Installing Garage Wall Cabinets: A Complete Guide

Installing garage wall cabinets is a great way to free up floor space, create extra storage, and boost the aesthetics of your garage. In some states, having a finished garage (complete with wall cabinets) can even increase the value of your property. According to Harvard Homes, a finished garage can add as much as $10,000 to the value of your home, depending on the quality of the finishings.

Fixing wall cabinets in your garage must be done right to get the most out of your additional storage and add value to your home. Choosing the best materials for your wall cabinets is especially important, particularly if your garage is subject to extreme temperatures, floods, or high humidity.

Keep reading to learn more about installing garage wall cabinets in this complete installation guide, full of tips on which cabinets to install, what materials to use, and how much to spend.

Is It Cheaper to Build or Buy Garage Cabinets?

Constructing your own cabinets (wall hanging and freestanding) is almost always cheaper than buying pre-manufactured products. The materials used to build cabinets are usually cheaper than buying pre-built cabinets. Building your own cabinets also saves on labor costs. However, building wall cabinets is only cheaper if you have your own cutting tools.

Some of the main cabinetmaking tools include table saws, miter saws, clamps, workbenches, high-quality saw blades, drilling jigs, drills, tape measures, spirit levels, and angle cutters (used to figure cutting angles). You’ll also need products to finish plywood cabinets, including sandpaper, paint, wood stain, and/or putty.

How much it costs to build or buy garage cabinets depends on the garage size and how many cabinets you want to install. Hiring a contractor can cost between $900-$5,000 to build and install bespoke cabinets in a one or two-car garage. Provided you have the tools required for the job, building your own garage cabinets can cost between $200-$800, depending on the type of plywood used.

Cabinet building can be made cheaper when you use lower-quality plywood (between C-D) and finish it well instead of using cabinet-grade plywood (which has a better, higher-quality finish). You can also save money by keeping cabinets basic rather than using carved wooden doors.

Before building cabinets, always measure spaces between base and wall properly to ensure you don’t purchase too much plywood. It’s also important to make sure you figure angles correctly before cutting. Otherwise, you could end up wasting materials, leading to a more expensive project.

Can I Use Kitchen Cabinets in My Garage?

Wooden kitchen cabinets are not designed for a garage. Because they are constructed to hold minimal weight (like food), they are not as strong as bespoke garage wall cabinets. Therefore, they are unlikely to withstand the weights required for garage utensils.

Garages are also typically not as well insulated compared with kitchens, which means temperatures can fluctuate drastically. This can cause expansion/contraction issues with your wall cabinets and disrupt their capacity further. In extreme cases, it can even cause the wood to bode, bend, and warp, and the finishings to flake.

Because of this, it’s best not to install kitchen cabinets in a garage and instead purchase (or build) custom hanging wall cabinets. However, you can still install kitchen cabinets in a garage, provided you don’t overfill them and secure them to the walls properly. You should also be prepared to refinish the cabinets routinely to prevent cracking or flaking of the paint finishings.

How Do You Install Wall Cabinets in a Garage?

Wall cabinets should always be fixed securely to garage walls to ensure they can withstand the load without falling off. Never glue garage cabinets to walls. No adhesive is strong enough to hold the maximum capacity of both the cabinets and the contents. If the cabinets fall, this can cause costly damage to the garage walls, countertops, flooring, and contents.

To install wall cabinets, follow the steps below:

• Locate wall studs
• Use a level and tape measure to determine the best cabinet position
• Attach a ledger board that equals the length of the cabinet horizontally
• Position the cabinet atop the ledger board for security
• Install the cabinet using a drill and the correct wood screws
• Remove the ledger board and secure the cabinet

Ledger boards are designed to hold the cabinets level before they are secured to the wall. Using a ledger board is optional and can be skipped if you have a second person helping with the installation. However, it can be difficult to install wall cabinets in a garage completely level without using a ledger board.

What Can I Use For Garage Cabinets?

Garages tend to be poorly insulated, which often means they experience extremely hot and cold temperatures. It’s also common for garages to see fluctuating humidity levels during the year, especially if there is no ventilation and appliances like tumble dryers are used routinely.

For these reasons, wall cabinets in garages are best constructed from molded plastic or metal. However, plywood is also a suitable material for garage wall cabinets, provided an appropriate plywood weight is used. It’s also important to finish plywood with a waterproof sealant to ensure it can withstand the moisture levels.

Before choosing the best material for cupboards, consider what you’ll be storing in the cabinets and which material will respond best to the environment for most of the year. Metal cabinets are usually more expensive and need to be custom-built, but can hold heavy tools. Plywood is the cheapest material to use, but needs to be high quality and finished properly to work effectively.   

Why Install Wall Cabinets in a Garage?

1.  Keep Sharp Tools Safe

Installing cabinet units can add additional storage space to your home, create a workshop area, or add aesthetic appeal to your garage. With the extra storage, you can keep tools and equipment safely stored out of reach, with locks for added security. This can make your home more family-friendly and lead to you having a safer garage for children and pets to be in.

2.  Free Up Floor Space

Wall cabinets maximize floor space by eliminating ground clutter. Open space gives you more room to park, unload the groceries, and store other things in your garage. With better organization, you can even turn a single garage into a two-car garage, which keeps your home safer, avoids car break-ins, and increases your home value.

3.  Add Home Value

Homeowners like efficiency and appreciate a finished garage with extra storage. By installing high-quality garage wall cabinets of the right material, you can add value to your home (as much as $10,000, according to Harvard Homes). Plus, having a finished garage can make your property more desirable overall, leading to a faster sale.

Summary

For the most appealing cabinet display, you can have your garage wall cabinets custom-made to fit the space in your garage. With a sleek design, you can achieve a system that keeps your items organized and adds purpose to your garage.

An excellent place to start is to identify the main items you plan to store in your garage wall cabinets. By outlining your intended purpose, you can make your cabinet design decisions around functionality first, thus preventing issues later.