Under Stair Storage Built In — Drawers, Cubbies or a Closet
The wall under the stairs is hiding a closet-sized space. We open it up and build drawers, cubbies or a door into it so the space finally gets used.
Under stair storage built in turns the dead triangle under a staircase into drawers, cubbies or a small closet. JMB Builders builds it on site across the Twin Cities metro: we open the stair wall between the studs, frame the boxes to follow the stringer slope, hang the drawers on full-extension slides or a door on a jamb, and trim it to match the room. Priced per project, quoted from photos.
- Priced per project
- Drawers, cubbies or a closet with a door
- Boxes framed to follow the stair slope
- Trim matched to the room
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Every staircase has a wedge of space under it. In most houses it is drywalled shut, or it is a closet with a door at the tall end and a dark floor nobody can reach. The storage is there; the problem is getting at it. A built-in under the stairs is a set of boxes sized to the slope so every foot of it opens from the hallway side.
The three ways to do it: drawers that pull out of the wall on full-extension slides, each one taller than the last as the stairs rise; open cubbies with a face frame for baskets and shoes; or a single door on a jamb at the tall end with shelves inside. Drawers get used the most because nothing is ever behind anything. The face of each drawer or cubby is a panel that matches the wall or the stair skirt, so closed up it reads as paneling.
The stair wall is usually a non-bearing wall of studs under the stringer. We open it in the bays, keep the studs that carry anything, and add a frame for the boxes to sit on. In a basement, the boxes sit on cleats off the slab so they stay dry. Pipes, ducts and wiring in the wall get found from the photos or the first opening and worked around; anything that has to move goes to the right trade first.
What you supply
- Photos of the stair wall from the hallway or room side, the stair from above, and the width and height of the wall at the tall end
- Which side you want to open, and drawers, cubbies or a door
- What is going in it: vacuum, shoes, sports gear, a pantry overflow, which sets drawer depth
- Whether the space is already a closet, and what is in the wall if you know (pipes, ducts, panel)
- Painting is quoted as a separate line — or leave it primed and caulked and paint it yourself
What JMB supplies
- A sketch of the drawer or cubby layout drawn to the slope of your stairs
- Opening the stair wall between the studs and framing a base and dividers for the boxes
- Plywood drawer boxes on full-extension slides, each sized to the height under the stringer
- Drawer or cubby fronts in MDF or poplar, flat or shaker, and a face frame that matches the room trim
- A door on a jamb with casing and a knob for a closet-style build, shelves inside
- Drywall patching and baseboard returns where the wall was opened
- Painting when you want it done, quoted as its own line
- Photos of the finished build in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- How many drawers or cubbies fit along the slope, and how deep they run under the stairs
- Drawers on slides vs. open cubbies vs. one door with shelves
- Wall that is already open or a closet vs. a finished drywall wall that has to be opened
- Pipes, ducts or wiring in the wall that have to be worked around or moved by a trade
- Flat fronts vs. shaker fronts, and matching a stair skirt or paneling profile
- Basement slab with a cleat base vs. a finished floor
- Stain-grade fronts to match a wood staircase instead of paint-grade
A straight-on photo of the stair wall with a tape measure across it, and one from the side showing the slope, is enough to sketch the drawer stack and quote it.
How long it takes
A three- or four-drawer stack under a straight run: two to three days on site. A door with shelves inside: one to two days. Cubbies: about two days. Painting after, on your schedule.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Drawer stack
Three to five drawers on full-extension slides, each one taller than the last as the stairs climb. Nothing hides behind anything. Fronts flat or shaker to match the room.
Open cubbies
A face frame with open bays sized for baskets, shoes and boots, cheaper than drawers and easy for kids. A toe kick at the bottom and a top rail scribed to the stringer.
Closet with a door
A door on a jamb at the tall end, cased to match your other doors, with shelves or a rod inside and a light switch by an electrician if you want one. The most room for tall things like a vacuum.
Basement stair storage
Boxes set on cleats off the slab so they stay dry, with a plain painted face. Turns the space under open basement stairs into the place the seasonal bins live.
Under Stair Storage Built In — Drawers, Cubbies or a Closet: questions, answered
Can you build storage under my stairs if the wall is drywalled?
Yes. The wall under most staircases is a row of studs with drywall on it and nothing behind but the space. We cut the drywall out between the studs on the side you want to open, keep any stud that carries a load, and frame a base for the boxes. The drawer fronts or a face frame cover the cut edges, and we patch and return the baseboard where the wall was opened.
What can go under the stairs: drawers, a closet or cubbies?
All three, and the space usually decides. Drawers pull the whole depth out into the hall, so they work best when the stairs are wide and the run is long. Cubbies are open bays for baskets and shoes. A door at the tall end with shelves inside holds the vacuum and the brooms. Most people pick drawers for the low end and a door for the tall end.
How deep are under stairs drawers?
As deep as the stairs are wide, minus the wall and the back. On a normal straight staircase that is a drawer you can put a full bin of sports gear in. Full-extension slides bring the whole box out so the back of the drawer is as usable as the front. Very deep drawers get heavy, so we use slides rated for it and a solid plywood box.
What is usually inside the wall under the stairs?
Sometimes nothing. Sometimes a water line, a heat duct, the doorbell wire or a return-air path. We look at the photos, then open one bay first and check before cutting the rest. Small things get boxed around inside the built-in. A duct or pipe that has to move goes to the HVAC or plumbing trade before we frame.
Will the drawer fronts match my stairs and trim?
That is the point of building it on site. Paint-grade fronts in MDF or poplar match painted stair skirts and baseboard, with the same casing profile on the face frame. If your staircase is stained oak or maple, the fronts can be built in the same species and stained to match. It goes in filled and primed. Painting is quoted as a separate line — or leave it primed and caulked and paint it yourself.
Can you use the space under open basement stairs?
Yes. Open basement stairs with no wall under them are the easiest case: we build a box unit that sits on cleats off the slab, fits under the stringers, and closes the space in with drawer or cubby fronts. It also finishes the underside of the stairs at the same time. If you want the whole run enclosed with a wall and a door, that is a separate stair enclosure job.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All built-ins pages
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