Garage Fitout Planning Guide: Cabinetry, Workbenches, and EV Charger Costs

Turning your garage from a cluttered car park into a fully functional, well-organised space is one of the smartest investments a Sydney homeowner can make — and this guide walks you through every element of the budget, from custom cabinetry and workbenches right through to the EV home charger install cost that many renovators overlook until the last minute.

Planning Your Garage Fitout: Cabinetry, Workbenches, and Budget Basics

A successful garage fitout starts with a clear plan and a realistic budget. Before you start choosing cabinet finishes or bench materials, it pays to map out exactly how you use — or want to use — the space. Are you after a serious workshop, a clean storage zone, a hobby area, or a combination of all three? Getting this right from the outset shapes every decision that follows, including whether factoring in an EV home charger install cost belongs in your initial scope or as a staged upgrade.

The core components of most garage fitouts include:

• Custom wall cabinetry — floor-to-ceiling or mid-height units for tools, sports equipment, and household storage
• Workbenches — freestanding or built-in, typically with a hardwearing laminate or timber top
• Overhead storage — maximising vertical space above the car
• Flooring and wall treatments — epoxy coatings, pegboards, and slatwall panels
• Electrical upgrades — additional power points, lighting, and increasingly, a dedicated charging station for electric vehicles

At Brennan Cabinetry, we design and build all our garage cabinetry in our Marrickville workshop — the same craftsmanship behind our kitchens and wardrobes, applied to a space that deserves just as much thought. Every job starts with a free measure and quote, so you know exactly what you're committing to before work begins.

Custom Cabinetry and Storage Solutions: What to Expect to Pay

Before you factor in the ev home charger install cost, the largest single line item in most garage fitout budgets is custom cabinetry and storage. Done well, a purpose-built storage system transforms a cluttered garage into a genuinely functional space — and because every garage has different dimensions, off-the-shelf flat-pack rarely does the job properly.

At Brennan Cabinetry, we design and build garage cabinetry in our Marrickville workshop to suit your exact wall layouts, ceiling heights, and storage needs. Here's a realistic breakdown of what Sydney homeowners typically invest:

Storage Solution	Typical Cost Range (AUD)
Single wall of floor-to-ceiling cabinets	$3,500 – $7,000
Full perimeter cabinet fitout	$9,000 – $18,000+
Overhead storage units only	$1,800 – $4,500
Custom tool storage wall with pegboard panels	$2,000 – $5,000

Several factors influence where your project lands within these ranges:

• Material choice — moisture-resistant board is strongly recommended for garages, and adds a small premium over standard carcass board
• Hardware quality — soft-close hinges, heavy-duty drawer runners, and locking mechanisms all affect the final figure
• Garage size and configuration — double garages naturally cost more than single-car spaces
• Finish level — painted doors cost more than melamine, but deliver a cleaner, more durable result in a working environment

Because Brennan Cabinetry provides fixed-price quotes after a free measure and consult, you'll know your cabinetry number before committing — making it straightforward to build your total garage budget alongside other costs like flooring and electrical work.

Workbench Options and How to Choose the Right Setup

A well-designed workbench is the functional heart of any garage fitout — and like your cabinetry, it pays to plan it properly from the start. Whether you're setting up a dedicated workshop, a hobby space, or simply need a solid surface for household tasks, the right bench configuration makes an enormous difference to how usable your garage actually becomes day-to-day.

Freestanding vs. Built-In Workbenches

Freestanding benches offer flexibility — you can reposition them as your needs change. However, built-in custom workbenches are the clear winner for most homeowners undertaking a full garage makeover. A bench built to your wall dimensions maximises every centimetre of floor space, integrates seamlessly with surrounding cabinetry, and feels far more intentional than a standalone unit from a hardware store.

Key Decisions When Planning Your Bench

• Bench height: Standard is around 900mm, but a custom build lets you tailor this to your height and the tasks you'll perform.
• Bench depth: 600–750mm suits most garage applications; go deeper if you're working with large materials or power tools.
• Surface material: Hardwood timber, laminate, and stainless steel all have merit — consider durability, ease of cleaning, and how the bench ties visually into your cabinetry.
• Under-bench storage: Drawers, cupboards, and open bays beneath the bench dramatically increase your storage capacity without using additional wall space.
• Power access: Plan electrical outlet placement carefully — especially if your fitout includes a dedicated circuit, which is also relevant when budgeting for an EV home charger install cost as part of the broader project.

Combining your workbench design with your cabinetry layout from the outset produces the most cohesive result — and allows your installer to run services efficiently behind finished joinery rather than retrofitting them later.

EV Home Charger Install Cost: What Homeowners Need to Budget

For many Sydney homeowners planning a full garage makeover, the EV home charger install cost is the line item that catches them most off guard. It's not simply a matter of buying a charger unit — the total investment depends on your existing electrical infrastructure, your switchboard capacity, and how far the cabling needs to run from your meter board to the garage.

Typical EV Charger Installation Costs in Australia

As a general guide, Australian homeowners should expect to budget in the following ranges:

• Level 2 home charger unit (7kW–22kW): $600–$1,500 for the hardware alone
• Electrician labour and cabling: $400–$1,200 depending on run length and complexity
• Switchboard upgrade (if required): $800–$2,500 — often necessary in older Sydney homes
• Total installed cost: typically $1,500–$4,500 for a standard residential setup

If your garage sits at the rear of the property or requires conduit through walls, costs can push toward the higher end. It's worth getting two or three quotes from licensed electricians before committing.

Planning the Charger Into Your Garage Layout Early

One practical advantage of treating the EV charger as part of your broader garage fitout — rather than an afterthought — is that cable routing and wall placement can be coordinated with your cabinetry and workbench layout from the start. This avoids costly rework later, like having to reposition storage units or cut through finished joinery to accommodate conduit.

If you're working through a complete garage transformation and want to see how structural and functional elements come together cohesively, our design and build process walks through exactly that kind of integrated planning. You can also explore recent Sydney projects to see how others have approached the balance between storage, workspace, and practical infrastructure in their garages.

Hiring Trades vs DIY: Where to Save and Where to Spend on EV Home Charger Install Cost

One of the most common questions homeowners ask during a garage makeover is where they can roll up their sleeves and save money — and where cutting corners will cost them more in the long run. When it comes to the ev home charger install cost, the answer is straightforward: this is firmly in the "hire a professional" column, every single time.

Electrical work involving a dedicated circuit, switchboard upgrades, and a hardwired Level 2 charger must be carried out by a licensed electrician in New South Wales. There are no legal workarounds here. For a detailed breakdown of what Sydney homeowners are currently paying, the team at EV Install have published a useful guide covering home EV charger installation pricing in Sydney — well worth reading before you budget.

Where you can save money with a DIY approach includes:

• Painting and surface prep — rolling garage walls and floors before trades arrive keeps labour hours down.
• Demolition and cleanout — removing old shelving, junk, and fittings yourself saves on skip-bin labour.
• Assembly of freestanding storage — flat-pack shelving units that aren't fixed to walls are fair game.

Where you should always spend on qualified professionals:

• Licensed electricians for EV charger wiring and switchboard work
• Custom cabinetry and built-in workbenches — precision fitting to walls, floors, and corners requires experienced hands
• Any structural alterations to walls or ceilings

At Brennan Cabinetry, our garage joinery is designed and built in our Marrickville workshop, then installed by our own crew — so there's no coordination headache between a cabinet supplier and a separate installer. Pairing that with a properly licensed electrician for your charger gives you a finished garage that's both functional and fully compliant.

Pulling It All Together: Sample Budgets for a Complete Garage Makeover (Including EV Home Charger Install Cost)

Understanding individual line items is useful, but seeing how they combine into a real budget makes planning far easier. Below are three sample scenarios that reflect common garage makeover scopes for Sydney homeowners — each factoring in cabinetry, workbenches, flooring, and EV home charger install cost as part of the total investment.

Package	What's Included	Estimated Total (AUD)
Essentials	Basic wall cabinets, simple workbench, epoxy floor coating, Level 2 EV charger install	$8,000 – $14,000
Mid-Range	Custom cabinetry run, timber-topped workbench, epoxy floor, smart EV charger with load management	$15,000 – $25,000
Premium	Full custom joinery, integrated tool storage, polished concrete, three-phase EV charger, electrical panel upgrade	$26,000 – $45,000+

These ranges reflect realistic Sydney pricing rather than best-case estimates. Your final figure will shift depending on garage size, existing electrical infrastructure, and the materials you choose for cabinetry and benchtops. The EV charger component typically represents $1,500 to $5,000 of that total, making it a meaningful but manageable addition when budgeted from the start.

• Plan electricals early — retrofitting conduit after cabinetry is installed adds cost and disruption.
• Bundle trades where possible — some cabinetmakers coordinate with electricians, simplifying project management.
• Get fixed-price quotes — particularly for custom joinery, so material selections don't blow the budget mid-project.

A complete garage fitout rewards careful upfront planning. When you align your cabinetry brief, workbench requirements, and EV charging needs before work begins, you avoid costly changes mid-build and end up with a space that genuinely works — now and well into the future. Brennan Cabinetry's free measure and quote service is a practical first step toward getting all of those pieces into one cohesive plan.