Joiner builds the structural oak frame. You own the rest of the build including the slab, the cubby grid, the finish work, and the install.
Pro builds (joiner scope):
You build (DIY scope):
Tool gaps:
Skill stretches:
Pro sources (joiner procures):
You source (DIY procurement):
Slab flattening failure. Gouging or over-milling a $400 to 800 kiln-dried locust slab is the single biggest risk. Hard to recover without buying another slab.
Cubby grid racking. Tolerance errors across 18 cells compound. The piece can end up with cubbies that are not square, which shows in open storage.
Install day complications. Scribing to 1830 walls requires a skill you do not have yet. Expect surprises from plaster, baseboard removal, and floor dips.
LED decision not made. Wiring decision (plug-in vs hardwired) still required. Hardwired triggers electrical permit.
Lowest cost. Highest risk. Most DIY time.
This scope is right if you want to own the slab work yourself, already want to buy a router, and have 3+ months of weekends free for the build. It saves roughly $3,000 over Scope 3, but the savings evaporate if you damage the slab or need to replace a cubby grid after it racks.
The Historian's Haven brief calls for furniture-grade construction. Scope 1 asks you to deliver furniture-grade DIY work on the hardest components. Worth naming honestly before choosing.
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Pro labor (24 to 36 hrs @ $100/hr) | $2,400 | $4,000 |
| Pro materials (frame oak only) | $200 | $400 |
| DIY materials | $1,800 | $2,800 |
| DIY tool purchases | $250 | $400 |
| Total all-in | $4,650 | $7,600 |
Scope 1 all-in, pro labor plus pro materials plus your materials plus your tools. Lowest cash, highest effort.
Joiner handles the oak frame and the black locust slab. You build the cubby grid, install everything, and do the finish work.
Pro builds (joiner scope):
You build (DIY scope):
Tool gaps:
Skill stretches:
Pro sources (joiner procures):
You source (DIY procurement):
Cubby grid tolerance is still yours. 18 cells, 21 intersections, zero forgiveness on open cubbies.
LED wiring decision still required. Same as Scope 1. Hardwired triggers a permit.
Tile setting learning curve. First wet-bay install. Watch for improper slope and failed sealing at seams.
Install coordination. Pro delivers finished frame and slab, you install both onto the cubby grid. Sequencing matters.
Best balance on paper. Removes the hardest single component, keeps real DIY in your hands, splits the cost difference.
The original default recommendation before we stress-tested the cubby grid work. The 18-cubby grid is closer in difficulty to the slab than it looks. Scope 2 leaves you holding the second-hardest component without any of the supporting finish practice that comes with Scope 3.
Worth choosing if you want the slab handled, already own or plan to buy a router, and want to commit to the cubby grid as a teach-yourself-on-the-job challenge.
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Pro labor (34 to 54 hrs @ $100/hr) | $3,800 | $6,400 |
| Pro materials (frame oak + slab) | $700 | $1,300 |
| DIY materials | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| DIY tool purchases | $100 | $250 |
| Total all-in | $5,600 | $9,450 |
Scope 2 all-in, pro frame plus slab, DIY everything else. Splits the cost difference.
Joiner delivers and installs the entire oak structure including the cubby grid and the slab. You do the finish work that shows who lives here.
Pro builds (joiner scope):
You build (DIY scope):
Tool gaps:
Skill stretches:
Pro sources (joiner procures):
You source (DIY procurement):
Quote spread will be wide. Expect a $4,000+ range across three bids. Need three bids minimum to calibrate. Do not accept the first quote.
Install day coordination. Pro delivers a large assembled unit. Studio access, staging, and wall prep all have to be done before they arrive.
LED decision still needed. Plug-in is simpler and keeps the permit picture clean. Hardwired means an electrician and a permit.
Shiplap and paint on a textured backing panel. Farrow and Ball Green Smoke on shiplap needs clean caulk lines and 2 to 3 coats. Not hard, not trivial.
Best tool and skill match. Highest confidence in outcome quality. Preserves the finish-work DIY satisfaction you are best at.
The cost premium over Scope 2 is real, roughly $2,000 to $4,000. In exchange, you remove the single biggest risk to furniture-grade outcome: the 18-cubby grid tolerance work. A joiner nails this in a week. A weekend DIYer with a new router accumulates small errors that show forever in open cubbies.
The brief asks for a piece that outlives the cabinet. This scope is the one most likely to deliver on that promise. It leaves you with the kind of work that makes the Studio feel like yours without betting the outcome on skills you do not yet have.
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Pro labor (55 to 84 hrs @ $100/hr) | $6,000 | $9,400 |
| Pro materials (frame + cubbies + slab) | $1,400 | $2,500 |
| DIY materials | $700 | $1,100 |
| DIY tool costs (tile saw rental) | $50 | $100 |
| Total all-in | $8,150 | $13,100 |
Scope 3 all-in, full carcass installed, DIY finish work only. Highest confidence outcome.
Attributes against scopes. Scope 3 is the current recommendation. Read this when you want the whole tradeoff in one frame.
These five items cross all three scopes. Any of them can flip the math or push the project backward. Close each one before you sign a contract.
Outstanding before any contractor outreach: email Litchfield Building Department to confirm permit classification (blocked on LED wiring decision), call Tallon Lumber and Berkshire Products to confirm stock and lead time, lock stain reference and slab finish brand. Material specs ready to paste into an email sit in the pro-research output.