Built-ins in York (Toronto)
Stairs turn at a landing and halls are tight, so runs are split into boxes sized for that turn and jointed on site. Boxes are built and finished in the shop, delivered and scribed to the alcove over [n] days. Built-ins are cabinets and shelving fixed to the room, drawn to the walls they sit against and scribed on site.

York (Toronto), on the ground.
York runs from Junction semis to Weston and Mount Dennis detached houses, mostly early last century, with plaster walls and narrow rooms. Older houses with chimney breasts and alcoves are made for built-ins; newer rooms with flat walls gain a place for them from a run of shelving with a lit centre. Main kitchens, basement second kitchens, vanities and closets make up most of the work here.
Older houses in York have moved since they were built, so scribe stiles and site-cut fillers are part of the design from the first drawing.
Read more about custom cabinetry in York (Toronto) or the full built-ins page.
On the drawings, and on the quote.
- 01Elevations of every alcove and wall, measured at several heights
- 02Closed cabinets below, open shelves above, or any mix, sized to what you own
- 03Window seats and benches with drawers or lift-up storage
- 04Scribe panels, crown and plinth details that run into the existing trim
- 05Lighting wired in the shop where shelves are lit
- 06Delivery and install by our crew, [n] days on site
No figures published. The drivers, in order.
| Driver | What we look at |
|---|---|
| Linear feet and shelf count | Open shelving is the lightest line; closed cabinets with doors and drawers add parts. |
| Site conditions | Chimney breasts, sloped ceilings and out-of-square alcoves add scribing time. |
| Door construction and finish | Painted shaker at one end, veneer or fluted fronts at the other. |
| Lighting and stone | Lit shelves and a stone top on a console add wiring and a fabricator. |
Paint colour and hardware are the smallest lines. Site conditions and what the piece hides set the number.
Asked before the first call.
Do you build alcove units in York?
Yes. Alcove built-ins either side of a chimney breast are one of the most common jobs in York. Each side is measured separately and drawn as a pair.
Are built-ins in York painted on site?
No. Everything is sprayed in our shop, so the room stays clean and the finish is smoother. Scribe edges are touched up after fitting.
Can you build a second kitchen in the basement?
Yes. We design to the ceiling height under the lowest duct, use the sink and vent positions already there where we can, and keep the tall units clear of the beam. Any [second suite requirements from the City] are for the owner or the builder to confirm before the cabinetry is ordered.
The walls in my house are plaster and nothing is straight. Does that change the job?
It changes time on site rather than the cabinets themselves. We add scribe stiles at the ends of each run and oversize the fillers, then cut them to the wall during the install. The itemized quote carries the install as its own line so you can see what that stage covers.


