A built-in media wall framed into my Stittsville family room?

A built-in media wall is a carpentry job: framing a chase or alcove into the room, building the cabinet boxes, fitting shelves, doors and face frames, and finishing with trim and moulding. There are too few published Ottawa prices to quote a range, so what follows is what decides this job's cost and what a fair quote should itemise.

What drives the price on a project like this is the scope of the framing, the materials specified, and how much finish work is involved. A shallow unit sitting against a flat wall is a different job from one that wraps a corner, steps out in layers, or incorporates a fireplace surround. Ask the carpenter to specify whether the boxes are site-built or shop-built, what sheet goods or solid wood they plan to use, and how the face frames and doors are constructed. The depth of the unit matters too: if it needs to house a receiver, a gaming console or a cable box, the carpenter has to plan for ventilation and access panels, and that changes the framing.

A fair quote for this job should itemise each of these paid steps:

• Materials: framing lumber, sheet goods, solid wood for face frames and trim, fasteners and hardware
• Labour: framing the chase or alcove, building and installing the cabinet boxes, fitting shelves and doors, scribing to the walls and ceiling
• Trim and moulding: crown, base, pilasters or any decorative millwork to tie the unit into the room
• Patching and finishing: filling gaps where the unit meets existing drywall or plaster, caulking and preparing for paint
• Disposal of offcuts and packaging

The quote should also state who supplies the materials, what the warranty covers on the workmanship, and what is excluded. Get the full scope in writing before any work starts; under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002, a direct agreement over $50 must be in writing and signed, and the supplier cannot charge more than 10 per cent over an estimate.

One thing worth asking before you commit: have the carpenter walk you through exactly how the unit will be anchored to the wall framing, and what happens if the studs are not where the layout needs them to be.