Overview: Furniture Repair & Restoration
Furniture repair happens at a bench, over days or weeks. Shops take chairs that wobble, drawers that jam, loose veneer, cracked tops, water marks, cane seats and sofa frames that have snapped under the fabric. A Canadian winter adds work of its own. Furnace heat dries the wood, joints loosen, and solid tops split along the grain.
Find out what a piece is before anyone strips it. An old finish is part of what a collector pays for, and on early painted pine the worn original paint is often the valuable part. Old paint can also hold lead. Health Canada warns against sanding lead paint or taking a heat gun to it, because both release toxic dust and fumes. Ask the shop how it strips and where the work happens.
Get the price in writing, too. In Ontario, the Consumer Protection Act keeps a final bill within a small margin of a written estimate unless you sign off on a new price. That rule helps when a sofa frame turns out to be worse than it looked.
Our listings show what each repair shop states on its own website, so work through the province and city lists to find benches that'll take your chair, table or chesterfield.
Furniture repair and restoration costs in Canada
Choose between a targeted repair, a new finish and reupholstery. Fabric, cushion condition and transport often decide whether restoration fits your budget.
| Service | Planning budget | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Loose-joint, veneer or local finish repair | Scope-based quoteper assessed piece | Repair the named defect while preserving the sound parts of the piece.Ask whether the repair will remain visible and whether collection or an in-home visit has a separate minimum. A loose joint, lifted veneer and a damaged finish need different work. Send photos of the defect, underside, dimensions and material for a repair-specific quote.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Agreed repair and local finish matching Budget separately or confirm: Full stripping and refinishing; Unlisted replacement parts or structural rebuilding |
| Wood dining-table refinishing | C$400–C$2,000per table | Strip or prepare and refinish an ordinary wood dining table; dimensions and existing coating specified.Confirm whether the top, base and legs are all included; a tabletop-only price is not a whole-table price.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Surface preparation; Agreed finish Budget separately or confirm: Structural repairs, extra leaves and inlay; Collection and delivery unless listed |
| Dining-chair reupholstery | C$150–C$550per chair | Simple seat-only through seat-and-back dining-chair configurations, using standard fabric.A seat-only chair costs less than an upholstered seat and back. Match the covered surfaces and padding allowance.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Upholstery labour; Specified standard fabric and padding Budget separately or confirm: Frame or joint rebuilding; Premium fabric and unlisted transport |
| Standard three-seat sofa reupholstery | C$1,200–C$3,500per sofa | Ordinary three-seat sofa with a sound frame, using standard fabric.This is a fabric-and-labour budget. A labour-only quote still needs fabric, cushion work and transport added.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Reupholstery labour; Specified fabric and basic materials Budget separately or confirm: New cushion inserts, frame or spring rebuilding; Pickup and delivery unless listed |
| Antique or specialist restoration | Scope-based quoteper assessed piece | Preservation-led restoration of a named antique, valuable finish, carving or inlay.Agree the conservation approach before work; replacement materials or a new finish can change the piece’s character and value. Original finishes and hidden damage determine what can be retained. Send provenance, detailed photos and the desired outcome before asking for a restoration plan.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Agreed conservation or restoration scope Budget separately or confirm: Unapproved replacement of original material; Unlisted structural or upholstery work |
What changes the price
- Frame and joint condition versus cosmetic surface damage
- Fabric quantity, pattern matching, cushion inserts and spring condition
- Size, access, workshop transport and finish-matching difficulty
Ask before accepting a quote
- Does the quote cover fabric, padding, springs and transport, or labour only?
- Which parts will be repaired, replaced or left with visible signs of age?
- Would a local repair achieve my goal, and what would full refinishing or reupholstery add?
Compare the complete result
- Use the condition of the frame and the finish you want to compare restoration with replacement.
- Keep a fabric-and-labour total separate from optional new cushions and transport so competing quotes cover the same result.
Canadian context
Confirm Canadian-dollar material allowances and delivery charges, especially when specialist fabric or hardware must be ordered.
Planning amounts in Canadian dollars. Published tax treatment varies; confirm applicable taxes and the final total in your written quote. Rows can be different services, alternative packages or separately priced extras. Add only work that is needed and not already included in your quote.
Frequently asked questions
Should I refinish an antique?
Not until you know what it is. The original surface carries much of an antique's value, and stripping it can't be undone. Cleaning, waxing and tightening the joints usually do more good. Painted pieces need extra care, because older paint may contain lead. Health Canada says to skip sanders and heat guns on lead paint and use a chemical stripper paste applied with a brush.
Why has this chair gone wobbly?
Usually the glue in the joints has given up. Old hide glue turns brittle, and months of dry furnace air followed by a humid summer keep working the joints loose. Gluing only the joint that wiggles rarely lasts, since its neighbours are moving too. A proper repair takes the chair apart, scrapes out the old glue and puts every joint back together at once.
Will home insurance pay to repair flood-damaged furniture?
Only if your policy covers the kind of water that got in. The Insurance Bureau of Canada says basement damage from a sewer backup is covered only if you bought that optional coverage, and flood coverage for overflowing rivers or surface water is optional too. Call your insurer before you throw anything out. An adjuster will often want a written repair estimate from a shop.
Can I cancel a reupholstery contract signed at home?
In Ontario, yes. When an upholsterer brings fabric samples to your house and you sign there, you get a ten-day cooling-off period that starts when you receive your copy of the written contract. You don't need a reason. The business then has to refund you. Outside Ontario, ask your provincial consumer protection office before the fabric gets cut.
Reupholster the sofa, or replace it?
Turn it over and look at the frame. Kiln-dried hardwood with glued and blocked corners is worth new fabric, and tired springs can be retied. A stapled softwood frame usually isn't. Fabric and labour make up most of the bill either way, so ask whether the quote includes new foam and sales tax. Reupholstering pays on solid bones, an heirloom, or a piece that suits an odd room.
