Cupboards
Built-in Cupboard Costs in SA: Per-Metre Guide
13 August 2026 · 7 min read
Built-in cupboards are something everyone wants and nobody knows how to price. One guy quotes you "R3,000 a metre", the showroom says "R12,000 a metre", and both look you in the eye. So what do built-in cupboards cost in South Africa? Here's the honest answer, in real numbers.
This guide covers what the price per metre actually includes, and what wardrobes, doors, shelving and skirting cost as individual jobs. It's written from Komani (Queenstown) in the Eastern Cape, where the rates are real small-town rates — not city showroom prices.
What built-in cupboards cost per metre in 2026
At Kannjane, built-in cupboards run R4,500 to R8,000 per linear metre, built and installed. National guides suggest you'll typically see R3,500 to R7,500 a metre around the country. The overlap tells you something useful: per-metre pricing is fairly standard, and the range reflects materials and detail, not greed.
What splits the range:
- Full-height bedroom cupboards versus low units and studies
- Board type and door finish: melamine, laminate, wood veneer or solid timber
- Hardware: soft-close hinges and runners versus basic fittings
- Internal fittings: shelves, drawers, hanging rails, shoe racks
- Whether installation and on-site fixing are included — they should be
What's included in the per-metre price
A proper per-metre price covers design, cutting, edging, hinges, handles and installation on site. Built-ins can't be pre-assembled and dropped in — they're made to measure and fitted in the room, scribed to your walls and floor. That's the difference between "cupboards" and "built-in cupboards".
Things to confirm before you sign:
- Painting: are the units delivered ready-finished, or painted on site — and who does it?
- Demolition: does the quote include removing your old cupboards and dumping them?
- Tiles: units can go straight over existing tiles, with the plinth cut to suit the floor level — no need to rip up tiling
- Warranty: what happens if a hinge fails or a door warps in six months' time?
Wardrobes, doors, shelving and skirting: the itemised costs
Not everything is priced per metre. Some jobs are better quoted as items, and here's what they run:
- Full timber built-in wardrobe for a small room: R15,000 to R25,000
- A three-metre wardrobe: roughly R13,500 to R24,000, at the per-metre rate
- Fitting one door: R1,500 to R3,500
- Shelving: R900 to R2,800 per unit or section
- Skirting for one room: R1,200 to R2,500
How long does installation take?
A single built-in unit — a bedroom wardrobe, say — takes one to two days from delivery to finished. A full room system, like a wardrobe plus study and media unit, can take up to a week, mostly because of on-site fitting, scribing and painting between coats.
Painting is where the extra days go. Two coats on site, with drying time in between, is the slow part of any built-in job — and it's also where rushed work shows. A decent team lets the paint cure properly before hanging the doors back, and you can usually tell the difference within a year.
The advantage of a local team is simple: we're not travelling from another province, so the job runs in one continuous stretch. No half-finished cupboards waiting three weeks for the team to come back.
Questions to ask before you commit
Before you sign any quote, ask these:
- How is the quote measured — linear metres, square metres or itemised? Make sure you're comparing the same thing.
- What board thickness, and what hinges? Ask to see a finished job, not just a brochure.
- Can it go over existing tiles? Yes — plinth cut-outs handle uneven floors and tile heights.
- Who handles the extras like skirting, shelving and doors, so you're not juggling three contractors?
- What's the lead time? In the Eastern Cape, board and hardware supply can add two to three weeks to a job.
Built-in cupboards in Komani, Queenstown and Ezibeleni
Older Eastern Cape houses were never built square. Walls lean, floors slope, ceilings sag — and that's exactly why built-ins are made on site. A good joinery team measures the actual room, not the plan.
Kannjane Consultants builds and installs built-in cupboards across Komani, Queenstown, Ezibeleni and surrounds — bedrooms, studies, kitchens, TV units. Local clients rate us 4.6 out of 5, and every job starts with a site measure, because a built-in that doesn't fit isn't built-in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions we get asked most. If yours isn't here, send it through on WhatsApp and we'll give you a straight answer.
How much do built-in cupboards cost per metre in South Africa?
At Kannjane, R4,500 to R8,000 per linear metre, built and installed. National guides suggest R3,500 to R7,500 a metre.
How much does a built-in wardrobe cost?
A full timber built-in wardrobe for a small room runs R15,000 to R25,000. A three-metre wardrobe lands around R13,500 to R24,000.
How much does it cost to fit a door?
Fitting one door runs R1,500 to R3,500, depending on the door and the frame.
How much does shelving cost?
R900 to R2,800 per unit or section, depending on size and whether it's fixed or adjustable.
How much does it cost to fit skirting?
Skirting for one room runs R1,200 to R2,500, including cutting and mitring.
Can cupboards go over existing tiles?
Yes. The plinth is cut to suit the floor level, so units sit cleanly over tiled floors without ripping anything up.
How long does installation take?
One to two days for a single unit, and up to a week for full room systems with painting.
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Serving Komani (Queenstown), Ezibeleni and the surrounding Eastern Cape area.