Is it cheaper to buy or build shelves?

DIY Pros and Cons

Building your own shelves can be beneficial for some, but may not be the right choice in every situation. The pros of DIY shelving include:

  • Lower Cost – Generally, buying the materials for your garage shelves should be cheaper than purchasing prefab – just make sure you do everything right the first time.
  • Tailored – Making your own allows you to build shelving that meets your exact needs. You can tailor the design to your space and the items you need to store.
  • Durability – As long as you choose quality materials and a solid design, your DIY shelves will be more durable.
  • Direction – You can find many different how‑to guides for a variety of options by looking on the Internet, which makes the process easy – even for novices.
  • Pride – You get to take pride in knowing you built everything yourself

While there are several benefits to building your own shelves, there are also a few cons to consider:

  • Increased Difficulty – Making your own is more difficult than just buying ready‑made options.
  • Time Consuming – DIY does take more time since you have to buy materials, take measurements, and build them.
  • Potential Additional Costs – You may need to purchase additional tools for the process.

Buying Ready-Made Shelves

Buying shelving may or may not be your best option, depending on your needs, abilities, and available space. The pros of ready-made boltless shelving are:

  • Quicker and Easier – It is much faster just to buy your shelving so you can hang them immediately, which doesn’t require serious construction knowledge.
  • Flexible – Pre‑made shelves are typically modular, which allows you to add additional storage space as you need it. Lshape shelving also further boost storage space.

Like DIY shelves, ready‑made options also have some cons:

  • Increased Cost – Buying shelves is more costly than buying the materials to make them.
  • Durability – Don’t forget that you get what you pay for – if the shelves are cheaply made, they may not provide the strength and durability needed for long term use.
  • Make It Fit – You will lose some customization ability so make sure you take plenty of measurements and consider what you need to store.

Other Considerations for DIY Industrial Shelves

There are a few things you need to consider before choosing to make your own shelves:

  • Time – Make sure you have enough time to get your shelves built in a day or two to avoid adding to the clutter in your garage.
  • Bins – While some ready‑made options come with bins, remember that you can buy them on your own cheaply, and find a DIY guide for that style.

The decision of DIY vs. ready‑made is up to you. Regardless of the option you choose, make sure to measure everything twice to avoid additional costs and hassles.

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