Shelving and Storage Installation in Fort Collins
Most houses ship with a rod and one shelf and nothing else. Shelving is the cheapest square footage you will ever add, as long as it goes into something that will hold it.
Storage is the most requested job I get in newer Windsor and Timnath houses, and it is the one with the biggest gap between what it costs and what it changes day to day.
The load problem
Everything about shelving comes down to what it is fixed to.
People consistently underestimate weight. A four foot run of books is well over a hundred pounds. A pantry shelf of tinned goods is heavier than it looks. Garage shelving holds paint, tools and boxes that only ever accumulate. Drywall on its own does not hold any of that, and when a loaded shelf lets go it takes a section of wall with it.
So: studs wherever the load justifies it, rated anchors only where the load is genuinely light and a stud cannot be reached, and an honest conversation if what you want to put somewhere does not match what that wall can carry.
Closets
A standard builder closet is a single rod and one shelf, which wastes most of the vertical space. A reach-in closet done properly with double rods, a shelf tower and shoe storage roughly doubles what fits, and it is a half day plus the system.
If you are pulling out old wire shelving, the wall behind it will be covered in anchor holes. Patching and touching up while the closet is empty is the right moment, and it is far easier than doing it later around hanging clothes.
Garages
Wall-mounted shelving and slat systems, yes. Ceiling-suspended overhead racks, no. Those hang hundreds of pounds off joists that were sized to support a ceiling, not storage, and whether yours can take it depends on framing, span and what sits above. That is a structural question and I am not the person to answer it. I would rather lose the job than guess.
Floating shelves
The ones with concealed rods look simple and are the least forgiving thing on this page. The rod has to go into a stud, dead level, at exactly the right height, because there is no bracket to adjust afterwards. Get it wrong and the shelf slopes forever.
Worth pairing with TV mounting if you are doing a media wall, since it is the same stud-finding job twice.
What is included
- Finding studs and mounting into them, with rated anchors only where a stud genuinely cannot be reached.
- Levelling across the full run rather than each bracket individually.
- Closet build-outs: double rods, shelf towers, shoe racks, drawer units.
- Garage wall shelving and slat systems.
- Floating shelves, including the ones with concealed rods that need real precision.
- Pantry and laundry shelving.
- Removing and disposing of whatever wire shelving was there before.
What it costs
| Job | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Floating shelf, each | $125 first, $45 after | Minimum call-out then per shelf |
| Closet build-out, standard reach-in | $340 | Half day plus the system |
| Walk-in closet system | $640 | Full day plus the system |
| Garage wall shelving run | $210 to $420 | Depends on length and height |
| Pantry or laundry shelving | $125 to $260 | Usually a half day at most |
Full rates, block pricing and the minimum call-out are on the pricing page.
Wall-mounted shelving is straightforward. Ceiling-suspended overhead garage racks are not, and I do not fit them. They hang hundreds of pounds from joists that were designed to hold up a ceiling, and whether yours can take it depends on the framing, the span and what is above. That is a question for someone qualified to answer it, not a handyman with a stud finder.
What I do not do here
- Overhead garage racks suspended from ceiling joists. See the scope note below.
- Built-in cabinetry and furniture-grade joinery.
- Anything that needs a wall opened or a stud cut.
- Shelving into a ceiling or wall I do not trust to carry it.
Who to call instead: a finish carpenter for built-in cabinetry, and a structural engineer or general contractor before anything is hung from ceiling framing.
The full list is on what I do not do.
How it works
- Send a photo. Text or email a picture. Most jobs get priced without a site visit.
- Get a flat price. Written and fixed before I start.
- I show up and finish. On the day I said, parts in the truck, swept up after.
Why a solo operator
The same person quotes the job, does the job and cleans up after it. There is no call centre, no dispatcher and no rotating crew who have not seen your house. The price you were given is the price, because the person who quoted it is the person holding the tools.
Related work
Shelving & storage questions
Can shelves go anywhere, or only where the studs are?
For anything carrying real weight, studs. Books, tools and pantry goods add up faster than people expect, and a shelf full of tinned food that pulls out of drywall takes a chunk of wall with it. Where a stud will not land, there are rated anchors that genuinely work for lighter loads, and I will tell you honestly which situation you are in.
Why will you not fit overhead garage racks?
Because they hang several hundred pounds from ceiling joists that were sized to hold up drywall, and whether yours can take that depends on the framing, the span, and what is above them. That is a structural question. I would rather tell you to ask someone qualified than guess and have it come down onto a car.
Do you supply the shelving?
Either way. Most people buy their own closet system or shelving and I fit it, which costs you nothing extra. If you want me to source it, cost plus 25%.
Can you get rid of the wire shelving that is in there?
Yes, and taking it out is part of the job. Wire shelving leaves a lot of anchor holes, so patching and touching up the paint is usually worth doing at the same time while the closet is empty.
How long does a closet take?
A standard reach-in closet is a half day. A walk-in with a full system is a full day. If the drywall needs patching after the old shelving comes out, add a little.