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Yes, 12-inch shelves are often considered the standard closet shelf depth for storing folded clothing, shoes, and small containers. However, if you plan to store bulky items such as blankets, baskets, or cleaning supplies, you may want to go deeper. For specialized layouts, an adjustable system can give you more flexibility.

You may need a building permit to add a closet, depending on the size and kind of work required to install it. The most likely scenario requiring a permit involves changing the structure of the house and performing electrical work for closet lighting. A permit can cost between $100 and $450. If you’re installing a smaller reach-in closet, a permit may not be required, but always check with your local municipality and consult a closet designer or builder.

If you have a bathroom closet with movable shelves, you can place them at virtually any spacing that works for you. Useful measurements between shelves in the working, or middle, section can be 10 to 16 inches for towels or linens. Lower or higher shelving could be up to 24 inches between shelves to store lesser-used or bulky items or boxes. 

Bump-out additions can add some space to a closet without requiring any significant structural work. This entails pushing back the existing rear or side of the closet, simply moving the wall into either an adjacent room or unused space. For ground-floor closets, this could even be extended to the exterior of the home, but that has its own complications. Bump-outs are a good discussion to have with your contractor if you’re just looking to increase the space a little—not renovate the entire closet space.