What storage projects cost in 2026, from a reach-in closet to a mudroom addition

What does each storage scope cost in 2026?

Closets anchor the market. Angi's 2026 closet organizer guide reports an average project of $1,542 and a custom closet average of $2,128. Reach-ins run $800–$2,500 and walk-ins $2,000–$5,500. HomeGuide's range for a walk-in build is wider, $1,000–$8,000 for a reach-in, because it includes more custom and brand work. Those are the figures most homeowners should hold their first closet quote against.

Other rooms follow. Angi prices pantry organizer systems at $1,000–$3,000 and a custom pantry at an average of $2,000. Fixr's average professionally installed garage system is $3,500. A mudroom built-in in an existing entry is carpentry priced by length, while Angi's average mudroom addition is $12,000. Each of those scopes is covered in more detail below and on its own cost page.

How do per-linear-foot prices work, and what do they include?

A linear foot is one foot of fitted wall at standard closet depth, floor to top shelf. Angi's 2026 installed range is $50–$150 per linear foot. Brand showrooms run higher: Bob Vila reports $135–$600 per linear foot across major brands, and HomeGuide lists California Closets at $175–$1,800+ per linear foot. The foot price usually includes panels, shelves, rods, hardware, delivery and installation.

What it usually excludes are accessories: drawers, doors, pull-outs, valet rods, jewelry inserts, lighting and mirrors, which are priced per piece. A closet can have a modest foot price and a large total because half of the budget sits in six drawers and a set of glass doors. When comparing quotes, ask each installer to separate the base footage from the accessories so you can see which is driving the difference.

What pushes a storage quote up, and what brings it down?

Drawers and doors are the largest single driver in closets, followed by finish. HomeGuide notes colored finishes add roughly a tenth to a fifth and wood-grain up to 40% over white. Angi's material ranges show the spread: wire at $800–$2,000 and laminate at $1,200–$3,500. Brand, ceiling height, uneven walls that need scribing, and the distance the installer travels all add as well.

Prices come down with simpler layouts and fewer accessories. Double-hang in place of drawers, open shelves in place of doors, white in place of wood-grain and prefab for secondary closets all reduce the total without much loss of capacity. Promotions matter too: HomeGuide reports Closets by Design commonly advertises 40–60% off list price, which says as much about the list price as the discount.

• Up: drawers, doors, wood-grain finishes, lighting, tall ceilings, scribing, brand showrooms
• Down: double-hang, open shelving, white laminate, wire for light contents, prefab secondaries
• Either way: travel distance, access, old shelving to remove, wall condition

How much of a storage bid is labor versus materials?

Labor is a smaller share than in most remodeling. HomeGuide reports closet installation takes 4–16 hours, and its cost table puts installation labor at roughly $200 to $1,600 per closet. On a $3,000 custom closet, that leaves most of the price in manufactured panels, hardware, design and overhead. Fixr's average of $2,000 describes a 12-foot laminate system with lighting, which gives a sense of how the materials dominate.

In garages the balance shifts slightly toward labor because anchoring into block, lifting cabinets and assembling racks takes longer. Angi reports organizer service labor in the $55 to $75 per hour range for garage work. Mudroom built-ins by a finish carpenter are the most labor-heavy of the four, since painting, scribing and on-site fitting take days rather than hours. Additions are dominated by construction labor.

How much do storage prices differ by region?

Labor rates follow local markets, so the same closet costs more in a high-cost metro than in a small town. Brand franchises price by territory, and independent shops price by their overhead. None of the cited publishers breaks closet prices out by state, so treat any regional multiplier you see without a source with caution. The practical test is to get at least three local quotes on the same brief. The garage cost guide and the closet cost guide describe what to ask local installers about travel and minimum charges.

Regional housing stock changes the scope as well as the rate. Our analysis of the EIA's 2024 household survey shows attached garages in about half of Western homes but under a third in the Northeast, and a second refrigerator in the garage is far more common in the South and West than in the Northeast. Older Northeast houses have plaster walls and shallow closets that need more scribing. Snow regions push mudroom work toward drained floors and heated rooms, which costs more than a bench and hooks.

Which hidden costs show up after the first quote?

The usual late lines are removal of old wire shelving and patching the holes it leaves, baseboard removal where panels meet the floor, carpet cutting, electrical work for a closet light or a garage outlet, paint, and disposal. In garages, add clearing the space, moving the second refrigerator and anchoring into block. Our analysis of the EIA's 2024 household survey found 15.1% of homes keep a second refrigerator in the garage, and the storage plan has to work around it.

Ask about these in writing before signing. A quote that says installation included but lists nothing about removal, patching or electrical is incomplete, not cheap. Mudroom and pantry conversions can also reveal outlets in the wrong place or a floor that needs replacing once the old shelves are out. A small contingency, set aside and not spent unless needed, keeps these from derailing the project.

How should you read a storage bid line by line?

A useful bid includes a dimensioned drawing of each wall, the total linear footage, the material and finish, each accessory with its price, anchoring method, removal and patching, electrical if any, lead time, installation duration, payment schedule and warranty terms. If any of those are missing, ask. A bid that gives only a single total with a rendering cannot be compared against another installer's price.

Convert each bid to the same units. Divide the base price by linear feet, list accessories separately, and add the late lines. Then compare. A higher foot price with fewer accessories may be better value than a low foot price padded with drawers you did not ask for. The comparison of custom and prefab closets shows how the same wall can be priced both ways.

Is storage work worth the money at resale?

Closets hold value well. The National Association of Realtors' 2025 Remodeling Impact Report estimates 83% of the cost of a closet renovation is recovered at sale. NAHB's 2024 buyer survey found 81% of buyers rate garage storage essential or desirable. Those figures support spending on the primary closet and the garage more than on secondary closets.

The larger return is day to day. Life360, citing a Shane Co. survey, reports Americans spend 17 hours a year looking for lost items. A storage unit at SpareFoot's 2026 average costs every month indefinitely, while a garage system is a one-time cost. Weigh the project against those running costs as well as against resale.