Everything you wanted
to know.

Residential bookshelf and panel doors typically start in the $3,000–$6,000 range. Larger doors, exotic wood species, motorized mechanisms, and commercial or hospitality builds run higher — some complex projects exceed $15,000.

Price is driven by opening size, wood species, hardware finish, trigger mechanism, and installation complexity. Every door is custom — request a quote for exact pricing specific to your project.

Size is the biggest factor — a 7-foot bookcase door costs meaningfully more than a 6-foot panel door.

Wood species matters: poplar is the most economical; white oak, walnut, and mahogany add cost.

Hardware & trigger: push-to-open is the simplest; keypad and motorized systems cost more.

Finish: stain, paint, or raw — all included. The finish choice doesn't dramatically change price.

Installation travel: remote locations add cost for crew time and logistics.

We provide ranges here for context, but we don't quote blind. A detailed quote request form gives us enough to respond with a real number within 1 business day — no obligation, no generic price sheet that doesn't reflect your actual project.

Most projects run 10–16 weeks from first call to install day:

• Consultation — ~1 week
• Design — ~2–3 weeks
• Build — 6–10 weeks (depends on complexity and shop queue)
• Install — 1–2 days on site

See the full breakdown on our How It Works page.

Rush builds are sometimes available depending on shop queue. If you have a hard deadline, tell us upfront during consultation and we'll be honest about whether we can hit it. We won't promise a timeline we can't keep.

1. Consultation — We take measurements, understand the use case (panic room, library, wine cellar, escape room), and clarify scope.

2. Design — You choose wood species, hardware finish, and trigger mechanism. We provide drawings so you can see the door before a board is cut.

3. Build — Handcrafted in our Morristown, TN shop. Real hardwood, quality-checked before crating and shipping.

4. Install — Nationwide by our crew or coordinated with your general contractor.

Yes. We install throughout the continental US. Our team travels to the job site — installation is typically 1–2 days on location. For remote areas, we can coordinate with your general contractor and provide detailed installation documentation.

Yes. We can ship with full installation documentation for a qualified GC or finish carpenter. We recommend this for clients with an existing contractor relationship on a larger project. We're available by phone during install if questions come up.

The rough opening needs to be framed to our spec — we'll provide exact dimensions during the design phase. Standard stud framing works for most installations. Retrofit situations (existing walls) are common; your GC or our crew handles the structural prep. We'll walk through requirements during consultation so nothing surprises you on install day.

Yes — retrofits are common. We'll need accurate measurements and photos of the existing opening, wall framing, and surrounding finish. The door is built to fit the actual opening, not the other way around.

• Push-to-open — touch the door, it springs open. Invisible from the outside.
• Hidden handle — flush pull recessed into the bookcase or panel.
• Keypad or combination lock — code-controlled entry, common for panic rooms.
• Magnetic latch with remote release — discreet, reliable, popular for residential.
• Motorized / automated — electric actuator, ideal for commercial and hospitality installations with high traffic.

The right mechanism depends on your use case, traffic volume, and how hidden you want the door to be.

Hidden doors can be built with ADA-compliant hardware and clearances. This requires planning in the design phase — opening width, latch force, and trigger height all have ADA implications. Let us know during consultation if ADA compliance is a requirement and we'll design to spec.

Yes — that's the majority of what we do. We don't work from a catalog of 12 door styles. Bring your architect drawings, your napkin sketch, or just a use case description — we'll figure out the rest in consultation. If you can describe it, we can build it.

Standard species include poplar (most economical, ideal for painted doors), white oak, red oak, hard maple, cherry, walnut, and mahogany. Other species are available on request.

Wood selection affects both aesthetics and price. Walnut and mahogany add meaningful cost; poplar is the right choice if you're painting the door anyway.

MDF is cheaper to machine and paint, but it doesn't hold up to the mechanical demands of a pivot door. Pivot hinges put significant stress on the door slab — MDF delaminates and sags over time under that load. We use solid hardwood because the door has to work for decades, not just look good in a showroom photo.

Every door is crated in a custom-built wood crate sized to the slab. The crate travels by LTL freight to your job site. Most deliveries arrive via a standard liftgate truck — no loading dock required for residential. White-glove inside delivery is available for projects where the receiving situation warrants it.

Standard LTL freight — curbside delivery with liftgate included, typical transit 3–7 business days once crated.

White-glove — inside delivery and placement, available in most metro areas.

For commercial projects with multiple doors, we coordinate consolidated shipments to the job site.

We ship domestically throughout the US and work with freight partners for Canadian projects. For builds outside North America, we can ship the door and provide installation documentation for your local contractor — reach out and we'll work out logistics case by case.

Trade members get priority quoting, trade pricing, early access to new hardware options, and a dedicated point of contact for multi-project relationships.

If you're specifying doors across multiple projects per year, the 5-minute application is worth it. See the full Trade & Builders page to apply.

General contractors, custom home builders, interior designers, architects, commercial developers, hospitality operators, and escape room builders. If you're buying doors for clients rather than yourself, you qualify. Apply at /trade and we'll get back to you within 1 business day.

Every door is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship. If a mechanism binds, a finish fails prematurely, or a fit is off — we make it right. Full warranty terms are included in writing with every quote.

The warranty covers the door and hardware. It does not cover damage from improper installation by a third party, or natural wood movement in environments with extreme humidity swings.

Keep the hardware mechanism free of dust and debris — a dry cloth quarterly is sufficient. Pivot hinges rarely need lubrication, but a drop of dry PTFE lubricant once a year keeps them quiet.

Avoid steam, standing water, or heavy humidity near the door slab. For painted doors, spot-touch with the original paint code as needed.

If a mechanism ever feels off, call us before adjusting anything yourself. Most adjustments are simple and can be walked through by phone.