The short answer
Custom millwork in NYC typically runs from $6,480 for a focused single-wall install to $50,000+ for a full-house cabinetry program. The HotWalls Studio price range across our published collections is roughly $6,480 to $27,250 per system, with multi-system projects scaling proportionally.
What changes the number is not the address — pricing is the same in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island, and New Jersey. It is the linear footage, material selection, complexity of integration, and how much of the wall is glass, stone, or solid hardwood versus lacquered MDF.
Pricing transparency note: every HotWalls quote is itemized — design, fabrication, materials, hardware, lighting, AV integration, and installation broken out as line items. No "miscellaneous." No "to be determined."
What you actually pay for
A custom millwork project is four cost categories stacked on top of each other: design, materials, fabrication, and installation. Most homeowners assume the materials line is the biggest. In practice, fabrication labor is usually the largest single cost — it is the hours of skilled work that turn raw stock into a finished wall.
Design (5–10% of total)
In-home consultation, measured drawings, photoreal 3D renders, material selection, and a fully itemized quote. At HotWalls this is included free for qualified projects in our service area.
Materials (25–40% of total)
Solid hardwood, engineered oak, natural stone, lacquered MDF, glass, brushed metals. Premium materials (walnut, marble) sit at the top of this range. Standard materials (lacquered MDF, engineered oak) sit at the lower end.
Fabrication labor (35–50% of total)
Hours of skilled cabinetmaking, joinery, finishing, lacquering, stone fabrication, and lighting integration in our New York studio. This scales with how custom the work is — repetitive cabinet boxes are cheaper per linear foot than fluted columns and backlit shelving.
Installation (10–15% of total)
On-site assembly, scribing to architecture, mounting, AV integration, cable management, lighting hookup, and final clean. One to three days for most projects, handled by our own W-2 crew.
Pricing by system
Across our published collections, here is roughly what you should expect for a typical install. Final pricing is set by your specific dimensions, finish selection, and integration scope.
HotWalls Modules — from $6,480
The entry point. Vertical fluted columns, backlit stone shelving, hidden cabinet storage below. Typical width 140–280 cm. Great for a focused living-room or den wall.
LifeStyle Cabinets — from $8,780
Custom cabinetry programs — entryway runs, full-wall storage, kitchen-to-living continuations. Priced per linear foot of cabinetry with material selection driving the rest.
VELA Wall — from $21,150
Sliding-door media wall — wood doors slide closed to hide the TV, open to reveal it. Includes the sliding mechanism, integrated AV, and flanking open shelving.
STENASKA Wall — from $23,480
Full-architectural wall composition. Illuminated stone shelving, marble accent band, symmetrical cabinetry, integrated LED. The wall that anchors the room.
MELD Wall — from $27,250
Full-height pantry, climate-controlled wine storage, stone countertop, walnut cabinetry. Continuous millwork composed as a single serving program.
What pushes a quote up
If your quote comes in above the starting price for the system, it is almost always one of these factors driving the delta.
Width and height beyond the standard range. A 380-cm STENASKA wall is fabricated differently than a 280-cm one — more panels, more on-site assembly, more material.
Premium materials. Walnut over engineered oak. Calacatta marble over engineered stone. Solid brass over brushed steel. Each material substitution lifts the line item.
Smart-home / motorized integration. Motorized sliding doors, lift-up panels, integrated lighting scenes wired into Lutron or Crestron — all add labor and components.
Multi-room continuations. A wall system that runs from living into dining into kitchen has more linear footage and more transitions to scribe than a single-wall install.
Co-op alteration agreement requirements. Some buildings require fire-treated materials, specific COI riders, or specialized installer credentials. These add cost — not a lot, but real.
What does NOT push the quote up
A few things people expect to cost more but do not.
Your address. Pricing is identical across all five boroughs, Long Island, and New Jersey. No Manhattan premium, no East-End travel surcharge.
Pre-war architecture. We routinely work around plaster, out-of-plumb walls, sloping floors and original mouldings. Scribing to existing conditions is in the fabrication budget — not a surcharge.
Asking for revisions during design. You see 3D renders before fabrication starts. Revisions during the design phase are included — better to get it right on paper than fix it on site.
How to budget your project
A practical sequence we recommend before getting in touch.
Decide which wall(s) matter most
A single-room media-wall install is a different conversation than a multi-room cabinetry program. Be honest about scope.
Set a working budget range
A 30% range is fine to start (e.g. "$15K–$20K for the living-room wall"). We design within real budgets — telling us the range up front gets you to a viable design faster.
Identify the must-haves vs. the nice-to-haves
Integrated wine storage. Hidden TV. Motorized doors. Smart-home integration. Each is a real cost — knowing which are essential and which can wait makes the quote conversation productive.
Book the free consultation
We come to your space, take measurements, look at the conditions, and give you a real quote within two weeks — not an estimate based on photos.
