Furniture repair: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What furniture repair is

Furniture repair mends wobbly legs, broken joints, cracked frames, loose drawers and damaged veneer on wood furniture. A pro uses glue, clamps, dowels or replacement hardware to bring the piece back to solid. People call when an heirloom chair rocks, a dining table leg has come loose, or a dresser drawer no longer fits its opening.

Signs you need it

  • A chair or table rocks on its legs, or a leg has a visible gap at the joint
  • A cracked or split frame member, rail or stretcher on a chair or bed
  • A drawer sticks, sags or will not fit back into its opening
  • Veneer is lifting, bubbling or chipping at the edges and corners
  • A joint has come apart, such as a mortise and tenon or a corner joint
  • The piece creaks or flexes under normal use, which often points to a loose joint

What the pro does

  • Inspect the piece and identify the wood, the joint type and the finish
  • Disassemble the joint carefully, clean out old glue and dirt, and check the mortise for damage
  • Repair or replace dowels, tenons and wedges, and re-glue the joint with the correct adhesive
  • Clamp the joint square and let the glue cure fully before handling the piece
  • Reglue loose veneer, fill small chips and touch up the finish to blend the repair
  • Test the piece under load, check for square and level, and confirm the drawers slide smoothly

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Type of furniture, such as a chair, table, dresser or bed, and its construction
  • Number of joints and the amount of disassembly needed
  • Whether a leg, rail or stretcher must be replaced or rebuilt
  • Veneer area and whether it can be reglued or must be replaced
  • Hardware replacement, such as drawer runners, knobs or hinges
  • Finish matching, which takes more time on older or stained pieces

What a written quote should spell out

  • Piece type, wood species if known, and the joints to be repaired
  • Each repair item by name, such as joint re-gluing, dowel replacement or veneer reglue
  • Whether a part is replaced, and the material and finish used
  • Finish touch-up and whether the whole piece is refinished
  • Warranty on the repair, in writing

Questions to ask before you hire

  • What glue will you use on this wood, and why?
  • Will you disassemble the joint, or only reglue it in place?
  • Do you replace the dowels or tenons, or reuse them?
  • Will the repair be visible, and how will you match the finish?
  • Can you reglue the veneer without removing it?
  • Do you check the piece for square after the glue dries?
  • Does the warranty cover the joint if it loosens again?

Red flags

  • Glue injected into a loose joint without taking it apart and cleaning it
  • A leg or rail replaced without checking the joint it fits into
  • Hardware screwed into the wood with no pilot hole or wood filler
  • Veneer glued down with the wrong adhesive or left unclamped
  • A quote that names no joint types or repair methods

What you can do yourself

You can tighten the screws on hardware, replace a drawer knob or a drawer glide, and reglue a small lifted veneer edge with wood glue and a clamp. Wipe off any excess glue before it dries. Do not take apart a joint that is glued and pinned on an antique without checking first, since a wrong move can damage it; call a pro for a loose chair joint, a split leg, a broken frame or a veneer repair across a large area.

Licenses and permits

Furniture repair is generally not licensed as a trade. Check with your state or local licensing agency or business office for any business license that applies to paid repair work in your area.

Furniture repair questions

Why does my chair wobble?

A wobbling chair usually has a loose joint, a worn leg or rail, or a dowel that has shrunk or come loose. A pro takes the joint apart, cleans it and reglues it so it holds.

Can an antique be repaired without losing its value?

Often, yes, if the repair is careful and reversible where possible. Tell the pro the age and the origin of the piece, and ask how they will handle the original parts.

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About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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