Most people ask what French polishing costs before they ask anything else. We do not publish a price list, because two tables of the same size can need very different work. What we can tell you is what changes the price, so you know what you are paying for. This is how we price French polishing jobs across Sydney.
The five things that change the price
1. The size of the piece. The more surface there is, the more coats we build by hand. A side table is a short job. A dining table for eight is a bigger one. A staircase or a wall of timber panelling is bigger again, and we work on it in sections.
2. The state of the old finish. If the old shellac is sound, we can clean it, repair the damage and build new coats over it. If the finish is cracked, flaking, sticky or worn through across the whole surface, it has to come off first.
3. Stripping. Taking an old finish off takes time. Old shellac comes off quickly. A piece that someone has coated with polyurethane or paint over the years takes much longer, because every layer has to come off before the timber takes a new French polish.
4. Repairs to the timber. Before we polish, we fix what is in the timber. Dark water stains, dents, gouges, burns and chipped veneer all add time. White rings and light scratches usually sit in the finish and add less.
5. The number of visits. Shellac has to cure between sets of coats. A small repair to a sound finish is often done in one visit. A full strip and re-polish of a dining table takes more than one visit. We give you the number of visits in the quote.
Repair, re-polish or replace
| Option | What it involves | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| Repair the damaged area | We fix the mark and blend it into the shellac around it | The finish is sound and the damage is in one area |
| Full strip and re-polish | We strip the old finish, repair the timber and build a new French polish by hand | The finish is worn, cracked or flaking across the whole surface |
| Replace the piece | A new piece of furniture | The piece has rot or broken joints and it is not worth fixing to you |
A repair to one area is the lowest cost option. If a piece has loose joints or broken parts, a cabinet maker fixes the structure first and we finish it after. We tell you if a piece is not worth the cost before you spend anything.
Why on site matters for the price
We French polish where the piece is. There is no pick-up, no transport and no weeks without your table. For staircases, doors and wall panelling there is no other way anyway, because they cannot go to a workshop. We cover the area, control the dust and work in sections so the rest of the room stays usable.
What we need to give you a fixed price
- A photo of the whole piece in daylight.
- A close up of the worst damage, with a coin next to it for scale.
- A photo of any worn edge, leg or arm rest.
- The size of the piece and the suburb.
Send the photos through the form or on WhatsApp. We reply with a fixed written quote within one business day. It says what we will do, the finish we recommend and why, and how many visits it takes. If you want to know more about what can be fixed without stripping, read can French polish be repaired?.
