Usually supplied by the carpenter or the wardrobe company; some customers choose handles themselves
How long it takes
Usually one to three days on site once the units are made or delivered; making bespoke units in a workshop adds two to six weeks beforehand.
When to book
Workshop-made wardrobes have a lead time of several weeks, so order well before the room is needed.
Fitted wardrobes and storage: the rules in Ireland
What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.
Lighting inside a wardrobe on a new circuit, or new sockets, is Restricted Electrical Works for a Registered Electrical Contractor; plug-in or battery lights are not.
Applies to: the electrician
Safe Electric Ireland, for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities · safeelectric.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
Building work on a home is charged at the reduced VAT rate of 13.5%, but where the materials come to more than two-thirds of the price, the goods rate applies to the whole job; ask how a supply-and-fit quote is charged.
Applies to: the contractor
Revenue · revenue.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
What fitted wardrobes and storage costs, and why
What jobs on Talqero came to
Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.
What affects the price
- Width and height of the run, and sloping or uneven ceilings
- Bespoke-made versus supply-and-fit from a manufacturer
- Door type and finish: sliding, hinged, painted, veneer or mirror
- Interior fittings: drawers, pull-out rails, shoe racks, lighting
- Spray-painting or hand-painting included or not
- VAT: building work on a home is charged at the reduced rate of 13.5% by a VAT-registered business — unless the materials come to more than two-thirds of the price, when Revenue’s two-thirds rule applies the goods rate to the whole job. Ask whether a quote includes VAT.
Paperwork to ask for at the end
- A layout drawing with the agreed sizes and finishes
- Warranty details for hinges, runners and sliding door gear
- An itemised invoice showing VAT
Safety
- Tall units must be fixed back to the wall so they cannot tip, especially in children’s rooms.
- Check for cables and pipes before anything is fixed into the wall.
- Sliding mirror doors should use safety-backed glass.
Fitted wardrobes and storage: before you hire
Questions to ask a tradesperson
- Can I see photographs of wardrobes you have built?
- Are the units made by you or bought in?
- What board and door material will you use?
- Is painting included, and how will it be done?
- How long from deposit to fitting?
What you can do yourself
Assembling and fitting flat-pack wardrobes is a common DIY job, but scribing built-in units to uneven walls and ceilings is skilled work.
What to put in your task
- Where are the wardrobes going?
- Roughly how wide is the run?
- What kind of doors would you like?
- How should they be finished?
- What do you need inside?
Photos that help
- The whole wall or space, straight on
- The ceiling line and any slope
- Skirting, sockets and radiators in the space
- A photo of a style you like, if you have one
Fitted wardrobes and storage by county
Choose your county for fitted wardrobes and storage close to home.
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Dublin
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Cork
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Galway
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Kildare
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Limerick
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Meath
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Tipperary
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Donegal
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Wexford
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Kerry
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Wicklow
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Mayo
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Louth
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Waterford
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Clare
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Kilkenny
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Westmeath
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Laois
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Cavan
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Offaly
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Sligo
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Roscommon
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Monaghan
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Carlow
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Longford
- Fitted wardrobes and storage in Leitrim
Carpentry and joinery
Need fitted wardrobes and storage? Describe the job.
Post it once, free. Professionals near you reply with their own price and when they could start. You choose, and pay them directly.
Questions about fitted wardrobes and storage
Does fitted wardrobes and storage need a licence in Ireland?
No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.cru.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.
Are fitted wardrobes made on site or in a workshop?
Both are common. Many carpenters make carcasses and doors in a workshop and spray-paint them there, then fit on site in a day or two. Others build entirely on site, which takes longer in the house but suits very awkward spaces.
Can wardrobes go under a sloping attic ceiling?
Yes. Units are cut to the slope and the doors made to suit, which is where built-in storage gains most over freestanding furniture.
Do I need to remove the skirting?
Usually the skirting is cut out where the units sit so they sit tight to the wall. The carpenter does this as part of fitting.