--- title: "Custom Cabinetry Woodworking Jacksonville FL | Shop-Built" canonical: "https://kleincarpentryjax.com/services/cabinet-maker/custom-cabinetry-woodworking/" description: "Custom cabinetry woodworking in Jacksonville, FL: freestanding, furniture-grade cabinets with dovetailed drawers and real joinery. See costs and timing." --- # Handcrafted Custom Cabinetry in Jacksonville, FL 1. [Home](/) 2. › 3. [Services](/services/) 4. › 5. [Cabinet Maker](/services/cabinet-maker/) 6. › 7. Handcrafted Custom Cabinetry Some cabinets belong to the house and some belong to you. Custom cabinetry woodworking is the second kind, and it is part of the [custom cabinetmaking](/services/cabinet-maker/) our Jacksonville, FL crew does around Northeast Florida. These are cabinets on legs or a finished base, built in the shop and set on your floor. They move when you move. ![Freestanding sage green pantry cupboard with open doors, wood-lined shelves and brass cup-pull drawers](/_astro/freestanding-sage-green-pantry-cupboard-with-open-doors-wood.DmV6lgb8_Zsdm1k.webp) ## Freestanding Custom Cabinet or Installed Built-In? A freestanding custom cabinet is furniture. It has a finished back, finished sides, and a real base or legs. Nothing is scribed to a wall or fastened into studs, and it goes with you when the house sells. An installed built-in is construction. Boxes get leveled and shimmed, and faces get scribed to walls that are never plumb. That work lives on our [built-in custom cabinetry](/services/carpentry/custom-cabinetry/) page, where kitchen and bath runs belong. Freestanding, this page Installed built-in Attachment Sits on the floor Fastened to walls Backs and sides Finished all around Unfinished where hidden Moves with you Yes No Typical rooms Dining, living, lanai Kitchen, bath, pantry ## What Furniture-Grade Cabinetry Means in the Shop Furniture-grade cabinetry is a construction standard, not a marketing word, and you can check it on any piece you are shown. Face frames and doors are solid hardwood, not MDF with a wrap. Carcasses are hardwood plywood with a captured back, and joints are glued and locked with dados, rabbets or loose tenons instead of cam locks. Drawer boxes are solid wood, dovetailed at the corners. Doors are true frame and panel, and shelves are sized so four feet of books does not sag. ![Long walnut media console with fluted sliding doors on tapered legs in a sunny living room](/_astro/long-walnut-media-console-with-fluted-sliding-doors-on.CSQ24Jkz_Z9lHsy.webp) ## Substrates and Sealing for Coastal Florida This is where cabinets fail, and the problem stays invisible until it is not. Particleboard is the cheapest core and the worst in this climate, because it [swells when wet](https://www.fpl.fs.usda.gov/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr282/chapter_11_fpl_gtr282.pdf) and never sands flat again. MDF paints well, so it goes in door panels, but it drinks water at a raw edge. Plywood is the default everywhere else. Substrate Moisture behavior Where we use it Hardwood plywood Stable, recovers from damp Carcasses, shelves, backs Marine-grade plywood Best water resistance Lanai and outdoor cabinets Particleboard Swells permanently Not used Sealing matters as much as the substrate. We finish the inside of a cabinet and seal every cut edge. At the Beaches and in Ponte Vedra, hardware is stainless, because salt air finds a plated hinge fast. ![Light oak freestanding linen cabinet with glass upper doors holding folded towels in an upstairs hallway](/_astro/light-oak-freestanding-linen-cabinet-with-glass-upper-doors.WX4BD5Ad_1Vyzps.webp) ## Door Styles and Finishes Working with a custom furniture cabinet maker means the door is a decision, not a menu item. Shaker suits most Jacksonville houses, while a flat slab in rift white oak or walnut reads modern. Beaded inset is the most traditional and the most labor, since every door is fitted to its opening with an even gap. Painted work goes over maple or poplar, since paint over red oak lets the pores show. ![Freestanding furniture grade wooden cabinet with glass upper doors in a bright room](/_astro/custom-cabinetry-woodworking-1.CIm4eXbT_VgnRY.webp) ## Pieces That Sit Between Furniture and Cabinetry Most of what we build here has no clean name. A sideboard is a cabinet you eat next to, and a hutch is a sideboard with an upper. A bar cabinet needs bottle height and a sealed serving surface. Lanai cabinetry is the outdoor version, in marine plywood and cypress. Clients often order a freestanding bar cabinet while we build a [home bar and wine display](/services/cabinet-maker/custom-home-bars-wine-displays/) wall in the same room. ![Wooden hutch with open plate shelving in a dining room](/_astro/custom-cabinetry-woodworking-2.BYTj97XP_ZwNuu2.webp) ## How a Handcrafted Cabinetry Commission Runs Handcrafted cabinetry follows the same path every time, taking about six to ten weeks from first visit to delivery. We start with rough dimensions, then measure the room and the delivery path. You get a drawing showing sizes, species, door style and finish, plus a quote, and nothing is ordered until you approve both. A deposit of roughly half covers material. Fabrication runs three to six weeks, finishing adds several days, and then we deliver and level the piece. ## What a Custom Cabinet Shop Charges A custom cabinet shop prices freestanding work by the piece, not the linear foot, since a finished back and base are part of it. Piece Typical range Small two-door cabinet $1,400 to $3,200 Sideboard or credenza $2,500 to $8,500 Hutch with upper $4,000 to $12,000 Lanai or outdoor cabinet $2,800 to $9,000 What moves the number: species, door and drawer count, inset instead of overlay, and any appliance cutout. These are typical Northeast Florida ranges, and an exact number requires seeing the space. ## Freestanding Cabinets Built Like Fine Furniture Hardwood Faces ### Construction You Can Inspect Yourself Open a drawer and check the corners. Our drawer boxes are solid wood with dovetail joints, face frames and doors are solid hardwood instead of wrapped MDF, and cases are hardwood plywood with a captured back. Joints rely on dados, rabbets or loose tenons in place of cam locks, and shelves are sized so a long row of books stays straight. Because the piece is freestanding, the back and sides are finished too. Every Cut Edge ### Cores and Coatings Picked for Humid Air Particleboard is never used in our cases, since it swells for good once it gets wet. Carcasses, shelves and backs are hardwood plywood, marine grade plywood is reserved for lanai cabinets, and MDF only appears in painted door panels. Interiors receive finish just like exteriors, each cut edge is sealed, and homes near the Beaches or Ponte Vedra get stainless hinges and pulls because plated hardware corrodes quickly in salt air. 4.8 From 51 ### Quick Replies and Quotes Before Orders Our 4.8 star average across 51 Google reviews comes from clients who mention fast responses, crews that arrive when promised and careful attention to detail. On a cabinet commission, you receive a drawing covering size, species, door style and finish, along with a written quote, and nothing is ordered until you sign off on both. From first measurement to delivery, most freestanding pieces take about six to ten weeks. ## What Jacksonville Homeowners Say 4.8from [51 Google reviews](https://maps.google.com/?cid=7803379908473648836&g_mp=CiVnb29nbGUubWFwcy5wbGFjZXMudjEuUGxhY2VzLkdldFBsYWNlEAIYBCAA) - > Very happy with the professional work done by Klein Carpentry. We had wood accents done for the entrance way, great room and master bedroom. Fantastic craftsmanship and took the time to make it look perfect. Also had ceiling beams placed in the great room and master bedroom. They really complete both rooms. Lastly had wood accents for the half bath in the living area. Made a noticeable difference. Would highly recommend Klein Carpentry, highly detailed and professional. [Mike C](https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/113480878755715617097/reviews) · a month ago on Google - > 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 Reviews from Google ## Frequently Asked Questions Is a freestanding cabinet cheaper than a built-in? Not usually. A freestanding piece has a finished back, sides and a real base, which is more material than a box that hides three faces. What you gain is a piece you keep. Will cabinet doors warp in Jacksonville humidity? Not when the door is built right. Frame and panel doors with a floating panel handle [seasonal movement](https://www.fpl.fs.usda.gov/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr282/chapter_04_fpl_gtr282.pdf), and finishing both faces keeps a door from cupping. A [wide slab door](https://www.fpl.fs.usda.gov/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr282/chapter_16_fpl_gtr282.pdf) in the wrong species is the one that gives trouble. Can you match a new cabinet to my existing kitchen or floors? Usually, yes. Bring a door or a flooring offcut and we will spray a sample board for you to check at home. An ambered older finish takes an extra pass. Can you build cabinets for a lanai or covered outdoor kitchen? Yes, in marine-grade plywood with cypress or teak faces and stainless hardware. Covered is the important word, since direct sun calls for a heavier finish. Do you build kitchen cabinets? We do, but that is installed work covered on our [built-in custom cabinetry](/services/carpentry/custom-cabinetry/) page. A kitchen is a run of boxes scribed to walls, not furniture. ## Related Cabinet and Carpentry Services - ### [Bespoke furniture](/services/woodworking/bespoke-furniture/) When the piece is a table, not a cabinet. - ### [Custom console and entryway tables](/services/woodworking/console-tables/) For a narrower piece with open storage. - ### [Custom home office desks](/services/cabinet-maker/home-office-desk/) If the cabinet pairs with a work surface. - ### [Built-in custom cabinetry](/services/carpentry/custom-cabinetry/) For kitchen, bath and wall-to-wall runs. - ### [Custom home bars and wine displays](/services/cabinet-maker/custom-home-bars-wine-displays/) When the bar is built in. - ### [All cabinet services](/services/cabinet-maker/) For everything else we build. Get a Free Quote Tell us about your handcrafted custom cabinetry project. 4.8[51 Google reviews](https://maps.google.com/?cid=7803379908473648836&g_mp=CiVnb29nbGUubWFwcy5wbGFjZXMudjEuUGxhY2VzLkdldFBsYWNlEAIYBCAA) ## Get a Cabinet Priced Send photos and rough dimensions, or call Klein Carpentry at [(904) 759-4988](tel:9047594988). We will tell you whether your project is a freestanding piece or an installed run, and what it costs in Jacksonville. Get A Free Quote Today