Safe? I'm not sure.. is it hot water or electric heat? If electric, the built in will stop the heat from getting into the the room and also the built in will be very hot. I would suggest putting legs on your built in so heat can come out under it. I have the same problem and found in the winter I cannot put wooden furniture in front of my base board heat (electic)..Do like baseboard heat though.

Thanks for your response! This is hot water baseboard, not electric.

I had hot water Years ago. Put chairs and couch in front but no solid build ins. I think you could but might lessen the heat coming into your room.

Did you build the built ins? I'm looking to do the same thing and had the same question! I read that you should put dry wall on teh underside of the cabinet to protect from heat, any other suggestions?

You do not want active baseboard heat with a built in in front/over it.

In the picture shown the finned baseboard piping should not be used behind the built in.. if one piece of pipe, it would be finned where visible and un-finned behind/beneath.

Just wasting money?

@Stax we were planning on building the bottom of the cabinet ~4 inches above the top of the baseboard with feet instead of having the bottom enclosed and leaving ~3 inches between the back wall and the back of the cabinet with shelves offset from the wall to allow heat to escape - any other suggestions or do you still think that would be a bad idea?

Still waste a lot of money!!!

Why not just replace the six foot of baseboard with plain pipe?

Is there an easy way to do that besides hiring a plumber? We had to drain our heating system a few months ago and it was $600...

To replace a section of heating pipe would involve draining the system - I don't believe you could remove the fins either.

EDIT: Googled on baseboard heating removing fins

May be feasible, I have zero experience. If it does work, sliding insulation over the now hidden bare piping would be appropriate - and easy.