Custom Built-Ins in Minneapolis, MN
A bungalow that lost its bookcases in a remodel, a half-story bedroom with dead space behind the knee walls, or a buffet with a split door: built-ins that look original.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Custom built-ins in Minneapolis, MN are bookcases, buffets, window seats and knee-wall storage that JMB Builders builds to sit in an older house as if they came with it, plus repairs to original built-ins a past remodel damaged. Stain-grade fir or oak where the woodwork is stained, paint-grade poplar where it is painted. Priced per project. Send photos and we reply within one business day, or book a free in-home estimate.
- Priced per project
- Stain-grade to match original woodwork
- Original built-ins repaired, not torn out
Many Minneapolis bungalows and story-and-a-halfs from the 1910s to the 1930s were built with built-ins: bookcases flanking the fireplace, a buffet in the dining room, a bench or cabinet in the front hall. Some are intact. Others lost a door, had shelves cut out for a TV, or were pulled out in a 1970s remodel and leave a bare wall that looks wrong next to the stained trim.
New work in these houses has to read as original. That means the same wood, fir or oak, face frames sized like the old ones, glass or panel doors in the house's style, and base and crown carried into the unit. It also means fitting to plaster walls and floors that are not level, which is scribing, not caulk.
The story-and-a-half has its own job: upstairs bedrooms under the roof with knee walls and wasted space behind them. Drawers or cabinets built into those walls add storage without taking floor. We do the same work for homeowners in St. Paul and Columbia Heights, and for general contractors on Minneapolis renovations. Painting is quoted as a separate line — or leave it primed and caulked and paint it yourself.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
What you supply
- Photos of the wall or the damaged built-in, with a tape across it
- Photos of any original built-ins elsewhere in the house we should copy
- Stain-grade to match or paint-grade, and your color
- Hardware you want reused or new pulls and latches you picked out
What JMB supplies
- A sketch with door style, bay widths and the trim tied in
- Plywood boxes in matching fir or oak veneer, or paint-grade poplar and MDF
- Face frames, panel or glass doors and drawer fronts in the style of the house
- Repair of original built-ins: new doors, shelves, face frame pieces and drawer runners
- Knee-wall cabinets and drawers framed into the wall, with insulation put back behind
- Base and crown run into the unit to match the room
- Old hardware cleaned and reused where it works
- Staining or painting when you want it done, quoted as its own line
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- New built-in vs. repair of an original one
- Stain-grade fir or oak to match vs. paint-grade
- Glass or panel doors and the number of drawers
- Plaster walls and floors that need heavy scribing
- Knee-wall openings that have to be framed, with insulation reworked behind
- Matching stain to aged woodwork, quoted as its own line
Send the wall straight on with a tape across it, and a photo of any original built-in or trim you want the new work to match.
How long it takes
Repair of an original built-in: one to two days. A pair of bookcases beside a fireplace: about a week for stain-grade. Knee-wall drawers: two to three days a wall.
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 reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 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
Bookcases beside the fireplace
Built where a remodel took the originals out, with glass or open fronts and the mantel trim carried across.
Dining room buffet
A base cabinet with drawers and doors, often with a mirror or open shelves above, built in stained fir or oak to suit the room.
Knee-wall storage upstairs
Drawers or doored cabinets framed into the knee walls of a half-story bedroom, using space that was only insulation and dust.
Repair an original built-in
New doors, shelves and face frame pieces made to match, drawer runners rebuilt, and old hardware reused, so the original stays.
Custom Built-Ins in Minneapolis, MN: questions, answered
Can a new built-in match the original woodwork in my Minneapolis house?
Close, yes. We build in fir or oak to match, size the face frames and doors like the originals, and carry the base and crown into the unit. Stain is tested on offcuts first. Aged finish is never identical on day one, and we say so before you decide.
Can you repair an original built-in buffet or bookcase?
Usually. Split doors, missing shelves, broken face frame pieces and worn drawer runners can be made or rebuilt to match, and the old hardware reused if it works. Repairing keeps the piece that came with the house, and it often costs less than building new.
Can you build storage into the knee walls of a story-and-a-half bedroom?
Yes. We open the knee wall, frame a rough opening, and set drawers or a cabinet into it, with the insulation reworked behind so the room does not get colder. Wiring or ductwork found in the wall is moved by a licensed trade before we close it up.
Can a built-in go around a radiator?
Yes, with room for the heat. The cabinet over a radiator gets a grille front and open space at the bottom so air moves through, and the top becomes a shelf or a seat. We keep the boxes off the hot iron and leave access to the bleed valve.
Do I need a permit for built-ins in Minneapolis?
Cabinets and shelves alone are usually not permit work. Opening a wall for knee-wall storage, adding lights or moving an outlet can be. When your job includes that, we check with the City of Minneapolis building department and pull the permit when needed, with wiring done by a licensed electrician.
How are custom built-ins priced in Minneapolis?
Per project. New vs. repair, stain-grade vs. paint-grade, door and drawer count, and how much scribing the walls need set the number. Staining to match old woodwork is its own line. Your quote is itemized from photos or a free in-home estimate.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and the builders we work with. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
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Read morePage reviewed October 9, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All carpentry by city pages
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