What to Ask Before Hiring a Furniture Restorer

Entrusting a fine piece to a restorer is an act of faith — the work happens out of sight, and mistakes may not surface for years. These seven questions will tell you quickly whether you are talking to a craftsman or a refinisher.

1. What is your training and background?

Look for formal training in conservation or a long apprenticeship tradition, not just woodworking experience. Ask how long they have practiced and whether museums, auction houses, or dealers use them — institutional clients vet rigorously.

2. Will you examine the piece before quoting?

No reputable restorer prices work sight unseen. A proper assessment identifies what is original, what is later alteration, and what the damage actually threatens. Be wary of anyone who quotes from photographs alone.

3. What exactly do you propose to do — and what will you not do?

Ask for the treatment plan in plain language: which interventions are proposed, which materials will be used, and what will be left alone. The answer should distinguish conservation (stabilize, preserve) from restoration (renew, replace) and explain why each is recommended.

4. Are your materials and methods reversible?

Wherever possible, conservation uses materials that a future conservator can undo. A restorer who cannot explain their materials — or who reaches for modern synthetics where traditional ones belong — is a warning sign.

5. Will the work be documented?

Professional studios photograph and record condition before, during, and after treatment. Documentation protects you, aids future caretakers, and is standard practice at the museum level.

6. How is the piece insured while in your care?

Ask directly about insurance for objects in the studio and in transit. A serious operation carries appropriate coverage and will discuss valuation with you.

7. May I see examples of comparable work?

Before-and-after documentation of similar pieces — similar period, similar problems — is the most honest credential there is. Vague assurances are not.

A true professional welcomes these questions. If the answers are evasive, keep looking: the right hands are worth waiting for.