10 Power Tool Storage Ideas

Love your power tools but struggling to store them efficiently? Here are some solutions to help organize your workshop or garage.

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Compact Drill Dock
Family Handyman

Compact Drill Dock

We love this DIY drill station because it organizes your chargers as well as your tools.

Drill-drivers are one of the most useful tools in a DIYer’s collection, so much so that many own more than one. That often results in a bewildering array of batteries and chargers that end up cluttered and tangled.

This simple storage solution, from a Family Handyman reader, organizes your drill-drivers and chargers for less than $50. It requires only a single sheet of plywood, though a few feet of 1×8 or 1×10 board gives a more finished look.

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flip-top work bench
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Flip-Top Workbench

This ingenious workbench showcases a nearly magical way to double your power tool storage: a bench top that flips upside down! Bolt your bench-top power tools to each side of the work surface. That way your tools not in use are automatically stored, safe and sound.

We love the high quality of this build, and it’s peppered with clever small details. Casters make it mobile, while the pegboard cabinet backs provide easy customization. The side cabinet offers storage for a narrow-base bench-top power tool, like a drill press. The outfeed roller safely supports longer materials.

Most intermediate DIYers can tackle this project over a weekend for about $500 in materials.

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Tool Work Bench
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Workbench with Built-in Lumber and Power Tool Storage

Here’s another workbench with built-in power tool storage. Its L-shaped design provides space to store all kinds of power tools, and the open-faced sides are good for lumber and sheet goods. It’s a great solution as shown. If you have more power tools to store than lumber, consider converting the front to cabinet doors.

The straightforward design makes this project beginner-friendly. It can be built for $150 to $300.

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Pneumatic Power Tool Station
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Pneumatic Power Tool Station

Pneumatic tools require storage for air hoses as well as the tools themselves. This simple air tool storage project gets tools and hoses off the workspace floor while offering cubby storage for fasteners and spare couplings. Best of all, you can build it with parts you probably have lying around.

Attach a 2-1/2-gallon bucket (or a five-gallon bucket cut in half) to your wall. Pop in a 3/4-inch plywood shelf/divider, and you’re done! Wrap your hose around the bucket like a garden hose, and slide the tools and accessories into the bucket.

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Viper Tool Storage
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Rolling Metal Tool Storage

So far we’ve been looking at DIY solutions. Prefer organizing your power tools and accessories without building something yourself? You’ve got plenty of options for purchase.

Check out this six drawer, 41-inch rolling tool cabinet from Viper Tool Storage ($799). Made with powder coated 19-gauge steel, the cabinet can withstand the inevitable dings and dents that come with workshop storage.

It’s got drawers of various heights. All can hold up to 100 pounds of tools and accessories, with up to 150 pounds in the heavy-duty drawer. The shallower drawer is perfect for multi tool blade storage or other smaller items.

Moving a rolling cabinet loaded with tools and hardware can be tricky, so the Viper comes with pre-cut liners to cushion and secure items. Plus, the drawers all latch shut so they won’t swing open while you’re repositioning the cabinet.

The tallest drawer includes a power strip and USB outlet to keep the power flowing to your batteries and devices. That drawer, and the exterior, feature peg holes for additional customization.

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drill dock garage organization storage
Family Handyman

Expanded Drill Dock Organizer

This is another docking station for your drill-drivers and other pistol-grip power tools. This one is wider with PVC “holsters” for your tools. Consider adding a power strip to make charging easier.

We’re often asked, “Can power tools be stored in a cold garage?” The answer is mostly yes. But batteries are best stored indoors, making a charging station like this perfect for a mud room or basement workshop.

This should take a few hours to build and cost $75 to $100 in materials, mostly for hardwood boards and PVC pipe.

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double sided rolling shelf storage
Family Handyman

Rolling Full Tool Cabinet

This high-capacity rolling cabinet can hold a ridiculous number of power tools.

The initial design shows storage for more than a dozen, from routers and drills to circular saws and nail guns. And that’s just the front side! Spin the cabinet around on its casters, and the other side holds just as much. And because it’s DIY, you can easily customize the storage bays to accommodate your specific tools.

Expect to spend between $350 and $450 on this project, which should take an intermediate-level DIYer two to three days to complete.

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Magnetic Power And Air Tool Holder
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U.S. General Power Tool Holster

We’ve talked about the convenience of peg holes, whether on cabinet doors or the sides of tool chests. But what if you don’t have peg holes?

The U.S. General Magnetic Power and Air Tool Holder ($25) uses powerful magnets to keep your pistol-grip tools ready for use. It hooks onto the top of a tool cabinet and clings to the metal wall. If you have a wooden tool chest, add a metal sheet or recessed matching magnets to the side.

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Pegboard sliding tool cabinet
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Cabinet With Pegboard Bypass Doors

This DIY tool storage project uses pegboard in a particularly clever way, as integrated sliding doors. The pegboard lets you keep drill bits, router bits, sanding disks and all kinds of other power tool accessories within easy reach. You’ll need a set of by-pass sliding door hardware and a single sheet of pegboard.

A good project for beginners, the materials cost $50 to $100. There’s a trick to it: Leave a gap between the doors so tools won’t jam up the slide. Two inches should be enough for thin tools.

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 Wheelbarrow Storage
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Wheelbarrow Storage/Transporter

This is a no-frills option for storage and transport around a job site or large property. If you’ve got a lot of land, you know getting power tools out to a project can be a pain. The traditional rolling tool storage solutions we’ve looked at so far only work on the smooth surfaces of a garage or workshop floor.

Make this simple tool storage/carrier with an existing wheelbarrow and less than $75 in materials. Use a plywood sheet for the box and any dividers, and scrap lumber for bottom-side cleats. (The cleats keep tool carrier in place while at an angle.)

This is a great build for DIYers who want a simple, direct solution to storage and onsite transport.

Dan Stout
Ohio-based freelance writer and author Dan Stout is a former residential remodeler, commercial site supervisor and maintenance manager. He’s worked on nearly all aspects of building and DIY including project planning and permitting, plumbing, basic electric, drywall, carpentry, tiling, painting and more. He also publishes noir fantasy thrillers, including The Carter Series, from Penguin imprint DAW Books.