Built-ins

Depending on the craftsman, the wood, and how elaborate you'd like to go, you can spend anywhere from $4,000 to upwards of $20,000.

Stephen at Crownedwoodworks.com has done very good work for us at 2 different apartments

Familyguy

Custom Millwork is generally around $1,000-1,200 per linear foot.

I am working with Stephen @ Crowned Woodworks right now. So far, positive experience. I will be able to tell you more in about three weeks.

Primer, just so I'm clear: you are saying $9000 for a built-in bookcase? That seems high to me, but thank you for answering.
Madison 19, more what I thought in terms of the low end.

Thanks for recs.

$4,000 would be for crappy painted plywood.

If you want handcrafted solid hardwood furniture quality, however, you're going to have to pay handcrafted solid hardwood furniture prices.

So, add-in the price range that Primer described above.
Choose your wood.

Ugh.

Family guy,

You can use places like Gothic and pay much less then 1000 linear foot. It's not e same quality but its ok

I'm thinking pine and a simple design. I know people who've gotten beautiful work done for 2k in suburbs, so double that seemed feasible. Blerg.

"I know people who've gotten beautiful work done for 2k in suburbs"

Seriously?

Have you seen this "beautiful work"? And were they really telling the truth about the 2K??

Even in the suburbs, furniture makers have to make a living. I find it hard to believe someone got a job done similar to what you want for only $2,000, "simple design" and pine notwithstanding.

Years ago, my father was spotted on our back porch, sanding and finishing one of the many bookcases he built for our house over the years. Wordworking was always his first love, and he always did a first-rate job: dovetailed joints, beveled panels, etc.

The guy who spotted my dad was a friend of one of our neighbors. He walked over to check out my dad's latest project, and asked if he'd be interested in building a wall of bookcases for his family room.

Now, woodworking was just a hobby for my dad; he was busy enough at his real job as a nuclear engineer. Still, the idea of making some extra money appealed to him.

For a wall of bookcases (with doors on the bottom), 8 feet high by 15 feet wide, my dad charged him $6,000. Using PINE. In 1981. In the suburbs. Of PITTSBURGH.

Adjusted for inflation, that's $14,922.

So you see why I'm a little skeptical of charging only $2,000 in the greater NYC area in 2013 for roughly the same project.

If only guys like that severely overengineered nuclear power plants instead of bookcases.

Thanks Primer. I'll try that.

I don't know NYCMatt. The bookcases are painted, so I really don't know what kind of wood.
It was a carpenter working alone, so maybe they were referring to the labor and they supplied the wood. Next time I see them I will berate them for being such low-rent jerks as to claim to have bookcases that cost less than $14k.

Btw why are all your comments automatically hidden?

I don't know!! It's pissing me off, actually.