--- title: "Custom Drawers Jacksonville FL: Boxes, Glides, Roll-Outs" canonical: "https://kleincarpentryjax.com/services/cabinet-maker/custom-drawers/" description: "Custom drawers in Jacksonville, FL. Dovetail boxes vs stapled particleboard, glide load ratings, and converting shelves to roll-outs, with real pricing." --- # Custom Drawers in Jacksonville, FL 1. [Home](/) 2. › 3. [Services](/services/) 4. › 5. [Cabinet Maker](/services/cabinet-maker/) 6. › 7. Custom Drawers The drawer is where cabinet quality shows first, because it is the part of a kitchen you operate thousands of times a year. Custom drawers in Jacksonville, FL are one of the [cabinet upgrades](/services/cabinet-maker/) we get called for most, and half those calls want roll-outs in cabinets people own. A thirty second test: pull a drawer out and look at the front corner. Interlocking wood fingers mean dovetails, staples through brown board mean particleboard. Then check the bottom, where a good box has plywood in a groove and a cheap one has a stapled panel. ![Deep dovetailed kitchen drawers pulled open with dishes stacked inside](/_astro/custom-drawers-1.Ih7G_Ksk_Z1MYC5S.webp) ## Custom Drawer Boxes and How They Are Built Custom drawer boxes are not one product, and durability varies more than price. Construction Sides Bottom Life Dovetailed solid maple 1/2 to 5/8 in 1/4 in ply in groove 25 years up Stapled particleboard 1/2 in board 1/8 in stapled 5 to 12 years We build most boxes from 1/2 inch solid maple with a plywood bottom in a dado. For real weight we move to 5/8 inch sides, since a 36 inch pot drawer with 1/2 inch sides eventually racks. ## Dovetail Drawers and Why the Joint Matters Dovetail drawers hold because of geometry, not glue. The angled tails lock the front to the sides against the force a drawer sees every time you pull it. A stapled butt joint resists that with fasteners alone: staples in particleboard loosen and you end up holding the drawer front. In a humid house the joint matters more, because interlocked wood stays tight through seasonal movement rather than relying on a glue line. ![Roll out shelf converted from a dead base cabinet](/_astro/custom-drawers-2.C58WIveC_Z23HB7y.webp) ## Glides and Load Ratings Glides decide how a drawer feels. The box decides how long it lasts. Glide type Load rating Extension Visible Side mount ball bearing 75 to 100 lb Full Yes Undermount soft close 75 to 120 lb Full No Heavy duty undermount 150 lb up Full No Undermounts earn their cost for reasons unrelated to rating: invisible hardware, and the full inside width instead of losing about 1 inch to side mounts. The tradeoff is precision, since the box must be cabinet opening minus 42 mm with depth matching the glide. Adding soft close to cabinets you own is on our [soft-close cabinet installation](/services/cabinet-maker/soft-close-cabinet-installation/) page. ![Dovetailed maple drawer box on a workbench](/_astro/custom-drawers-3.DkiXaaE5_Z2rhkVO.webp) ## Drawer Retrofit: Converting Shelves to Roll-Outs A drawer retrofit removes the fixed shelf in a base cabinet and installs a roll-out tray on glides, so you stop kneeling to find a pot. It is the most requested job here. Frameless cabinets are easiest, since the opening is the full box width. Face frame cabinets need a cleat, losing about 1/2 inch per side. A center stile cuts usable width badly, and sometimes the right move is rebuilding the opening. We measure the opening at three heights, because a 30 year old cabinet is rarely the same width top and bottom. Older Ortega and San Marco kitchens run out of square, so we shim the cleats. Two roll-outs in a 24 inch base is usual: a 5 to 6 inch tray over an 8 to 10 inch tray. ![Bank of drawers in a kitchen island, graduated in depth](/_astro/custom-drawers-4.BtN2zuX4_11evV1.webp) ## Deep Drawers, Sizing and Depth Planning Deep drawers make a modern kitchen work, and heights get decided before the cabinets are built. Contents Usable height Flatware, utensils 3 to 4 in Dishes, containers 7 to 9 in Pots and pans 10 to 12 in Standard base cabinets run 34.5 inches tall before countertop and 24 inches deep, giving roughly 31 inches of stackable drawer height. A three drawer stack lands near 6, 10 and 12 inches usable after rails and glide clearance. Deep drawers need heavier glides. A 12 inch drawer in a 36 inch base loaded with cast iron passes 100 pounds, so cookware gets 100 to 150 pound hardware. ## Drawer Organizers, Dividers and Inserts Drawer organizers are the cheapest part of the project and the part you touch daily. We build wood dividers to the exact drawer, which beats a plastic tray leaving a 2 inch dead gap: knife blocks so blades lie flat, peg systems so plates cannot slide, angled spice inserts, dividers for sheet pans. For utensils, four uneven compartments beat six equal ones. Inserts run roughly $120 to $450 per drawer and can be added to drawers you own. ## How a Drawer Project Runs We open every cabinet and measure at several points, then write a scope naming box material, joint type, glide model and rating. Boxes are built in our shop. A whole kitchen retrofit is usually one day, two if we rebuild openings. We test every drawer loaded, since a glide that feels fine empty can bind under 80 pounds. ## Custom Drawer Cost in Jacksonville Scope Typical range Roll-out tray retrofit $180 to $340 per tray Dovetailed box, undermount $280 to $480 per drawer Whole kitchen roll-outs $1,900 to $3,800 Glide choice moves the price more than the box does, and face frame cabinets cost more to retrofit. These are typical Northeast Florida ranges rather than a quote, and an exact figure needs a look. ## Why Jacksonville Homeowners Choose Klein Carpentry 4.8 ★ ### Rated by 51 Google Reviewers Klein Carpentry holds a 4.8 star average across [51 Google reviews](https://maps.google.com/?cid=7803379908473648836&g_mp=CiVnb29nbGUubWFwcy5wbGFjZXMudjEuUGxhY2VzLkdldFBsYWNlEAIYBCAA). Homeowners keep mentioning the same things: fast replies, crews who show up when they say they will, and attention to detail. Every custom drawers project gets a written quote, a clear schedule and a daylight walkthrough at the end. Humidity ### Built for Florida's Climate Wood gains and loses moisture with the air around it, and the USDA Forest Products Laboratory's [Wood Handbook](https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/62200) shows how much it swells and shrinks as a result. We plan every custom drawers job for that movement: stable sheet goods, acclimated lumber, moisture-resistant material near slabs and wet rooms, and joints with room to move. 3 Heights ### Fit to Your Actual Walls Jacksonville homes range from plaster and concrete block to square new construction. We measure each opening at the floor, mid height and ceiling before building, then scribe the finished work to the wall. Depending on the piece, it is built in our shop and brought in finished or built on site in your home, so the fit stays tight either way. ## What Jacksonville Homeowners Say 4.8from [51 Google reviews](https://maps.google.com/?cid=7803379908473648836&g_mp=CiVnb29nbGUubWFwcy5wbGFjZXMudjEuUGxhY2VzLkdldFBsYWNlEAIYBCAA) - > Absolutely recommend! 5 Star experience all around. Pricing was extremely reasonable and fair and the results of the work was spectacular. I had a window frame and siding that needed to be replaced due to water damage. The end result was nothing short of excellent. I will be definitely be using them again going forward and will be letting others know to use them as well. [Gregory Brown](https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/117935910804887413935/reviews) · a year ago on Google - > If I could give Klein Carpentry 10 Stars I would. Ray and Nathan are First Class Carpenters and throughout the whole process their attention to detail was beyond our expectations. We had Shiplap installed in our Cafe/Dining Room and Board&Batten throughout the Foyer. Through the start of installation the communication, cleanliness and putting up a plastic wall to exhaust the dust outside was a Plus because going through renovations can be stressful but they made it perfect. We are so impressed that they are coming back to do built-ins on each side of the fireplace. ⭐️⭐️Update Second Review⭐️⭐️ Ray and Nathan has exceeded our expectations again. Just Wow!!! They designed our 10 ft Built Ins here in Marshes of Maderia by Master Craft Homes. We absolutely love the Reeded Door and Drawer Panel design with Lights looks so Sophisticated and Timeless . Now our New Home looks complete ❤️ [Stacy Johnson](https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/116242983541495512466/reviews) · a year ago on Google - > We recently used Klein Carpentry to aid in the renovation of our home. Ray and his team installed new baseboards, wainscotting, window/door trim and crown molding to bring a major update to what was a builder grade interior. From the bidding to the final nail took about two months but the results were worth the wait. During the entire process, Ray was polite and passionate about his work while keeping the working area tidy at all times. I would highly recommend using Kline for any of your carpentry needs, you won't be disappointed! [Glenn Seagers](https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/114651120895171678610/reviews) · 2 years ago on Google Reviews from Google ## Frequently Asked Questions Can you put roll-out drawers in my existing kitchen cabinets? Almost always. We remove the fixed shelf, mount cleats on a face frame cabinet, and build trays to the measured opening. A center stile is the one case where we sometimes rebuild the opening first. Do drawer glides rust in Jacksonville homes? They can, especially at the Beaches and in houses without constant air conditioning. Salt air attacks the ball bearings, so we spec corrosion resistant hardware near the water. Can you match new drawer boxes to my existing fronts? Yes. We reuse your fronts and build new boxes behind them, common when boxes fail but doors still look good. A damaged front becomes [cabinet repair](/services/cabinet-maker/cabinet-repair/) work. How do I know if my drawers are good quality? Look at the front corner. Interlocking wood fingers mean dovetails and a box that lasts decades. Staples through brown particleboard mean the drawer is near the end. Will roll-outs work in my 1960s block home kitchen? Usually. Older Arlington and Murray Hill cabinets are often out of square with openings that vary top to bottom, so we shim the cleats to get a level run. ## Related Cabinet and Carpentry Services - ### [Drawer Glide Repair](/services/cabinet-maker/drawer-glide-repair/) If one drawer is the problem. - ### [Soft-Close Cabinet Installation](/services/cabinet-maker/soft-close-cabinet-installation/) To add soft close. - ### [Corner Cabinet Solutions](/services/cabinet-maker/corner-cabinet-solutions/) Storage roll-outs cannot fix. - ### [Custom Kitchen Cabinets](/services/cabinet-maker/custom-kitchen-cabinets/) When boxes are past saving. - ### [Custom Closets](/services/cabinet-maker/custom-closets/) The same construction in a closet. - ### [Cabinet Maker Services](/services/cabinet-maker/) The full range we build. Get a Free Quote Tell us about your custom drawers project. 4.8[51 Google reviews](https://maps.google.com/?cid=7803379908473648836&g_mp=CiVnb29nbGUubWFwcy5wbGFjZXMudjEuUGxhY2VzLkdldFBsYWNlEAIYBCAA) ## Ready to Talk Through Your Custom Drawers Project? Call Klein Carpentry at [(904) 759-4988](tel:9047594988) and we will come look at the space, take measurements and give you a written quote. Get A Free Quote Today