HOW TO HIRE · HOME REPAIRS & HANDYMAN

How to hire an antique restorer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to antique restorers. Ask whether the work is reversible, how the piece is insured, and about any ivory.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an antique restorer in five steps

  1. Photograph everythingEvery side, labels and marks, before it leaves.
  2. Ask about reversibilityCan the restoration be undone later?
  3. Insurance in transitAnd at the workshop.
  4. Ivory?Dealing later needs an exemption under the Ivory Act 2018.
  5. Written scopeWhat will be done, and what will not.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Antique restoration carries no licence or statutory register anywhere in the four nations; trade bodies are voluntary.

Ask for examples of similar antique restoration work and a written scope.

Ivory and the Ivory Act 2018

According to gov.uk, buying, selling or hiring out anything containing ivory from the listed species requires an exemption. A restored antique with ivory stays covered.

Tell the antique restorer about any ivory and keep their notes for a future sale. gov.uk →

Solvents and COSHH

HSE's COSHH rules on hazardous substances apply to self-employed people who take hazardous products onto other people's premises. The solvents, lacquers and strippers used in antique restoration are that kind of product.

Ask what products the antique restoration uses, and how the room will be ventilated. hse.gov.uk →

Your rights, and the piece in their care

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 antique restoration must be done with reasonable care and skill; loss or damage while the piece is with the restorer is what their insurance should cover.

Ask the antique restorer what insurance covers items in their care.

VAT

Restoring an antique is standard-rated at 20% when the restorer is registered, materials and collection included. Over the £90,000 registration threshold a trader must charge it and show it separately; under it there is no VAT and no VAT number.

Ask the restorer for a VAT number before you hand the piece over; with none, no VAT should appear on the invoice. gov.uk →

“Will the antique restoration be reversible?”

A good answer: Yes where possible, with materials a later restorer can undo.

“How will restoration affect the antique's value?”

A good answer: An honest view, and when to leave well alone.

“Will the restorer conserve the original finish?”

A good answer: Where possible.

“How is the antique insured with you?”

A good answer: Cover named for items in their care and in transit.

“Does the antique contain ivory?”

A good answer: They help identify it and note it.

“How long will it take?”

A good answer: A realistic time.

Getting the quote right

  • Scope of the restoration
  • Materials and methods
  • Collection, delivery and insurance
  • Timescale
  • Who actually attends to the piece — the restorer you met, or work passed to a subcontracted specialist
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% as a separate figure from the restoration price

Walk away if

  • Strips an original finish without asking
  • No insurance for the piece
  • No written scope
  • Vague on timescale
LOW
£200
TYPICAL
£450
HIGH
£850

What an antique restorer costs: £200–£850 per item

Antique restoration is priced per item by size, damage and the care the piece needs. Antique Restoration price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Antique restorers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. AssessCondition recorded with photos.
  2. AgreeScope and methods agreed.
  3. Structural workJoints, legs and veneer repaired.
  4. SurfaceFinish conserved or revived.
  5. ReturnDelivered with notes.

Conservation
Stabilising a piece while keeping original material.
Reversible
Work that can be undone later.
Patina
The aged surface valued on antiques.
Veneer
A thin decorative wood layer.
Marquetry
Patterns made of inlaid veneer.
Ivory Act 2018
Restricts dealing in ivory items.

AFTER

When the job is done

Compare with your photosBefore you pay the balance.
Keep the restoration notesFor insurance and any sale.
Care adviceHow to clean and keep it.
Write the reviewSay what the antique restorer did well on the antique restoration and what they did not. If it fell short, use the make-it-right step first, so the antique restorer can put it right before you publish.

STEP 1Go back to the antique restorerStart with an email to the antique restorer: the problem, photos and what would put it right. A trader's antique restoration is covered by section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and the remedies — doing it again, or a price reduction — follow from sections 55 and 56.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right stepA score under four stars opens the make-it-right step: you choose whether the antique restorer gets the chance to put the antique restoration right first, and we chase it to an end before you publish.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplinesFor advice about the antique restoration, or to have the complaint passed to Trading Standards, call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 (England and Wales), Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claims, if money is owedA claim against the antique restorer that will not settle can go to court without a lawyer — the small claims track for up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure for up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court for up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an antique restorer: questions people ask

No. No licence or register applies.

Only with an exemption under the Ivory Act 2018, according to gov.uk.

It can; ask whether the work is reversible and conserves the original.

£200–£850 per item, with about £450 typical. What pushes it up or down is in the antique restoration price guide; search above by town for restorers in your area.

Ask the restorer, and check your home insurance.

A few days for a small repair; several weeks for a full restoration.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in home repairs & handyman

How to hire: Furniture RestorationHow to hire: French PolishingHow to hire: Upholstery RepairHow to hire: Painter & DecoratorHow to hire: HandymanHow to hire: Spray PaintingHow to hire: Odd JobsHow to hire: Sealant & CaulkingAll 701 hiring guides →

Antique restorers near you

Antique restorers in LondonAntique restorers in ManchesterAntique restorers in BirminghamAntique restorers in GlasgowAntique restorers in BelfastAll antique restorers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — dealing in items made of or containing ivory
  2. HSE — does COSHH apply to the self-employed?
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  4. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  5. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  6. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register