The average cost of furniture assembly is $110, but it may cost between $90 and $150, depending on time and quantity.
Professional furniture assembly is affordable, costing people an average of $110 per piece. Though complicated builds could cost upwards of $450, most people pay between $90 and $150. Whether you’re building a basement bar or decorating a bedroom, the reality of designing your dream room often comes with the hassle of pouring over directions and fitting screws into finicky pre-drilled holes. In your college days, putting together flat-pack furniture was a right of passage—but it doesn’t have to be a prerequisite.
Several factors impact how much you’ll pay for furniture assembly, such as furniture size, type, labor, and more. Here’s a detailed cost breakdown for assembling furniture.
Larger furniture pieces are often weighty and complex. Your handyperson may even need to bring on an additional worker to help with the job, which raises the overall price. The table below shows what you can expect to pay for furniture assembly based on size.
| Furniture Size | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Small furniture | $40–$100 |
| Medium-sized furniture | $80–$120 |
| Large furniture | $100–$350 |
| Extra-large furniture | $150–$450 |
Whether your furniture is trendy rattan or reclaimed wood, the more complicated the piece, the higher the assembly cost. Dressers, desks, and bed frames tend to be the most complex. For example, it takes about two hours to assemble the average bed. On the other hand, chairs and end tables tend to be the least complex and may only take a few minutes to build. Here are the price ranges of assembling common furniture items:
| Furniture Item | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Dresser | $100–$350 |
| Armoire or wardrobe | $150–$450 |
| Bookcase or stand-alone shelving | $80–$120 |
| Tables and islands | $40–$450 |
| Chairs | $40–$160 |
| Office furniture | $100–$1,000 |
| Sofa | $80–$160 |
| Bed frames | $70–$160 |
| Media center | $100–$350 |
Since the best type of pro to hire for furniture assembly is a handyperson, you can expect to pay their hourly or project rates. The cost of hiring a handyperson is $90 per hour on average, with hourly costs ranging from $40 to $140, depending on the project.
Furniture assembly is almost always priced by the hour, though smaller and easy-to-assemble items may be subject to a minimum fee. These prices can double if the job requires two people, which is often needed for larger furniture.
Furniture assembly can be as simple as screwing legs onto your brand new couch, which is why many homeowners and renters opt to do it themselves. As long as you have a basic toolkit, it won’t cost you anything.
The main benefit of hiring a local handyperson is convenience and safety. If you’re not experienced with anchoring furniture, professional furniture assembly is probably your safest bet. Even without safety risks, you may just want to avoid the hassle. It may not be worth it unless you have difficult pieces, large pieces, or multiple pieces to assemble.
Since you’ve already purchased your furniture, you’re only paying for labor. You can expect an hourly service charge, though some simple jobs will have a minimum charge. The cost breakdown also includes a tip. You should tip your furniture assembly service anywhere from $10 to $20 per person. If it’s a difficult job or they provided excellent service, shoot for the high end of that range.
The cost of furniture assembly can add up quickly, especially if you have several items that need professional assembly. So, you’ll want to look for simple yet effective ways to save a few bucks. While there are countless ways to save on furniture assembly, here are four methods to try.
Ask your pro if they offer any discounts or promotions for multiple service requests.
Get personalized quotes from at least three different furniture assembly companies. While the least expensive option isn’t always the best, you want to make sure you’re paying a reasonable price.
DIY build furniture that isn’t too difficult or time-consuming.
Prepare multiple items for assembly at the same time. Furniture assemblers may charge less if you hire them to assemble several items.
Most pieces take between one to four hours to assemble—but it depends on the complexity and your experience level. What might take you a whole afternoon may only take a professional two hours. When hiring a handyperson, be sure to provide specific details about the size and type of furniture piece so they can provide a more accurate time estimate.
IKEA tries to make their flat-pack furniture as easy as possible to assemble. If you like assembling furniture, you can probably do it yourself (as long as it’s not a piece that needs to be anchored to the wall). If you’re not great at following diagrams and pictures, you may want to hire a professional.
Ikea and Wayfair are two of the most popular furniture retailers that always have some assembly required. IKEA actually has a furniture assembly service that costs as little as $36, but it only applies to some of their products. Most people pay $110 per piece for professional assembly.
Wayfair has a larger range of prices since they carry different brands. Wayfair furniture assembly can cost anywhere between $40 to $450.
