These garage storage cabinet plans build a 36 in wide, 30 in tall plywood wall cabinet with two overlay doors and two adjustable shelves. Every part except the back comes from one 4x8 sheet of 3/4 in plywood. The cabinet hangs on a French cleat that is screwed into the wall studs, so it is strong, easy to level and simple to take down later.
If you are still gathering tools, start with our list of essential woodworking tools for beginners. This build uses only basic tools plus a drill bit for the door hinges. Doors keep dust off what open DIY garage shelves leave exposed.
At a glance
- Finished size
- 36 in wide × 30 in tall × 12-1/4 in deep (13 in from the wall)
- Skill
- Beginner to intermediate (hinges are the only new skill)
- Time
- One weekend plus finish drying time
- Lumber
- One sheet of 3/4 in plywood, one 4x4 ft piece of 1/4 in plywood
- Mounting
- French cleat screwed into at least two studs
Beginner shortcut
Want a matching base cabinet or a full wall of storage? The TedsWoodworking workshop plans include tool cabinets, benches and storage racks, each with a cut list and materials list.
How this garage storage cabinet is built
The cabinet is a simple plywood box. The two sides run full height, and the top and bottom fit between them. A 3 in hanging rail sits inside the box at the back, just under the top. That rail is what carries the weight: it is screwed to both sides and the top, and the cabinet's half of the French cleat is screwed to it through the back panel.
The doors are full overlay: they cover the whole front edge of the box, which hides small errors. They hang on concealed (European) hinges made for frameless cabinets.
Why the cleat matters: a cabinet screwed straight to the wall is awkward to hold level while you drive screws. With a cleat, you mount one level strip into the studs and lift the cabinet onto it, so the weight is held by long screws in solid framing, not drywall.
Materials list
- 1 sheet of 3/4 in plywood, 4x8 ft (cabinet-grade birch or a smooth sanded pine plywood)
- 1 piece of 1/4 in plywood, 4x4 ft, for the back
- 4 full-overlay concealed hinges for 3/4 in doors on frameless cabinets, with mounting plates
- 2 door pulls or knobs
- 8 shelf pins, 1/4 in (5 mm pins also work if you drill 5 mm holes)
- About 30 × 1-5/8 in wood screws for the box
- About 10 × 1-1/2 in wood screws for the cleat and rail
- About 10 × 1 in screws and 3/4 in brad nails (or small screws) for the back
- About 4 × 3/4 in screws for the spacer
- 6 to 8 × 3 in construction screws (#10 or similar, rated for structural use) for the wall
- Wood glue, 120 and 180 grit sandpaper, optional iron-on edge banding
- Paint, or a clear water-based polyurethane
Cut list
| Part | Qty | Material | Length × width |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Sides | 2 | 3/4 in plywood | 30 × 11-1/4 in |
| B. Top and bottom | 2 | 3/4 in plywood | 34-1/2 × 11-1/4 in |
| C. Shelves | 2 | 3/4 in plywood | 34-3/8 × 10-3/4 in |
| D. Hanging rail | 1 | 3/4 in plywood | 34-1/2 × 3 in |
| E. Doors | 2 | 3/4 in plywood | 29-7/8 × 17-15/16 in |
| F. Cleats (wall + cabinet) | 2 | 3/4 in plywood | 34-1/2 in, from a 7 in strip ripped at 45° |
| G. Bottom spacer | 1 | 3/4 in plywood | 34-1/2 × 3 in |
| H. Back | 1 | 1/4 in plywood | 36 × 30 in |
How the sizes add up: two 3/4 in sides plus a 34-1/2 in top makes 36 in wide. The two doors plus a 1/8 in gap between them also make 36 in (17-15/16 + 1/8 + 17-15/16). The doors are 1/8 in shorter than the box, leaving a 1/16 in reveal at the top and bottom. Shelves are 1/8 in shorter than the inside width so they drop onto the pins easily, and 1/2 in shallower than the sides so they clear the closed doors.
Cutting layout for the 3/4 in sheet
- Crosscut the sheet at 30 in. Piece 1 is 30 × 48 in. Piece 2 is 96 − 30 − 1/8 = 65-7/8 × 48 in.
- Crosscut piece 2 at 34-1/2 in. Piece 2a is 34-1/2 × 48 in. Piece 2b is 65-7/8 − 34-1/2 − 1/8 = 31-1/4 × 48 in.
- Piece 1 (30 in long): rip one side at 11-1/4 in. That leaves 48 − 11-1/4 − 1/8 = 36-5/8 in. Rip it into two doors 17-15/16 in wide (17-15/16 + 1/8 + 17-15/16 = 36 in, about 5/8 in waste). Trim each door to 29-7/8 in long.
- Piece 2a (34-1/2 in long): rip the top (11-1/4), bottom (11-1/4), two shelves (10-3/4 each) and the hanging rail (3). That is 47 in of parts plus five cuts (5/8 in) = 47-5/8 in, leaving about 3/8 in. Trim the shelves to 34-3/8 in.
- Piece 2b (31-1/4 × 48 in): rip three strips that run the full 48 in: the second side (11-1/4), the cleat strip (7) and the spacer strip (3). That is 21-1/4 in plus three cuts (3/8 in) = 21-5/8 in, leaving a spare strip about 9-5/8 in wide. Crosscut the side to 30 in, and the spacer to 34-1/2 in.
The 1/4 in back comes from the 4x4 ft piece: rip it to 36 in, then crosscut it to 30 in.
Tools
- Circular saw with a straightedge guide, or a table saw
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, and a 1/4 in bit with a depth stop
- 35 mm Forstner bit and a concealed hinge jig
- Shelf-pin jig, or a pegboard scrap used as a drilling template
- Stud finder, 4 ft level, tape measure, square, clamps
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Break down the sheet
Follow the layout above and label every part with a letter. Support both sides of every cut. Our guide on how to cut straight with a circular saw shows how to clamp a straightedge for clean, square cuts.
Step 2: Bevel-rip the cleats
Tilt the blade to 45° and rip the 7 in strip down its center line. You now have two cleats about 3-1/2 in wide, each with one beveled edge. Crosscut both to 34-1/2 in. Our French cleat tool wall guide shows this cut in detail.
Step 3: Sand and edge band
Sand all faces with 120 then 180 grit. For a finished look, iron edge banding onto the front edges and all four door edges now, while the parts lie flat.
Step 4: Drill the shelf-pin holes
Lay the sides inside face up, as a mirrored pair. Drill two rows of 1/4 in holes, about 1-1/2 in in from the front and back edges, 3/8 in deep. Start about 5 in above the bottom edge and stop about 6 in below the top, spacing the holes 1-1/2 to 2 in apart. Index the jig off the bottom edge on both sides so shelves sit level.
Step 5: Assemble the box
Glue the ends of the top and bottom and fit them between the sides, flush at the front, back and ends. Predrill and countersink, then drive four 1-5/8 in screws through each side into each panel, keeping them centered on the 3/4 in edge. Measure the diagonals: when they match, the box is square. Pocket screws also work.
Step 6: Install the hanging rail
Glue the rail (D) under the top, at the back, with its back face flush with the rear edges of the sides. Drive two 1-5/8 in screws through each side into the rail ends, and three screws down through the top into the rail's edge. This joint carries the load, so do not skip the glue.
Step 7: Attach the back
Lay the box face down. Run glue along the rear edges of the sides, top, bottom and rail, set the back on, and nudge the box until the back's edges line up with the outside of the box. Fasten with brads or 1 in screws every 6 in.
Shop storage
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Step 8: Add the cabinet cleat and spacer
Leave the box lying face down, back up. Place one cleat on the back with its top edge flush with the top of the cabinet, the narrow face against the back, and the bevel on the bottom edge, sloping down toward the wall. In other words, the long point of the bevel faces away from the cabinet. Glue it, then drive six 1-1/2 in screws from inside the cabinet, through the rail and back, into the cleat, about 1-3/4 in down from the top so they land in the full-thickness part of the cleat.
Glue the spacer (G) across the bottom of the back, flush with the bottom edge, and fasten it from inside with 3/4 in screws (the back and spacer together are only 1 in thick). It is the same thickness as the cleat, so the cabinet hangs plumb instead of tilting in at the bottom.
Step 9: Drill and hang the doors
Mark hinge centers about 3 in from the top and bottom of each door. Set up the hinge jig and drill the 35 mm cups to the depth and edge distance given in your hinge instructions; test on a scrap first. Screw the hinges into the cups, hold each door in place with a 1/16 in spacer at the top, and mark and attach the mounting plates on the inside of the sides. Use the hinge's adjustment screws to even the gap between the doors.
Step 10: Finish
Remove the doors and hardware and apply paint or two to three coats of water-based polyurethane. If you use stain on pine plywood, read how to stain pine without blotching first.
Step 11: Mount the wall cleat into studs
This is the safety-critical step. Find the studs with a stud finder and confirm each one by driving a thin nail where the cabinet will hide the hole. Studs are usually 16 in apart, so the 34-1/2 in wall cleat will always cross at least two. If your studs are 24 in apart, leave the wall cleat a full 48 in long so it crosses two studs.
The cabinet top will sit about as far above the wall cleat as the narrow face of the cabinet cleat is wide (about 3 in), so measure yours. Above a workbench, aim for the bottom of the cabinet 18 to 20 in above the bench top. Hold the cleat level with its bevel on top, sloping down toward the wall. Predrill, then drive two 3 in construction screws into every stud it crosses, low in the full-thickness part of the cleat. With 1/2 in drywall, a 3 in screw goes about 1-3/4 in into the stud.
Before you drill, check for wiring and pipes. Avoid the areas directly above and below outlets and switches. Never rely on drywall anchors alone to hold a cabinet. On a concrete or block wall, use masonry anchors rated for the load and follow their instructions.
Step 12: Hang and lock the cabinet
With a helper, lift the cabinet, slide its cleat over the wall cleat and let it drop. Then drive one 3 in screw from inside the cabinet, about 2 in above the bottom, through the back and spacer into a stud on each side. These screws stop the cabinet lifting off if it gets bumped from below. Pull down firmly on the front before loading it.
Common mistakes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Doors do not line up | Box out of square | Adjust the hinges; next time square the box with the back before the glue sets |
| Cabinet tilts in at the bottom | Spacer missing or thinner than the cleat | Add or shim the spacer to match the cleat thickness |
| Cleats will not hook together | One cleat installed with the bevel the wrong way | Both bevels must slope down toward the wall |
| Shelf rocks | Pin holes drilled from different reference edges | Always index the jig off the bottom edge |
The worst mistake is invisible: a screw that missed the stud. If it goes in with no resistance, it is in drywall only. Move it.
Variations
- Taller cabinet: make the sides and back 36 in and the doors 35-7/8 in. You will need extra plywood for the longer doors, so draw a new layout first.
- Stiffer shelves: glue a 1x2 strip under the front edge of each shelf if you store heavy cans.
- A row of cabinets: build two or three and hang them on one long wall cleat. Plan the whole wall with our small shop layout guide.
Store heavy items low, never hang weight from the doors, and never use the cabinet as a handhold. For a matching bench below, see our workbench plans with drawers.
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FAQ
What is the best plywood for a garage storage cabinet?
3/4 in plywood for the box, doors and cleats, and 1/4 in for the back. Birch or sanded pine plywood both work. Avoid particleboard in a damp garage.
How much weight can this wall cabinet hold?
It depends on your studs, screws and how well the rail is glued, so we do not give a number. Mount it into at least two studs, keep heavy items low, and pull down firmly before loading it.
Can I hang a cabinet on drywall without studs?
No. Every wall-cleat screw should go into a stud. On masonry walls, use rated masonry anchors.
Do I need a table saw for these garage storage cabinet plans?
No. A circular saw with a straightedge guide can make every cut, including the 45° cleat bevel.
