What carpentry costs
Alcove Cupboards Cost: UK Prices for Fitted Alcove Units
A bespoke alcove cupboard is made for the space it fills, so its price turns on the design, the materials and the labour. Here are the prices for an alcove cupboard with shelves, what a cabinet maker or carpenter charges by the hour, the cost of lights and of hand painting, what changes the price and the Nottingham firms that make alcove units.
Alcove cupboard prices
Checkatrade’s alcove cupboards cost guide puts a bespoke alcove cupboard with shelves at £500 to £4,000 each, around £2,250 on average, and prices the labour and the lights as separate items.
| Item | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Bespoke alcove cupboard and shelves | Each | £500 to £4,000, around £2,250 on average |
| Cabinet maker, labour | Per hour | £30 to £35 |
| 2 strip lights, including installation | Per set | Around £150 |
| 4 spotlights | Per set | Around £250 |
What a carpenter charges for alcove units
Fitted wardrobes, cupboards and alcove shelving are among the common jobs homeowners hire a carpenter for, Checkatrade’s guide to hiring a carpenter says.
A cabinet maker or a carpenter who specialises in alcoves charges around £30 to £35 an hour, on Checkatrade’s figures, and the more skilled the carpenter, the more the work costs.
Lighting for alcove cupboards
Lighting an alcove cupboard costs around £150 for a set of 2 strip lights, including installation, and around £250 for a set of 4 spotlights, on Checkatrade’s figures. Both are priced per set, so a cupboard with strip lights and spotlights adds both sets to the price of the cupboard itself.
One alcove cupboard with shelves and lights
| Bespoke alcove cupboard and shelves, average | £2,250 |
|---|---|
| A set of 2 strip lights, including installation | £150 |
| A set of 4 spotlights | £250 |
Total £2,650
All figures come from Checkatrade's alcove cupboards cost guide and carry no VAT label. Leaves out painting or spraying the cupboard.
With the same two sets of lights, one cupboard comes to £900 at the bottom of the range and £4,400 at the top, on Checkatrade’s figures.
Painting alcove cupboards
Hand painting the woodwork costs around £15 per m², on Checkatrade’s figures.
A carpentry quote might not include travel time, material delivery, extra finishing such as painting or staining, or parking or congestion charges, Checkatrade’s carpentry prices guide says.
Ask whether the quote includes the painting
A quote that leaves the finish out looks cheaper than one that includes it, and the painting then arrives as a second bill once the carpentry is done.
What changes the price of alcove cupboards
The design, the materials and the labour decide where a bespoke alcove cupboard lands between £500 and £4,000, Checkatrade says. Checkatrade’s carpentry prices guide counts bespoke against off-the-shelf work among the factors that change a carpentry price, so check that every quote you compare is for the same kind of cupboard.
Describing the cupboard when you ask for a quote
Do this
Make and fit a bespoke cupboard with 2 shelves above in the left-hand alcove of the living room, in MDF, hand painted, with a set of 2 strip lights, and include delivery, travel and the painting in the price
Not this
Could you quote for alcove cupboards in the living room?
Planning alcove cupboards before you get quotes
For a bespoke, made-to-measure piece, ask whether it will be made in a workshop or built on site, since that can affect both the timescale and the price, Checkatrade’s guide to hiring a carpenter says.
Before you ask for alcove cupboard quotes
- Which alcove, and its width, depth and height
- A cupboard with shelves above, or shelves alone
- Bespoke or off-the-shelf units
- The material, and whether it is hand painted, sprayed or left for you to finish
- Strip lights, spotlights or no lights
- Made in a workshop or built on site
Alcove unit makers in Nottingham
Among the Nottingham carpentry and joinery firms we compare, DC Joinery Innovations in Chilwell builds alcove units and produces detailed working drawings for client approval before manufacturing. It has a background in shop fitting and bench joinery, and a fully equipped workshop with industrial joinery machinery and spray shop equipment.
Conlan Carpentry & Joinery in Long Eaton, with over 14 years of experience in the trade, designs, makes and fits bespoke fitted furniture, from alcove units to media shelving, and also fits wall panelling, flooring and kitchens. It works across Nottingham, Derby and the surrounding areas.
DMP Joinery was founded in 2005 by Dean, who has worked in cabinet making since 1995, and has run a dedicated workshop in Arnold since 2014, making bespoke furniture, under-stairs storage and alcove units. Redwood Joinery Contractors in Carrington builds alcove units, shelves and storage using traditional cabinet-making techniques.
For storage under the stairs rather than in an alcove, Deer Park Carpentry & Construction in Arnold says most of its under-stairs projects cost £1,500 to £5,000.
For bespoke work, ask to see photos or samples of previous projects before you agree anything, Checkatrade’s guide to hiring a carpenter advises.
Common questions
How much do alcove cupboards cost in the UK?
A bespoke alcove cupboard with shelves costs £500 to £4,000, around £2,250 on average, on Checkatrade's figures. The design, the materials and the labour decide where yours lands in that range, Checkatrade says, and it prices lights and painting separately.
How much do fitted alcove units cost with lights?
One bespoke alcove cupboard at the £2,250 average with a set of 2 strip lights and a set of 4 spotlights comes to £2,650, on Checkatrade's figures. The strip lights cost around £150 a set, including installation, and the spotlights around £250 a set. Across the full cupboard range, the same lights take the total from £900 to £4,400.
How much does a carpenter charge per hour for alcove units?
Around £30 to £35 an hour for a cabinet maker or a carpenter who specialises in alcoves, on Checkatrade's figures. The more skilled the carpenter, the more the work costs, Checkatrade says. It prices a bespoke alcove cupboard with shelves separately, at £500 to £4,000, and says that price depends on the design and the materials as well as the labour.
How much does it cost to paint alcove cupboards?
Hand painting the woodwork costs around £15 per m², on Checkatrade's figures. Check whether your quote includes the finish, since Checkatrade's carpentry prices guide says a quote might not include extra finishing such as painting or staining.
What affects the cost of built-in alcove cupboards?
The design, the materials and the labour, Checkatrade says, and the more skilled the carpenter, the more it costs. Whether a bespoke piece is made in a workshop or built on site can affect the price and the timescale too, according to Checkatrade's guide to hiring a carpenter.
Can a carpenter build alcove shelving?
Yes, fitted wardrobes, cupboards and alcove shelving are among the common jobs homeowners hire a carpenter for, Checkatrade's guide to hiring a carpenter says. For bespoke work, it advises asking to see photos or samples of previous projects before agreeing anything.
Who makes alcove units in Nottingham?
Among the Nottingham firms we compare, DC Joinery Innovations in Chilwell, Conlan Carpentry & Joinery in Long Eaton, DMP Joinery in Arnold and Redwood Joinery Contractors in Carrington all make alcove units. DC Joinery Innovations produces detailed working drawings for client approval before manufacturing, and DMP Joinery makes alcove units in its dedicated workshop in Arnold.
Where the figures come from
- Checkatrade, alcove cupboards cost read 2026-09-17
- Checkatrade, carpentry prices guide read 2026-09-17
- Checkatrade, how to hire a carpenter read 2026-09-17
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