Architectural casework is the built-in cabinetry of a commercial building: the base cabinets, wall cabinets, tall storage units, counters and display cases that are fixed in place and made to a project’s drawings. It is a subset of millwork. Nursing stations, classroom storage walls, laboratory benches, retail display cases and back-of-house cabinets are all casework. This guide explains what the term covers, how casework is constructed and specified, and what to decide before it goes to tender. It is written by DNS Industries, which engineers and builds commercial casework in Vaughan, Ontario.

What counts as casework

Casework generally means box-built units that store, display or serve. In a commercial building that usually means:

• Base and wall cabinets in staff rooms, serveries, washrooms and offices.
• Tall storage such as pantry units, wardrobes and locker-style cabinets.
• Healthcare casework: nursing stations, medication rooms, exam room cabinets and clean and soiled utility rooms. See healthcare and veterinary millwork.
• Education and institutional casework: classroom storage walls, teacher stations and science room cabinets. See institutional millwork.
• Retail casework: display cases, cash wrap bodies, back-stock cabinets and fitting-room storage. See custom display fixtures.

What casework does not usually include is the rest of the millwork scope: wall paneling, trim, feature ceilings, columns and one-off sculptural pieces. Those are millwork but not casework.

Is it “casework” or “case work”?

One word. “Casework” is the standard trade and specification term, and it is the word used in MasterFormat section titles and in the AWI standards.

How casework is constructed

Commercial casework is built in one of two ways, and the choice affects appearance, cost and how the units are installed.

• Frameless construction (often called European, and usually built on the 32 mm hardware system): the cabinet box is made of panels, and the doors and drawer fronts cover the box edges. It gives a clean, continuous elevation and suits CNC production.
• Face-frame construction: a solid-wood frame is applied to the front of the box, and doors sit on or inside the frame. It is more traditional in look.

Doors and drawers then meet the box in one of several interface styles: flush overlay (fronts nearly cover the box with small, even gaps), reveal overlay (deliberate wider gaps that show the frame or box edge) or inset (fronts sit inside the opening). Flush overlay on frameless boxes is a common commercial configuration.

Materials and finishes

Most commercial casework uses engineered panel cores (particleboard or MDF, moisture-resistant grades in wet areas, or plywood where the specification calls for it) faced with high-pressure laminate, thermally fused laminate or wood veneer. Exposed edges are banded or finished as specified. Countertops are laminate, solid surface, quartz or stainless steel depending on use. Choose harder-wearing surfaces for high-contact areas and finer finishes where the casework is mainly seen. See materials and finishes and wood veneer matching.

How casework is specified

Casework can sit in more than one part of a specification, so confirm which section applies before tender to avoid scope gaps:

• MasterFormat 06 41 00, Architectural Wood Casework: custom wood and laminate casework built to the project’s drawings by an architectural woodwork manufacturer. Many Canadian specifications place it under the broader 06 40 00, Architectural Woodwork. Our 06 40 00 specification generator helps draft it.
• MasterFormat Division 12, Furnishings: manufactured casework from a product line, usually 12 32 00 Manufactured Wood Casework. Manufactured laboratory casework has its own section, 12 35 53; custom wood laboratory casework can still fall under 06 41 00.
• Quality standard: ANSI/AWI 0641, Architectural Wood Casework, defines Economy, Custom and Premium aesthetic grades and, separately, four performance duty levels; Custom applies when no grade is named. Canadian specifications often reference the North American Architectural Woodwork Standards (NAAWS), developed jointly by AWMAC and the Woodwork Institute, instead. See AWI quality grades explained.

What to decide before casework goes to tender

• Construction type and interface style, stated in the specification rather than left to the bidder.
• Quality grade and duty level, and any elements that need a different grade from the rest.
• Core material and moisture resistance for wet areas such as sinks, serveries and labs.
• Hardware: hinge type, drawer slide rating, locks and keying.
• Countertop material and who supplies it, since countertops sometimes sit in a different section.
• Blocking and services: who provides in-wall blocking, and where plumbing and power pass through the casework.
• Install conditions: occupied building, elevator sizes, after-hours work.

The process from drawings to approval is covered in millwork shop drawings explained and the millwork submittal process.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between casework and millwork?

Millwork is the umbrella term for custom, design-specific woodwork and built components. Casework is the part of that scope made up of cabinets and boxes that store, display or serve; manufactured casework bought from a product line is specified separately. See millwork vs. casework vs. cabinetry.

What is architectural casework?

Casework designed for a specific building and built to its drawings, usually specified under MasterFormat 06 41 00. It contrasts with manufactured casework chosen from a product line; see custom vs. modular casework.

Is casework the same as cabinetry?

The terms overlap. Cabinetry usually means storage cabinets; casework is the broader commercial term that also covers display cases, counters and service units.

What does commercial casework cost?

Cost depends on construction type, material and finish, quality grade, hardware and quantity. See what commercial millwork costs or run a range through the millwork budget estimator.

Have casework on a current project? Send us the drawings or call 905-761-9568.