Custom Built-Ins in Princeton, MN
A built-in for your Princeton home that looks like it was there when the house was built, whether the house is from 1915 or 2005.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Custom built-ins in Princeton MN are built on site to fit the room: stain-grade bookcases, buffets and fireplace cabinets that match the original woodwork in older in-town homes, or painted lockers, media walls and desks in the newer houses on the city's edges. JMB Builders, up 169 in Zimmerman, sketches it to your wall, builds it and trims it in. Priced per project.
- Priced per project
- Stain-grade to match old woodwork
- Sketched to your wall before building
The early-1900s and mid-century houses near Princeton's town center often still have their stained casing, tall base and wood doors. A built-in there only works if it matches: the same species or close to it, a stain blended to the existing woodwork, and a base and crown that follow the profile already in the room. A dining room buffet, bookcases on both sides of a fireplace or a window seat in a bay are the jobs that fit those houses.
In the 1990s-and-newer homes along the highway, the trim is usually painted and simple, so built-ins go in paint-grade: poplar face frames on plywood boxes. Lockers and a bench where the garage door comes in, a media wall in a finished basement, or a desk and shelves in a spare bedroom are the usual asks.
Either way we start with a sketch to your measurements, so you see the bay widths, shelf spacing and cabinet heights before we cut a board.
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
- A photo of the wall straight on with a tape across it, and the ceiling height
- A close-up of the existing trim and stain if it needs to match
- What it has to hold, and whether you want doors, drawers or open shelves
- Hardware you have chosen, or we put standard hardware on the quote
What JMB supplies
- A sketch to your wall before anything is built
- Plywood boxes fastened to the studs, scribed to floors and walls that are not true
- Face frames in poplar for paint, or oak and other hardwoods to match stained trim
- Shelves with a hardwood nosing, adjustable on pins or fixed
- Base, crown and casing tied into the room's existing trim
- Painting or staining quoted as its own line, or left ready for you to finish
- Photos of the finished built-in in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Size of the wall and number of bays, cabinets and drawers
- Stain-grade to match older woodwork vs. paint-grade
- Matching an existing crown or base profile
- Floors and walls out of level in older homes
- Doors, drawers and hardware
- Lights or outlets wired by a licensed electrician
One straight-on photo with a tape across the wall, the ceiling height, and a close-up of the trim you want matched is enough to sketch it.
How long it takes
An entry bench and lockers: two to three days. A painted media wall or bookcases: four to five days. Stain-grade work matched to old millwork: about a week, plus finishing.
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
Dining room buffet
A run of base cabinets with a top for serving and glass-door or open shelves above, the kind of piece many older homes had built in originally.
Fireplace bookcases
Matching cabinets and shelves on both sides of the fireplace, tied into the mantel and crown, stain-grade or painted.
Garage entry lockers
A bench, cubbies and hooks where the family comes in from the garage. Painted, with a durable top on the bench.
Custom Built-Ins in Princeton, MN: questions, answered
Can a new built-in match the stained woodwork in my older Princeton home?
Yes. We build it in oak or the closest species to your trim, use the same casing and base profile where the built-in meets the room, and blend the stain to the existing finish. Matching old stain takes test boards, so the finishing is quoted as its own line. Send a close-up photo of the trim in good light.
What built-ins work in a newer Princeton home?
Lockers and a bench at the garage entry, a media wall in a finished basement, cabinets on each side of a fireplace, and a desk with shelves in a spare room are the common ones. They are usually paint-grade to match the painted trim in those houses.
How much do custom built-ins cost in Princeton?
Built-ins are priced per project, set by the size, the number of doors and drawers, and paint-grade or stain-grade. There are no prices on this site. Send a photo of the wall with a measurement and we reply within one business day, or book a free in-home estimate.
Do built-ins in Princeton need a permit?
A built-in is finish carpentry and usually needs no permit. If you add lights or an outlet, a licensed electrician does the wiring, and we check with the City of Princeton building department whether that work needs one.
Do you paint or stain the built-ins?
Yes, if you want it. The built-in goes in filled and sanded, primed if it is paint-grade, and painting or staining is quoted as a separate line. Or leave it ready and finish it yourself.
Do you build built-ins in Cambridge and Zimmerman?
Yes. Zimmerman is our base, and we build built-ins in Cambridge, Big Lake, Elk River and across the north metro. Send photos for a reply within one business day, or book 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
Where we work
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