>>so would a 4.5' wide cage be a good compromise?



No, not at all. Instead it will just mean that your scrap pieces will be slightly bigger.



In my opinion you either go with a 48" length or stick with your original design. There is not comprimise with 4.5' as it does not save anything. It might make the cage easier to get around corners if you were to move.



>>Would 12" not be tall enough for the inside of the enclosure?



In my opinion this is a minimum for a furniture quality cage. If you pay the premium for the 5'x10' material I really think you'll want a bit more viewing height. When the viewing height is half the depth of the cage (or less) the cage becomes much less attractive, IMO.



>>Also, my intent was to have sliding glass doors, would that have any affect on whether I have lips on the front of the cages?



For the length you want, upper and lower lips will do a lot to prevent sagging along the floors of your cages. You want to avoid sagging with sliding doors.



More importantly, since this is furniture quality, a face frame (which acts as the lips) will add such a nice look to the cage. They also do wonders for hiding lights and heating elements - another important consideration for a furniture quality piece.



You can do whatever you want with whatever dimensions you want, but I'm not certain you've truely considered the tradeoffs of your options.



Post a message over on the kingsnake forum with the title "2'x4' cage big enough for Florida/Eastern King?" and I think you'll get a lot of helpful advice.



That's still a huge cage for a Florida/Eastern King and might even help them feel more secure vs. the size you are suggesting. And the money you'll save will be tremendous.
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Current snakes:



1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)



3.4 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)



2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

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