OK, well, let's just be clear, this is going to be a ball park. I always start a project with a budget number in mind, but as second and third and seventh Home Depot trips happen for just the right kind of screws, and as weeks turn into months, I start to lose track. So I'm sure some savvy math blog police will want me to disclose that this is an estimate from a very poor memory and not an exact account of the costs. And I'm absolutely certain I'm forgetting something. Normally I'd count on Ryan to read this and tell me what it is, but since we're on page 40 or something of this post, he's surely asleep on his desk drooling all over his keyboard by now.
- Bookcases: 5 x $120 = $600
- Hardware: 20 x $2 = $40
- Trim: 52 linear ft x $3 = $156
- Trim: (9) 8' pieces x $2 = $18
- Paint: $150
- 2 x 4's: 30 x $2 = $60
- Caulk, screws, odds & ends: $100
- Drywall: 3 x $8 = $24
What am I forgetting?
Materials Total: $1,148
Drywall & paint labor: $600
Total Total: $1,748
The reason this is important is the "Was it worth it?" question. I didn't know until I had a recent conversation with a contractor to price out an installation of built-in cabinets that was smaller and much less elaborate than this one, and the quote came back at $5000. So, yep, we decided it was worth it.
As for time frame, it took us about 5 months. But to be fair, we were doing construction on the whole room, not just the bookcases, AND you were pre-warned that our projects move slower than a 5-year-old making a Happy Meal decision.
