By Steel Power Shelving Team | Published: 20 September 2026
Fitting out a whole garage from Steel Power's in-stock range costs about $505 for a starter setup of two shelving bays plus two lockable cabinets, about $995 for a mid-size fit-out on deeper 300kg-per-shelf units, and about $1,949 for a full workshop wall of three large bays plus five cabinets — every figure below is the sum of prices as listed on our site, which are subject to change.
Most cost guides price one shelving unit and stop there, which is not the number you actually need when the garage is empty and you are trying to work out what the whole job comes to. The three tiers below are built only from sizes we had in stock on 20 September 2026, with the arithmetic shown, so you can see exactly what your money turns into on the wall. If you have not measured yet, do that first — our guide on how to plan a garage storage system from scratch covers the measuring order before you commit to a spend.
Key takeaways
- Around $500 in real terms is $505: two 1.8m H x 1.2m L x 0.5m D shelving units at $100 each, plus the $145 two-door lockable cabinet and the $160 three-drawer mobile pedestal.
- Around $1,000 is $995: two 2.0m H x 1.5m L x 0.6m D units at $195 each, plus the $285 1.85m cabinet, the $175 cabinet with shelf and the $145 two-door cabinet.
- Around $2,000 is $1,949: three 2.4m H x 2.0m L x 0.6m D units at $230 each, the $399 pegboard tool cabinet, two 1.85m cabinets at $285 each and two two-door cabinets at $145 each.
- Our 0.5m deep shelving is rated at 200kg per shelf and our 0.6m deep shelving at 300kg per shelf, evenly distributed — that is a per-shelf figure, not a whole-unit total, and it is the number to buy against.
- Staging the spend? Buy shelving bays first, one lockable cabinet second, and drawers or a pegboard cabinet last — shelving gives you the most usable volume per dollar.
The three tiers at a glance
| Tier | Shelving | Cabinets | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Around $500 | 2 x 1.8m H x 1.2m L x 0.5m D at $100 each | Two-door lockable cabinet $145; three-drawer mobile pedestal $160 | $505 |
| Around $1,000 | 2 x 2.0m H x 1.5m L x 0.6m D at $195 each | 1.85m heavy duty cabinet $285; cabinet with shelf $175; two-door cabinet $145 | $995 |
| Around $2,000 | 3 x 2.4m H x 2.0m L x 0.6m D at $230 each | Pegboard tool cabinet $399; two 1.85m cabinets at $285 each; two two-door cabinets at $145 each | $1,949 |
Each tier deliberately mixes open shelving with closed, lockable storage. Open shelving is where you get volume cheaply; a cabinet is where the garden chemicals, the cordless tools and anything a child should not reach go. The ratio shifts as the budget grows, but no tier is shelving alone.
Around $505: two bays, a lockable cabinet and a drawer unit
This is the smallest fit-out that still does all three jobs a garage needs done — bulk storage, locked storage, and somewhere for hand tools and fasteners that is not a bucket.
- Two shelving units, 1.8m H x 1.2m L x 0.5m D — $100 each, so $200 the pair
- One two-door lockable metal storage cabinet, 0.315m H x 0.61m W x 0.56m D — $145
- One three-drawer lockable mobile pedestal filing cabinet — $160
- $200 + $145 + $160 = $505
The two bays stand side by side to cover 2.4 metres of wall at 1.8m high, which suits a single garage or a townhouse lock-up where the car still has to fit. At 0.5m deep these units are rated 200kg per shelf, evenly distributed, which comfortably covers archive boxes, camping gear, paint tins and pantry overflow. The small two-door cabinet is low enough to sit on a bench or under the shelving, and the pedestal is on castors so it rolls to wherever you are working.
Who it suits: a first fit-out, a rental you may have to unbolt and take with you, or a garage where the main problem is that everything is currently on the floor.
Around $995: deeper shelving and three cabinets
Doubling the budget does not double the shelf count — it buys depth, height and a lot more closed storage.
- Two shelving units, 2.0m H x 1.5m L x 0.6m D — $195 each, so $390 the pair
- One heavy duty metal storage closet cabinet, 1.85m H x 0.9m W x 0.4m D, black — $285
- One lockable metal storage cabinet with shelf, 0.89m H x 0.915m W x 0.6m D — $175
- One two-door lockable metal storage cabinet — $145
- $390 + $285 + $175 + $145 = $995
The step from 0.5m to 0.6m deep also steps the rating from 200kg per shelf to 300kg per shelf, and it is the depth that matters for the awkward stuff: storage tubs, a car battery, tyres laid flat, a compressor. If you are weighing the two lines against each other, we have written up the difference between 200kg and 300kg per shelf in detail, including why we quote per shelf rather than a headline unit number. Three metres of 2.0m-high shelving plus a full-height cabinet is roughly the point where a double garage stops feeling like a dumping ground.
Who it suits: a homeowner who also works in the garage on weekends, or anyone who has already run out of room on a starter setup and is now buying once, properly.
Around $1,949: three large bays and five cabinets
This is a workshop wall rather than a storage corner, and the cabinet count is what makes it one.
- Three shelving units, 2.4m H x 2.0m L x 0.6m D — $230 each, so $690
- One heavy duty tool storage cabinet with drawers and pegboard, 1.80m H x 1.0m L x 0.5m D — $399
- Two cabinets at 1.85m H x 0.9m W x 0.4m D — $285 each, so $570
- Two two-door lockable cabinets — $145 each, so $290
- $690 + $399 + $570 + $290 = $1,949
Six metres of 2.4m-high shelving at 300kg per shelf handles stock, timber offcuts, spares and seasonal gear without you having to choose between them. The five cabinets are the real upgrade: the pegboard tool cabinet becomes the working station with everything hanging in view, the two tall cabinets take long-handled tools and anything you would rather not look at, and the two small ones lock away the dangerous and the expensive.
Who it suits: a trade who works from home, a serious hobbyist, or a two-bay shed being set up once for the next decade.
Staging the spend: what to buy first
Very few people spend $1,949 in one go, and you do not have to. The sequence that wastes the least money is:
- Shelving bays first. They clear the floor, which is what actually makes the garage usable, and they give you the most cubic metres per dollar at every price point.
- One lockable cabinet second. Even the $145 two-door unit takes the items that should never sit on an open shelf. This is the purchase people most often defer and most often regret.
- Drawers and pegboard last. The $160 pedestal and the $399 pegboard cabinet are productivity, not capacity — buy them once you know where you stand and work.
Two things to keep in mind if you are spreading the purchase across months. First, buy the depth you will eventually want now rather than mixing 0.5m and 0.6m runs on the same wall, because the shelf faces will not line up. Second, every shelving size and cabinet named in these tiers was in stock when this was written, but check the product page before you build a plan around a specific size, since we cannot promise a particular item will still be there in three months.
Where not to economise
Three places where saving money costs more later:
- Depth. Going from 1.8m H x 1.2m L x 0.5m D at $100 to 1.8m H x 1.2m L x 0.6m D at $165 is $65 — and it moves you from 200kg per shelf to 300kg per shelf, evenly distributed. If you know heavy tubs are coming, that $65 is the cheapest decision in this article.
- Fixings. Tall units in a garage should be anchored, especially if there are kids or a car door swinging nearby. Our guide on anchoring steel shelving to a concrete floor or wall covers what to use and where.
- Locked storage. A cheaper tier that drops the cabinet is not really cheaper. Chemicals, fuel, blades and batteries need a door that closes and a key.
One more honest note on loading: the per-shelf ratings above are per shelf, evenly distributed. Stacking 300kg of engine parts into one corner of a shelf is not the same as spreading it across the beam, no matter what the unit is capable of.
On price: the totals here are the sum of the item prices as listed on our site at the time of writing and are subject to change, so treat them as planning figures and confirm on the product pages. They do not include delivery. If you are near either warehouse you can collect and skip that line altogether — same-day in-store pickup is available at our Brisbane warehouse, and our pickup versus delivery guide explains how the two compare. We do not run bundle pricing or multi-item discounts, so what you see on the page is what a tier costs. Our store average sits at 4.8 stars.
How much does it cost to kit out a double garage with steel shelving and cabinets?
For a double garage, the $995 tier is the realistic starting point: two 2.0m H x 1.5m L x 0.6m D units at $195 each gives you three metres of 300kg-per-shelf run, and the three cabinets at $285, $175 and $145 cover locked storage. If you also work in there, the $1,949 tier adds a third bay, a pegboard tool cabinet and two more cabinets. Both are sums of prices as listed and subject to change.
Is it cheaper to buy the whole fit-out at once or add pieces over time?
The total is the same either way — we do not offer bundle or multi-item discounts, so two units bought in one order cost the same as two units bought six months apart. What staging costs you is delivery, if you pay it twice, and the risk that a specific size is not in stock when you come back. If you can collect from Brisbane or Sydney, staging the spend is close to free.
Do I really need the 0.6m deep shelving, or will 0.5m do?
Choose by the heaviest single shelf you plan to load and by what physically has to fit on it. The 0.5m deep line is rated 200kg per shelf evenly distributed, which handles boxes, tools, paint and camping gear; the 0.6m deep line is rated 300kg per shelf and takes deeper tubs, tyres laid flat and workshop stock. At 1.2m length the difference is $100 versus $165.
Can I pick the whole lot up myself instead of paying delivery?
Yes. Same-day in-store pickup is available at our Brisbane warehouse at Unit A4-142 Sherbrooke Rd, Willawong QLD 4110, and our Sydney warehouse is at Unit 2, 11 Newton Rd, Wetherill Park NSW 2164. A full tier is a bulky load, so ring ahead on 07 3879 0357 for Brisbane or 02 9823 9703 for Sydney to check what will fit in your vehicle. We also deliver Australia-wide if collecting is not practical.
What should I buy first if I have only a few hundred dollars right now?
Start with one or two shelving bays — at $100 each for the 1.8m H x 1.2m L x 0.5m D size, two bays and nothing else is $200 and clears most of the floor. Add the $145 two-door lockable cabinet on the next pay cycle so chemicals and power tools come off the open shelves. Drawers and pegboard storage can wait until the layout has settled.
Are the prices in these three tiers fixed?
No — every figure in this article is the price as listed on our site on 20 September 2026 and is subject to change, so check the product page before you budget. We price per item with no bundle or package discounts, which is why each tier total is simply the items added up. If a size you want is unavailable, the next size up or down in the same depth is the closest substitute, and the listed prices on the collection page will show you what that swap costs.