Millwork professionals near you

When looking for a professional to do millwork, make sure you consider the following factors and complete these steps:

• Verify their license and insurance: Some areas may require millworkers to hold licensure for general construction. Requirements depend on your local area so be sure to do your research. Make sure to also verify that your pro carries workers’ compensation and liability insurance to cover damage and accidents.

• Get several estimates: Estimates should include an itemized list of all materials and finishes that will be used, the estimated number of labor hours required, and the costs of everything.

• Read their reviews: Pay close attention to online reviews where customers are expressing poor experiences with the pro. Try to avoid hiring a pro who has too many negative reviews that say the result was low quality and didn’t match the homeowner’s existing millwork. 

• Look at their portfolios: Millwork professionals should have diverse portfolios featuring all kinds of woodworking projects. This includes not only trim but also wainscoting, ceilings, trim, doors, and more.

• Find out if they have warranties: Reputable millwork services tend to offer a guarantee on their workmanship. Be sure to read the fine print before you hire a professional

• Ask important questions: Make sure that you are able to view a comprehensive selection of samples for wood species and finishes. Also, ask how they approach color matching if you need new millwork to match existing woodwork in your home. Good millwork services often compare multiple samples of your requested wood species in different finish shades to get a good match.

For more tips, visit Thumbtack’s Smart Hiring page. 

Millworkers typically offer the following services: 

• Design and engineering: Professional millwork services often design and engineer custom wall panels, trim, countertops, staircases, doorways, window frames and sills, and other types of woodwork.

• Finishing: After creating custom millwork, millwork services usually add custom finishes including paint, stain, and varnish.

• Installation: Professional millworkers may also be able to install your new woodwork.

However, millwork services typically don’t offer the following services: 

• Drywalling: Millworkers typically focus on more decorative elements like trim or wainscoting. They may install wood wall panels, but they won't install drywall or other types of wallboards.

• Flooring installation: Similarly, they won't install most types of flooring unless it's a custom-designed wood floor that they engineered.

• Maintenance: While a few specialized millwork services may handle some refinishing projects, most typically only handle design, fabrication, and installation.

The cost to hire millwork services largely depends on the project. Here are the national average costs of several common projects, according to Thumbtack data: 

• Baseboard installation: $503 to $1,689*

• Custom cabinetry: $1,264 to $4,723*

• Trim or molding installation: $515 to $1,731*

There are several factors that might impact the cost of this project, including: 

• Scope and complexity: Larger millwork projects involving more lumber and projects with more intricate designs typically cost more.

• Wood species: Pine is usually one of the least expensive wood species. Other types of wood, like mahogany, walnut or exotic woods, often cost more.

• Finishes: Stains, paint, and varnish can all add to the cost of a millwork project. Basic paint or stain with a single coat of varnish is usually among the more affordable options, while high-gloss varnishes tend to cost more because they require multiple coats and sanding in between to achieve that deep gloss look.

You might be able to save money on your project with these tips: 

• Simplify designs: Choosing simpler trim profiles instead of complex scrollwork may save money.

• Choose the right wood: Compare many different wood species. Often, you can find a species that has a similar look and feel to expensive, exotic lumber — but for a fraction of the cost.

• Handle finishing yourself: Rather than paying for painting or simple staining and varnishing, you may be able to do this portion of the job yourself.

*Data on file at Thumbtack. For a personalized cost estimate, request a quote from a professional.

In most cases, you should provide the following information to local millworkers:

• Measurements: Millwork services will need to know the length and width of trim, wainscoting, beamwork, doors, and other types of millwork that you'd like them to create. If you don’t have these measurements, that’s usually OK. Many will visit your home to collect these details themselves.

• Design information: You'll need to provide them with plenty of information to help them create a final design. This includes preferred styles, molding profiles, and other details.

• Preferred species and finish: Professional millworkers will need to know what species of wood you'd like. They'll likely have you choose between different types of finishes, such as paint, stain, and varnish.

• Existing woodwork: If you want a professional to match existing woodwork in your home, they'll likely need to visit and compare samples to ensure that they can get the match just right before they give you a quote.

Some of the biggest benefits of hiring a professional millwork service include the following:

• Greater selection: Whereas home improvement stores and general contractors have access to a limited selection of woodworking materials, millwork services typically offer a wide range of wood species and finishes.

• More customization: Millworkers can often go beyond basic woodwork styles to create just about anything you can imagine. Many can design custom trim profiles, unique wainscoting, and custom beam work or add unusual elements like cornice boxes above your windows.

• Unmatched quality: Most consider millwork an art form rather than standard construction work. Professional services typically deliver top-quality handcrafted woodwork designed to showcase their talents.