ᐅ Billy Regal Tool List for Assembly – What Do You Really Need?

Hello everyone,

I’m about to assemble a Billy bookcase and want to keep the list of tools for this step as simple and practical as possible. The official IKEA instructions mention several tools, but I’m wondering which ones are actually essential and where you can manage well with fewer or alternative tools.

Could you share your experiences? Specifically: Which tools did you actually use, which would you consider unnecessary, and what should you definitely pay attention to in order to assemble the bookcase firmly and quickly?

Thanks in advance for your help!

You mainly need a Phillips screwdriver or a suitable bit for a cordless drill.

A hammer can be helpful if wall plugs need to be installed. Otherwise, most of the necessary items are included in the package.

I would say a cordless drill as a versatile tool makes life much easier. It’s also a bit more fun than constantly tightening or loosening screws with a screwdriver 😉.

A hammer is useful for the wall plugs, but I didn’t need any washers. Maybe also a small tape measure to check the positioning – especially if the shelf needs to fit perfectly.

sobau schrieb:
A hammer can help if anchors need to be installed.

Interesting, so you mean the hammer can be useful for driving wall anchors during mounting? Until now, I thought you might need a drill with the correct diameter to pre-drill holes.

How essential is that really? Should a drill definitely be planned for when attaching the shelf to the wall, or is it possible with some practice to manage just with a hammer and anchors if necessary?

Are there also any specific tips on the best way to proceed?

Pre-drilling is highly recommended when mounting Billy shelves on the wall to ensure a clean and secure installation of the wall plugs. The drill bit should match the wall plug diameter—usually 6 or 8 mm (approximately 1/4 or 5/16 inch). Using only a hammer and wall plugs without pre-drilled holes increases the risk of damaging the wall or the plugs not holding securely.

For assembling the shelf itself, a Phillips screwdriver or a cordless drill with the appropriate bit is sufficient. A hammer is mainly needed for inserting wooden dowels used in the shelf joints.

I can easily understand that you don’t always have the ideal tool on hand or want to invest in a large number of devices at once.

Maybe it helps to consider how often you plan to assemble furniture: If it’s just a single Billy-style shelving unit, then a simple screwdriver and hammer will probably be enough, with some patience and care.

However, if you assemble furniture more frequently, I recommend investing at least in a small cordless drill/driver. It made my recent projects a lot smoother and less frustrating.