Custom Carpentry in Houston, TX
Silverheels Construction builds and repairs custom carpentry across the Houston area — built-in cabinetry and bookcases, trim and crown, wainscoting and paneling, mantels, stair parts, and interior doors. On older homes we match new work to existing profiles so a repair or addition reads as original rather than added. Free estimates.
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Custom carpentry in Houston covers the finish work that gets built to the room rather than bought off a shelf: built-in shelving and cabinetry, trim and crown molding, wainscoting and raised-panel walls, fireplace mantels and surrounds, window and door casings, and stair rails and treads. A lot of the calls we take are matching — reproducing a profile from a 1930s house so a new bookcase or a patched run of baseboard looks like it was always there. We build new and we repair existing, and on match work we take the time to get the profile and the finish right instead of installing stock trim next to custom and hoping nobody notices.
What we build
Built-ins: bookcases, cabinetry, window seats, mudroom benches, and closet systems built to the wall and finished in place.
Trim and millwork: baseboard, casing, crown, chair rail, picture rail, and door trim — installed new or extended to match an existing run.
Paneling: wainscoting, board-and-batten, raised-panel walls, and coffered or beamed ceilings.
Mantels and surrounds: fireplace mantels and overmantels, built new or repaired.
Stairs: treads, risers, newels, balusters, and handrail.
Doors and hardware: interior door hanging, jamb and casing repair, and hardware fitting.
Matching existing woodwork
Older Houston homes were trimmed with profiles that aren't sitting on a shelf at a home center. When a room needs a new run of casing next to original casing, or a bookcase built to look like it belongs in a 1930s study, the work is in matching — the profile, the reveals, the proportions, and the finish.
We match by pulling the existing profile and reproducing it, rather than installing the closest stock trim and letting the mismatch show. On stained and varnished woodwork, matching the finish is its own step; new wood takes stain differently than aged wood, and getting it to blend takes sampling before anything goes on the wall.
New wood moves — and Houston humidity moves it more
Wood expands and contracts with humidity, and Houston has plenty of it. Finish carpentry that's fitted tight in a dry stretch can open at the joints when the season turns. We account for that in how joints are cut and fastened, and interior trim is best installed after the space has been climate-controlled for a while rather than fitted to a house that's still drying out.
Miters that open, panels that crack, and doors that stick in summer are usually movement, not bad work. Built-ins get scribed to the wall and floor so seasonal movement doesn't open a visible gap along the edge.
What custom carpentry costs in Houston
A single run of trim repair or a small built-in is a modest job. A wall of built-in cabinetry, a paneled room, or a full stair rebuild scales up from there.
What moves the number: how much of the work is matching existing profiles versus straightforward new installation, the species and grade of wood, whether the finish is paint-grade or stain-grade, and how much on-site fitting the room demands. Paint-grade poplar built-ins cost less than stain-grade hardwood; a plumb, square new wall is faster than scribing to a century-old one that's neither.
These are ranges, not quotes. We price after seeing the space and the woodwork it has to match.
Frequently asked questions
Can you match trim in an older house?
Yes. We pull the existing profile and reproduce it rather than installing the nearest stock trim. On stained woodwork we sample the finish first, because new wood takes stain differently than aged wood and matching the color is a separate step from matching the profile.
Do you build paint-grade and stain-grade?
Both. Paint-grade work is usually poplar or MDF and costs less; stain-grade uses a hardwood chosen to match surrounding woodwork and takes more care at the joints and in the finish. We'll tell you which fits what you're after.
Why did my trim joints open up?
Usually humidity. Wood moves seasonally and Houston's swings are wide, so joints fitted tight in a dry stretch can open when it turns humid. It's how the joints are cut and fastened, and letting the material acclimate before installing, that keeps it tight.
Do you finish and paint what you build?
Yes — built-ins and trim get filled, sanded, primed, and finished. On stain-grade work we sample the stain against the existing woodwork before finishing so the new work blends with the old.
How long does a built-in take?
A small built-in or a trim repair is often a couple of days; a wall of cabinetry or a paneled room runs longer, and stain-grade finishing adds time. We give a realistic window with the estimate.