--- title: "Shop Built vs Site Built Cabinets: Which Is Better? | Klein" canonical: "https://kleincarpentryjax.com/do-you-build-the-cabinets-on-site-or-in-a-shop/" description: "Shop built vs site built cabinets: Klein Carpentry builds some built-ins in our Jacksonville shop and some in your home. Here is how we decide, and why." --- # Do You Build the Cabinets On Site or in a Shop? 1. [Custom Built-Ins](/services/cabinet-maker/custom-built-ins/) 2. › 3. Do You Build the Cabinets On Site or in a Shop? Shop built vs site built cabinets is one of the first questions people ask about built-ins, and our honest answer is that it depends on the piece. Some parts are built in our shop and brought in finished, and others are built on site in your home. This page expands on that answer from our page on [Jacksonville built-in cabinets](/services/cabinet-maker/custom-built-ins/) and explains how we decide. **Quick answer:** Parts that need precision and a sprayed finish, such as cabinet boxes, doors, and drawers, are usually built in our shop. Parts that have to follow your actual walls, ceiling, and floor, such as scribe stiles, fillers, trim, and some long shelving runs, are fitted or built on site. Most built-ins use both. ## Shop Built vs Site Built: The Trade-Offs Factor Shop built Site built Precision and square cases Highest, on flat benches with shop tools Good, but depends on the room Finish quality Sprayed conversion varnish or waterborne coating Often finished in place Dust and noise in your home Low Higher during the build Time with a crew in your house 1 to 3 days of install Longer, since building happens in the room Fit to crooked walls Handled with scribe stiles and fillers at install Built directly to the wall Very large or awkward pieces Must fit through doors and stairs No size limit from access Best for Cabinet boxes, doors, drawers, furniture-grade pieces Window seats in odd alcoves, long open shelving, trim tie-ins ## What We Usually Build in the Shop - **Cabinet cases.** Plywood boxes are cut, assembled, and squared on flat benches. A square case is what lets inset doors sit flush with even gaps. - **Doors and drawers.** Slab, Shaker, beaded inset, and reeded or fluted doors are built and fitted in the shop, where tolerances are tight. - **Finishing.** Doors, drawer fronts, and cases get a sprayed finish in the shop. Sprayed coatings are smoother and harder than brushed wall paint. - **Furniture-grade pieces.** Desks, buffets, and freestanding units that match the built-ins come from our shop too. See our woodworking services. Shop-built pieces take two to four weeks in the shop, then install in one to three days. See the full built-in project timeline. ## What We Usually Build or Fit on Site - **Scribe stiles, fillers, and sub-bases.** These are cut to your actual walls, ceiling, and floor so there are no gaps. On a sloped floor, a shimmed, level sub-base keeps the doors aligned. - **Trim tie-ins.** Crown, base, and casing are returned into the room trim so the built-in looks original to the house. - **Odd-shaped alcoves and bump-outs.** A window seat wrapped around a bay, or shelving filling a bump-out that is not quite square, is often easier to build in place. - **Long shelving runs.** Some wall-to-wall open shelving is built in place so it fits the room exactly. - **Pieces that cannot get through the door.** Access in older homes and upstairs rooms sometimes decides it for us. ## How We Decide for Your Project Question we ask at the measure Leans toward shop Leans toward site Does it have doors and drawers? Yes Mostly open shelving Is the finish painted or stained to furniture quality? Yes Paint-grade trim Are the walls square and plumb? Square walls (new builds) Badly out of square Will the pieces fit through doors, halls, and stairs? Yes No Is limiting time and dust in the home a priority? Yes Less of a concern ## Why It Matters in Jacksonville Homes Jacksonville has two very different kinds of housing. New builds in Nocatee, Bartram Park, and St. Johns usually have square walls, so shop-built cases install fast with little scribing. Older homes in Riverside, Avondale, and San Marco have walls that lean and floors that slope, so more of the fitting happens on site. Learn more on our page about built-ins in older homes with crooked walls. Climate plays a part as well. Jacksonville averages about [89 percent relative humidity in the morning](https://currentresults.com/Weather/Florida/humidity-annual.php), and [wood moves with moisture](https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/62200). Building and finishing cases in a controlled shop, then installing them into conditioned space, gives the wood the most stable start. ## Why Choose Klein Carpentry for Built-Ins ### The right method for each part We do not force every project into one approach. Cases, doors, and drawers get shop precision and a sprayed finish. The parts that meet your walls get fitted on site. That combination gives you furniture-grade quality and a fit that looks original to the house, whether it is a new build in Nocatee or a 1920s home in Avondale. ### Less time and dust in your home When most of the building happens in our shop, install takes one to three days instead of weeks of sawdust. Clients notice. One reviewer wrote that Ray kept "the working area tidy at all times," and another noted the crew set up a plastic wall to exhaust dust outside during an installation. ### One team from shop to install The same team that measures your wall builds the cabinets and installs them. We only install cabinetry we build, so nothing is lost between a supplier and an installer. That accountability shows in a 4.8-star rating from 51 Google reviews. ## What Jacksonville Homeowners Say 4.8from [51 Google reviews](https://maps.google.com/?cid=7803379908473648836&g_mp=CiVnb29nbGUubWFwcy5wbGFjZXMudjEuUGxhY2VzLkdldFBsYWNlEAIYBCAA) - > The level of quality Klein Carpentry has is next level. Their service is incredible and are very responsive and knowledgeable. They do all kinds of work. Highly recommend them for any projects you may have coming up! [Vladimir Orgunov](https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/102932875100955090697/reviews) · 4 months ago on Google - > Very professional and high quality work. Done a wonderful job with the mantle, floating shelves, ship lap, crown and base board! Totally recommend if you’re looking to finish up a home project. [Alec Lambert](https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/101053006708383748872/reviews) · 11 months ago on Google - > I reached out to get an estimate on building a wet bar to put in the mudroom of our home. Ray sent me a work up and it looked great, so we moved forward. Their craftsmanship is flawless, and they truly went above and beyond to ensure we were happy with the work. Would highly recommend if you’re looking at home projects [Josh G](https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/104561311377366249758/reviews) · a year ago on Google Reviews from Google ## Talk Through Your Project Call **[(904) 759-4988](tel:+19047594988)** and we will look at the space, tell you which parts we would build in the shop and which on site, and give you a drawing and a number. Or ask for a no cost built-in consultation. **Klein Carpentry** · 12466 Blueberry Woods Cir E, Jacksonville, FL 32258 · (904) 759-4988 · Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM ### More Custom Built-In Questions - How long does a built-in project take from start to finish? - Should I use MDF or plywood cases in Florida? - Will built-ins work in an older Jacksonville home with crooked walls? - Can you match my existing trim and cabinets? Get A No Cost Quote Today