Joinery: compare quotes and prices

Define the desired work first

Making a new item, changing an existing component and fitting a bought product are different tasks. Repair instead investigates an observed fault. Several compatible jobs can be requested together.

Furniture, cladding, window boards and trims have different requirements. A broad trade description does not mean every workshop handles every specialist task. Structural timber work, conservation restoration and protective systems need appropriate expertise.

Use one clear list for mixed tasks

Give shelf counts, trim lengths or cladding area where known. One global square-metre figure or item count does not suit all joinery. A common description can assign meaningful quantities to different items.

Describe condition and intended result, such as extra shelves or a sticking drawer. You do not need to identify the faulty internal component. Known manufacturer and model references can help with compatible hardware.

Technical dimensions and substrate can be checked later. A finished drawing or exploratory dismantling is not required for the request. Photos or plans may be helpful by agreement without being a condition of first contact.

Choose material and finish for the intended use

Solid timber, veneer and faced boards are different constructions that may sensibly be combined. High-quality joinery is not necessarily entirely solid wood. A timber species alone does not describe the whole construction.

Wear, moisture, care and appearance guide the choice. Agree exposed edges, colour, sheen and retained surfaces using samples. A new addition may differ from aged existing material; discuss the intended visual result first.

Runners, hinges and other hardware affect operation and effort. The workshop selects appropriate components while considering existing systems. A visually similar front or replacement hinge is not automatically compatible.

Separate surveying and design from fabrication

A fitted piece needs the wall layout, junctions and usable space considered. Approximate details are enough initially; final fabrication dimensions and drawings should be professionally confirmed. A desired width is not yet a verified fitting dimension.

Design, alternatives, detailed drawings and samples can be separate services. A free portal request does not mean substantial design work by a contractor is also free. Agree an additional planning commission and its scope before work starts.

If supplying products or materials yourself, clarify suitability, complete parts and responsibility beforehand. Missing components, incompatible hardware or extra cutting can change the work. Not every workshop accepts supplied material unchanged.

Coordinate workshop work, fitting and other trades

Loose components can be worked on in a workshop; fitted elements and adaptations often need a site visit. Collection, delivery and carrying should be agreed separately. Location, exact floor and particular routes help organise the work.

During refurbishment, flooring, wall junctions and other work need coordination. Removal, painting and plastering are not automatically in the joinery commission. State which services should be undertaken together.

Structural components, unknown older materials, fixed electrical connections and protective systems need suitable professional assessment. You do not have to certify their suitability yourself. A small area does not remove specialist responsibility.

Compare costs by activity and complete scope

For 2026, the Swiss trade association gives CHF 112 per hour for professional joinery work, excluding VAT. Machinery, fitting, vehicles and materials are separate items. This calculation guideline is not a binding rate for every workshop.

Compare labour, material, finishes and fitting for the same scope. An hourly offer and a fixed price are comparable only when expected effort and extra charges are clear. Agree how work needed for damage discovered after opening and other additional tasks will be approved before proceeding.

Check before ordering and fabrication

The scope should be clear without requiring you to design the construction yourself.

• Task. Making, adapting, repairing or fitting.
• Quantities. Assign items, counts, lengths or areas meaningfully.
• Specification. Agree materials, visible details and retained components.
• Organisation. Clarify workshop, site, access and transport.
• Additional work. Agree design and further findings before execution.

From a request to completed work

Fabrication and fitting times depend on material, construction and coordination. A simple task name does not establish a fixed duration.

1. Describe the work. Provide one list, known quantities and the desired result.
2. Set the specification. Agree survey, material, hardware and necessary specialist work.
3. Approve the quote. Set complete scope, price and the process for additions.
4. Review the result. Check function, visible details and suitable care instructions.