Compare shutter finishes side by side
All six finishes priced on the carcass, edge band and hardware you choose.
How this tool works
- Rate = (finish rate + carcass rate + edge band) × hardware multiplier.
- Total = rate × shutter elevation area. Elevation area is height × width of the visible face — a 7 ft × 8 ft wardrobe is 56 sq ft regardless of how many shutters it is split into.
- Finish rates cover the shutter substrate, the finish itself, fabrication and polishing. Carcass rates cover the box, shelves, partitions, back panel and standard internal fittings.
- Hardware multiplies the whole assembly because hinge and channel grade changes the fabrication tolerance and the drilling pattern, not just the ironmongery bill.
- Every finish in the comparison uses your carcass, edge and hardware selection, so the only variable between rows is the finish.
| Finish | Rate / sq ft | Repairable on site? | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate (0.8 mm) | ₹620 | No — replace the shutter | Everywhere sensible. Kids' rooms, utility, guest bedrooms. |
| Membrane / PVC foil | ₹760 | No | Nowhere near heat. The film lifts at edges above a hob or a window. |
| Acrylic gloss | ₹1,180 | No | Kitchens and master wardrobes. Best value in the premium band. |
| Veneer + PU | ₹1,380 | Partially | Living-room and study joinery. Not in wet zones. |
| Lacquered glass | ₹1,420 | No | Kitchen wall units and dado. Heavy, needs a stronger carcass. |
| PU matt (7 coat) | ₹1,560 | Yes | Where it will get knocked and must still look new in year eight. |
| Carcass | Rate / sq ft | Swells when wet? | Honest use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Particle board | ₹620 | Catastrophically | Never in a Mumbai flat. It appears in cheap quotes for exactly this reason. |
| MR plywood | ₹780 | Yes, eventually | Dry bedrooms only |
| BWR plywood | ₹880 | Slowly | Bedrooms, living, study |
| HDHMR | ₹930 | Resists | Flat, stable substrate for PU and lacquer |
| BWP plywood | ₹990 | No | Kitchens, bathrooms, utility, anything on an external wall |
Design and build under one accountable roof
Where quotes actually differ
Two studios quote the same kitchen 22% apart and both say 'acrylic'. In our experience the gap is almost never in the acrylic:
- Carcass grade. Particle board against BWP is ₹370 per sq ft of elevation. Across a full home that is over two lakh rupees, invisible behind a closed shutter.
- Edge band. 0.8 mm versus 2 mm looks identical on day one and completely different in year three, when the thin band peels at the top edge of a kitchen shutter.
- Back panel thickness. 6 mm against 3.6 mm; the thin one bows and the wardrobe stops sitting flush.
- Hardware brand named or not. 'Soft-close' with no brand means the cheapest soft-close available on the day of purchase.
- Internal fittings. Whether drawers, trouser racks, cutlery inserts and corner units are in the rate or added later.
Ask for the carcass grade, the edge band thickness and the hardware brand in writing. Three lines. They explain most of the difference between any two quotes you will ever receive.
Greenbox principal designer
Worked example: 220 sq ft of shutters
A typical 2BHK has around 220 sq ft of shutter elevation — kitchen base and wall units, two wardrobes and a TV unit. On BWP carcass with a 2 mm edge and Hettich hardware:
| Finish | Rate / sq ft | 220 sq ft total | Against laminate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate | ₹1,815 | ₹3,99,267 | baseline |
| Membrane | ₹1,967 | ₹4,32,839 | +₹33,572 |
| Acrylic | ₹2,425 | ₹5,33,555 | +₹1,34,288 |
| Veneer + PU | ₹2,643 | ₹5,81,515 | +₹1,82,248 |
| Lacquered glass | ₹2,687 | ₹5,91,107 | +₹1,91,840 |
| PU matt | ₹2,839 | ₹6,24,679 | +₹2,25,412 |
These are finished-joinery rates per sq ft of shutter elevation, taken from homes Greenbox has completed and billed and held at October 2026. They have been checked back against the audited wardrobe bands: laminate on BWP lands at ₹1,815 inside the ₹1,550–2,350 we bill for a full-height laminate wardrobe, and veneer, lacquered glass and PU land between ₹2,643 and ₹2,839 inside the ₹2,450–3,700 for the same wardrobe in veneer or a luxury finish. Treat the output as a planning figure: it is accurate enough to brief a landlord, a bank or a spouse, and not accurate enough to sign a contract against.
What this tool does not cover
- Countertops, appliances, glass shutters, mirrors and loose furniture — none of these are priced per sq ft of elevation.
- Site conditions: out-of-plumb walls and uneven floors add scribing and filler pieces, typically 3–5% on a full home.
- Handles and profiles beyond a standard J-profile or aluminium edge pull.
- Lighting integration inside wardrobes and under wall units.
- Transport, hoisting and society deposits — significant on high floors with a booked service lift.
- 18% GST, shown separately in the comparison.
- For a whole-project figure rather than a materials comparison, use the interior design cost calculator.
Selected work by Greenbox Design Studio. Tap any image to enlarge.
Frequently asked questions
Is acrylic better than laminate for a kitchen?+
Acrylic looks better for longer and costs roughly 35% more on the same carcass. It is not repairable — a deep scratch means a new shutter — while laminate is cheaper to replace panel by panel. For a kitchen you will keep ten years, acrylic is worth it; for a rental or a five-year plan, laminate is the sensible answer.
Why is PU more expensive than acrylic?+
Because it is seven coats applied and sanded by hand over an HDHMR substrate, with a controlled cure between coats. Acrylic is a factory-bonded sheet. The premium buys a matt finish acrylic cannot produce, and the ability to repair damage on site rather than replacing a shutter.
What is the cost per sq ft of a wardrobe in Mumbai?+
₹1,400–1,800 per sq ft of elevation in laminate on MR or BWR plywood, ₹2,200–2,600 in acrylic on BWP, and ₹2,700–3,200 in PU or veneer. Internal fittings, lofts and mirror shutters sit on top of those rates.
Does the carcass really matter if nobody sees it?+
It is the only part that decides whether the unit is still square in year seven. Particle board in a Mumbai kitchen swells at the first plumbing leak and never recovers. BWP costs about ₹370 per sq ft more than particle board and that difference is the cheapest insurance in the whole project.
What is the difference between 0.8 mm and 2 mm edge banding?+
The thickness of the plastic strip covering the raw edge of the board. A 0.8 mm band is glued thin and lifts at corners and near heat; a 2 mm band is machined with a radius and survives being knocked. At ₹55 per sq ft of elevation it is the highest-return upgrade on this page.