When I first started as a locker supplier, I’d get calls all the time from small business owners who’d bought lockers online, stared at the box of parts for an hour, and texted me, “How hard can this be?” I get it—most people don’t deal with metal panels, hinge pins, and combination locks for a living. Over the last seven years, I’ve walked hundreds of customers through installation, and I’ve learned that the key is to break it down into simple, step-by-step tasks, skip the overcomplicated jargon, and emphasize the prep work most folks rush through. This post is all about what I tell every new customer who says they want to save a little money by installing their lockers themselves, rather than paying a handyman. No fancy tools, no secret tricks—just practical, tested steps that work for every type of locker we sell, from gym lockers to office storage units. Locker
First, before you even unbox a single panel, there are three non-negotiable prep steps. Skipping any of these will make the installation take twice as long, or worse, leave you with a lopsided set of lockers that won’t close right. The first is measuring the space. I can’t tell you how many times a customer calls a week after installation, panicking, because their 6-foot-tall lockers didn’t fit under a 5.8-foot ceiling. Grab a tape measure, and write down three numbers: the total height of your ceiling at the spot you want the lockers, the total width of the wall or floor space, and the depth you have. Most standard lockers are 12, 15, or 18 inches deep—if you’re squeezing them into a narrow hallway, 12 inches will fit, but for office storage where you need to hang coats, go for 15. Also, make sure the floor is level. Even a 1/8-inch dip in the floor will make the bottom row of lockers lean to one side. If you have linoleum or concrete, you can use a level to check; if there are uneven spots, you can shim them with small wooden blocks later, but it’s easier to fix that before you start putting anything together.
Second, gather your tools. You don’t need a pro’s kit—most things you probably already have in your garage. Here’s what I tell people to grab: a drill with a Phillips head bit, a tape measure, a level (the 2-foot kind works, no need for a long 4-foot one), a rubber mallet, a pencil, and a step ladder, especially if your lockers are over 4 feet tall. The only thing you might not have is a stud finder, and that’s worth buying a $10 one from a hardware store if you don’t have it. Hanging lockers to drywall only won’t hold—they need to be anchored to wall studs, otherwise they’ll pull off the wall if someone slams a locker door. I’ve seen it happen way too many times, and it’s a mess. If you’re installing lockers in a space without walls, like a break room or a gym floor, we offer free floor mount kits for that, which I’ll walk you through later.
Third, lay out all your parts. When you open the boxes, it’s easy to mix up the side panels, the doors, the hinges, and the lock sets. Dump all the parts on the floor, and sort them by row. If you ordered four lockers side by side, you’ll have four side panels, four doors, four hinges, and one main top panel. Write down a quick note of which parts belong to which locker number—we label every panel with a small sticker on the back, so just match that to your layout. It’s also a good time to check for damaged parts. Most of the time, damage happens in shipping, not because we made a mistake. If you see a dented panel or a door that doesn’t sit right, call our support team before you start installing—we’ll send a replacement for free, no questions asked. Don’t try to bend a dent out with a mallet, that will leave a permanent mark and weaken the panel.
Now, let’s get to the actual installation, starting with the base row. This is the most important row, because it sets the level for all the rows above. First, decide if you’re doing wall-mount or floor-mount. For wall-mount, use your stud finder to mark where the studs are along the wall at the height of the bottom of the first row. Most bottom rows are 4 inches off the floor, so mark that line, then mark each stud every 16 inches (standard stud spacing). The first panel you’re going to put up is the left side panel of the bottom row. Hold it up to the wall, align the top with your marked line, and use your level to make sure it’s straight. Drill two screws through the pre-drilled holes on the side panel into the studs. Don’t over-tighten the screws—you just want it secure, not so tight that you strip the metal.
Next, add the back panel. The lockers we sell come with a thin steel back panel that slips into grooves on the side panels. Just lift it up, and slide it into the back slots of both the left and right side panels. Tap it gently with your rubber mallet if it doesn’t slide all the way, but don’t hammer it too hard—you’ll bend the edges. Then add the other side panel for the first row, align it with the back panel and the stud marks, and screw it into the studs. Now you have a frame for your first locker. Before you add the door, test to make sure it’s level. If it tilts forward or backward, adjust the screws on the side panel until the level says it’s even. This is why we use a level at every step—small adjustments here save you from adjusting all the doors later.
Once the bottom frame is level, add the bottom locker doors. Each door comes with two hinges, one on each side. Line the hinge up with the pre-drilled holes on the side panel, hold it in place, and screw it on. Don’t fully tighten the hinge screws yet—leave them a little loose so you can adjust the door. Close the door, and check if it lines up evenly with the adjacent side panel. If it sticks at the top or bottom, loosen the hinge screws and shift the door until it swings smoothly and closes all the way. Once it fits right, tighten all the hinge screws. Then add the lock set—most of our locks are combination, and they come with a small Allen wrench to tighten the latch. Just slide the latch into the hole on the door, and tighten it so it clicks when you turn the combination. That’s the first bottom locker done.
If you have more than one locker in the bottom row, repeat the same steps: add the next side panel, attach it to the back panel, screw it into the studs, add the door, adjust the hinges. When you get to the middle of the row, you’ll need a divider panel between two lockers. That’s a small steel panel that slots into the sides of two adjacent lockers, so they’re separate. Just slide it in between the two side panels before you add the second door, and that’s it. Most small office or home gym sets are 2 or 3 lockers wide, so this part is straightforward.
Now, if you’re installing multiple rows of lockers, this is where a lot of people get confused, but it’s just the same process as the bottom row, a little higher up. First, measure the height of your top row—most rows are 12 to 15 inches apart between doors, so if your bottom row is 4 feet tall, the next row will start at 4 feet 15 inches, or whatever spacing you ordered. Before you attach the side panels of the upper row, you need to add a middle support panel. This is a long steel panel that runs along the back of the lockers, between the rows, to hold them up. It’s pre-drilled with holes, so just align it with the back of your bottom row’s side panels, and screw it into the studs. This is critical—without that middle support, the upper lockers will sag over time, and the doors won’t close right.
Once the middle support is secured, attach the upper row’s side panels to the support panel, just like you did for the bottom row. Hold each side panel up, level it, and screw it into the studs and into the middle support. Then add the back panel, the doors, and the hinges, just like the bottom row. When you get to the very top, add the top panel—this is a flat steel panel that covers the top of the lockers, making them look neat and keeping dust out. It fits over the top of the side panels, and you can screw it in for extra stability.
What if you don’t have a wall to mount the lockers to? Like if you’re putting them in a gym, a break room, or a classroom with no solid wall? That’s where floor-mounting comes in, and it’s almost just as easy. We include a floor mount kit with every set over 2 lockers, free of charge. For floor-mount, you’ll use concrete screws instead of screws for studs. First, mark where you want the first side panel to go, then use your drill with a masonry bit to drill holes into the floor at the pre-drilled holes on the side panel. Insert the concrete screws, and tighten them with your drill. Then, same as wall-mount: add the back panel, the other side panel, the doors, and the upper rows. The only difference is you don’t need to anchor to studs, just to the floor. Make sure the floor is super level before you start, though, because there’s no wall to lean on to fix a lopsided set.
Now, the small details that make a big difference. First, the locks. Every set we sells comes with a default combination, usually 0-0-0, and I recommend you change that right after installation. Most lock sets have a small reset button on the inside of the door—just press it in, set your new combination, and you’re good. If you have keyed locks, the keys come pre-coded for your set, so keep them in a safe place. Second, adjusting the doors. If a door is rubbing against the frame after you tighten the hinges, loosen the screws just a little, tap the door gently with the rubber mallet to shift it, then tighten again. It’s normal to spend 10 minutes adjusting doors, even for experienced installers, so don’t get frustrated. Third, cleaning up. The boxes from the lockers make great scrap bins for screws and extra parts, and any sharp edges on the panels can be sanded lightly with fine-grit sandpaper if they’re burrs from shipping. I always tell customers to keep any extra screws or parts for future repairs—you never know when a hinge will come loose or a door will need replacing.
Wait, a common mistake I see people make is installing too many lockers at once without testing one first. Last year, a customer in Chicago called me panicking because all four of his locker doors were crooked, and he’d already drilled all the holes. He told me he skipped testing the first door, and that’s where he messed up the hinge spacing. My advice is: put one full locker together, check that it closes, locks, and is level, before moving on to the rest. It takes an extra 30 minutes, but it saves you hours of rework later.
Another thing: if you have a pre-existing wall that’s only ½-inch drywall, you might want to add a backer board between the lockers and the studs, just to give the screws more to grip. ½-inch drywall isn’t enough to hold lockers for long, and they’ll pull off over time. Backer board is just a thin piece of plywood that you screw to the studs first, then attach the lockers to the backer board. It’s a $10 fix, and it makes a huge difference in stability.
I’ve installed lockers myself a dozen times, when we have big orders and need to help out. The hardest set I ever did was a 12-locker set for a community center that had a sloped floor. We had to add shims under each bottom panel to compensate for the slope, and it took us twice as long, but it worked. If you have any uneven floors or walls, just use small wooden shims—you can get them at any hardware store for a few dollars—and slip them between the panel and the floor, or the panel and the wall, to level everything out. Don’t try to force a panel that’s not level, that will lead to doors that won’t close.
Now, when is it better to call a professional? If you have lockers taller than 6 feet, or more than 6 lockers side by side, you might want to consider hiring a handyman, especially if you’re not comfortable using a drill for long periods. Also, if you’re installing lockers in a public space, like a gym or a school, you want to make sure they’re up to code, which we can help confirm if you send us your layout. But for most residential or small business sets, 1 to 5 lockers, wall or floor mount, installing yourself is totally doable, and you’ll save a few hundred dollars in the process.
Before you get started, make sure you have all the parts. We send a packing list with every order, so cross-check the boxes against the list. If anything is missing, contact our support team right away, don’t wait until you’re halfway through installation. We ship all parts within 24 hours, usually. And don’t be afraid to call us if you get stuck—our team is available 7 days a week for installation help, no extra charge. We’d rather walk you through a tricky hinge adjustment than have you return the entire set.
Installing lockers isn’t rocket science, but it does take time and patience. The key is prep work, working one step at a time, and not rushing. I’ve had customers text me photos of their finished lockers a few days after installation, proud that they saved money and did it themselves, and that’s why I love my job. If you’re ready to order lockers for your office, gym, or home, or have any questions about installation, feel free to reach out to our team to discuss your needs and get a custom quote. We have a wide range of styles and sizes to fit any space, and we’re always here to help, whether you need installation tips or just want to pick the right lockers for your use case.
Storage Cabinet REFERENCES
- Locker Installation Best Practices, National Storage Association, 2022
- Residential Locker Assembly Guide, Home Improvement Research Institute, 2021
- Commercial Storage Fixture Safety Standards, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2020
- Metal Locker Structural Stability Guidelines, Steel Storage Products Association, 2023
Luoyang Belivio Furniture Co., Ltd.
As one of the most professional locker manufacturers in China, we have world-leading production equipment and strong manufacturing capabilities. Welcome to buy high-end locker for sale here from our factory. Quality products and reasonable price are available.
Address: A7-4-601, Hundsun Science and Technology Park, Luolong District, Luoyang City, Henan Province, China
E-mail: belivio@toda.group
WebSite: https://www.beliviofurniture.com/
