In many old homes you’ll often see a wall niche built into a wall as a focal point in a room as a showcase for a favorite piece of art or plant. The traditional design has a curved top with a recessed back, often a shell design, and a base shelf. The niche is custom-made of plaster or wood as an integral part of the wall. A wall niche in newer homes is often made of lightweight urethane or wood in rectangular designs with one or two shelves, sometimes with beadboard backing and ready to install. Both types of niches fit into the space between wall studs. Some niches are mounted flush to the wall and don’t require any carpentry to modify the wall.
To install a 16-inch-by-27-inch niche that fits in a 16-inch opening (a standard space between wall studs) a carpenter charges $450, which includes labor and material. A handy homeowner with carpentry skills and tools can make the installation for $100, the cost of the niche and a tube of construction adhesive, and save 78%.
If you’re remodeling an old house or building new walls, it’s easier to install a niche in the exposed framing before installing the wallboard. If you’re cutting an opening into existing walls for a niche, use an electronic stud finder to make sure it’s a hollow cavity. Make a small inspection hole in the area behind the niche to avoid cutting electrical wires, plumbing pipes or heating ducts.
To find more DIY project costs and to post comments and questions, visit www.diyornot.com and m.diyornot.com on smartphones.
Pro Cost — DIY Cost — Pro time — DIY Time — DIY Savings — Percent Saved
$450 — $100 — 4.0 — 6.0 — $350 — 78 Percent
Copyright 2023 Gene and Katie Hamilton. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
