5 Cheap Garage Cabinets to Avoid (and Why)

Don Wise • November 3, 2025

5 Cheap Garage Cabinets to Avoid (and Why)

Upgrading your garage with a set of custom garage cabinets can kick your organizational strategy into hyperdrive.


But while getting custom storage is always a great idea, not every cabinet design is worth your hard-earned cash. In fact, some garage cabinets are chintzy, weak, and just plain bad, causing more problems than solutions in your already tightly-packed space.


It pays to identify bad buys in advance to protect your bottom line—and to stop warping, moisture buildup, and pest infestations from destroying your hard work. So let's take a closer look at some cheap cabinets you should avoid as you set up and customize your garage space.

1. Old Kitchen Cabinets

You're remodeling the kitchen and throwing out some old cabinets. Why not put them up in the garage? Three reasons why you shouldn’t:


  • Kitchen cabinets aren't temperature-controlled and may invite water and mold growth near stored items.
  • Kitchen cabinets aren't built to withstand extreme temperature changes. This means they're more likely to warp, bend, or break apart after just a season or two.
  • Kitchen cabinets may not mount correctly to your concrete garage walls. They may fall out if not properly secured with the right materials.

If you still want to repurpose your kitchen cabinets, consider putting them for other uses where they pose fewer problems.

2. Ill-Designed Metal Storage

Metal is a decent option for garage storage—when used correctly. Unfortunately, most metal cabinets are cheaply made and weaker than cabinets made from other materials. They may bend under pressure, scratch easily, and be vulnerable to bumps and dents. Add it all together, and you're left with unattractive cabinets that barely get the job done.

3. Low-Quality Plastic Cabinets

Many plastic items don't just look bad in a garage; they perform poorly as well. Unless they are designed and made for garage use, plastic items typically has a lower weight capacity and picks up an unsightly luster from topical agents (think grease, dirt, oil, and other substances on hands).

4. Poorly Conceived Wooden Shelves

Wood is often a go-to material for custom garage shelving. However, you must consider potential fire hazards (and a slipshod look if done by yourself).


Which leaves one final option on the list —

5. Prefabricated Cabinets

A cheap pressboard from an online retailer makes for a terrible storage solution. While it may not cost you much up-front, the time, effort, and stress to install everything isn't worth the 'savings.'


Instead, it's best to go with custom-built cabinets and shelving built with the highest quality materials—including the storage solutions offered by Louisiana Custom Cabinets.


Get Custom Garage Shelving That Makes All The Difference

There are lots of ineffective cabinets that deserve no place in your garage. If your favorite one was crossed off the list and you're unsure where to look next, Louisiana Custom Closets could help you find the perfect solution before installing it on your behalf. Our custom garage shelves are your best bet in upgrading your garage.


LCC is proud to maintain office locations throughout Louisiana, including New Orleans and Baton Rouge, and our factory headquarters is in Covington. But our customer base goes far beyond Louisiana—we serve states all over the Gulf Coast. Just check out our customer reviews in areas like Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi.


You can give us a call at (504) 885-3188, (225) 753-3001, or (985) 871-0810 to request a free in-home estimate.

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