Custom millwork is a big investment, and the shop you choose shapes how the project goes. These are the questions worth asking any shop, including us.
1. Have you built something like this?
Ask for projects similar to yours in type and scale: a restaurant dining room, an office shelving wall, a hotel desk. Look at close-up photos of joinery, edges and finish, not just finished-room shots.
2. What do you build in-house?
Some shops build everything; others outsource finishing, upholstery or metal. In-house work usually means better control over quality and schedule. Ask who builds each part of your project.
3. What materials and construction do you use?
Ask about solid wood versus veneer, joinery methods and finishes. Our wood species guide and finish guide explain the trade-offs.
4. How do you handle measurements and drawings?
Built-in work has to fit the building as it really is. Ask whether the shop takes its own field measurements and how it confirms details with your designer before fabrication.
5. What is the timeline, and what affects it?
A good shop will tell you what drives the schedule and what decisions it needs from you. See our restaurant build-out timeline.
6. Who installs, and when?
Ask whether the shop's own crew installs, whether after-hours install is possible and how long-distance projects are delivered.
7. How will we communicate?
Ask how often you will get updates and who your point of contact is. Remote projects can work well with clear communication; for Little While in San Diego we made one trip to measure and handled the rest over calls, email and video.
8. What does the price include?
Confirm whether the quote covers design details, finishing, hardware, upholstery, delivery and installation. See what drives the cost of custom millwork.
Related
How a custom millwork project works · Millwork vs. casework vs. finish carpentry
See our commercial millwork work and projects, or start a conversation.
Fine dining: we have built custom furniture for two Michelin-starred Sacramento restaurants, The Kitchen and Localis. See our fine dining work.