A custom woodworking order is a piece made to a buyer’s own requirements, such as a table to fit a dining room, shelves for an alcove or a box engraved for a gift. Custom orders often bring higher prices than ready-made pieces, but they also take more time before any wood is cut: meetings, drawings, quotes and agreements.
This post walks through a custom order step by step, from the first enquiry to the final payment. It also covers deposits, changes during the project, complaints, clients who do not pay, and how to spot difficult clients early.
Why Offer Custom Work
- Higher prices. Buyers pay more for a piece that fits their space and needs exactly.
- No unsold stock. You make the piece once it has been ordered and a deposit paid.
- Repeat work and referrals. Many clients come back for more pieces over time, and a happy client is often the best source of new clients.
- Room to show your skill. Custom work lets you take on projects you would not make for stock.
The trade-offs are the time spent on meetings and quotes that do not always turn into orders, and the risk of misunderstandings, changes and late payment. A clear process reduces all three.
The Custom Order Process at a Glance
- Handle the first enquiry.
- Meet the client and listen.
- Draw up the piece.
- Write a clear quote.
- Put the agreement in writing.
- Take a deposit.
- Keep the client updated while you build.
- Handle changes in writing.
- Deliver, collect the balance and follow up.
1. Handle the First Enquiry
A first enquiry may come by phone, email, a message on social media or a form on your website. Many people contact more than one maker, so reply promptly. Use a mobile phone for your business so you can take calls when you are away from the workshop, and set up a voicemail greeting that gives your business name. Many first-time callers will not leave a message, so return missed calls when you can.
Your phone number and email address should appear on your business cards, website, social media profiles and any advertising. A short enquiry form on your website can ask the key questions up front:
- What would you like made?
- Rough size, or where will it go?
- Preferred wood or finish, if any?
- When do you need it?
- What budget do you have in mind?
These answers tell you whether the job suits you before you spend time on a meeting. If the budget is far below what the piece would cost, say so politely at this stage and, where possible, suggest a smaller or simpler option.
2. Meet the Client and Listen
For anything more than a small, simple item, try to meet the client. You can visit them, especially if the piece must fit a space, or invite them to see your workshop and finished work.
- Listen first. Let the client describe what they want before you suggest anything.
- Take notes. Write down sizes, materials, colours, how the piece will be used and any deadline. Measure the space yourself if the piece must fit it. Take photos of the space, with the client’s permission.
- Be patient and polite. The client may not know as much about woodworking as you do. Explain wood choices, joinery and finishes in plain words, and never be dismissive or condescending.
- Ask about use. A dining table for a family with young children needs a harder-wearing finish than one used for occasional dinners.
- Show past work. A portfolio of finished pieces helps the client decide and builds trust. See how to build a woodworking portfolio.
For a small job, you may be able to give a price at the meeting. For a larger one, explain that you will prepare a drawing and a written quote.
3. Draw Up the Piece
A drawing turns the client’s description into something you both can agree on. It does not need to be a formal plan. A clear sketch with main dimensions, wood, finish and key details is often enough. For larger pieces, a scaled drawing or a simple 3D model helps the client picture it.
Send the drawing by email, or take it to a second meeting. A second meeting gives the client a chance to ask questions and suggest changes, and it often helps to close the order. Note any changes and update the drawing. Decide how many rounds of changes you will make before the client commits. Some makers include one or two revisions and charge a design fee for more, credited against the order if it goes ahead.
4. Write a Clear Quote
A written quote prevents most later disagreements. Include:
- a description of the piece, with dimensions, wood, finish and hardware, referring to the agreed drawing
- the total price, and what it includes and excludes, such as delivery, installation or sales tax
- the deposit amount and when the balance is due
- the expected completion date
- delivery, collection or installation arrangements
- how changes after approval will be handled and charged
- what happens if the client cancels
- how long the quote is valid, as wood prices change
Work out the price from your materials, including waste, your hours, a share of workshop costs and your profit margin. Do not guess. See how to set the final selling price on your craft.
5. Put the Agreement in Writing
Once the client accepts, turn the quote and drawing into a written agreement that you both sign or confirm by email. For small items, a signed quote may be enough. For large or costly pieces, a simple contract template, reviewed once by a lawyer, can be reused for every order.
If you agree a sale at the client’s home, the FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule may apply. It covers sales of $25 or more made at the buyer’s home, workplace or dormitory, and sales of $130 or more at temporary locations such as hotel rooms. The buyer can cancel for a full refund until midnight of the third business day after the sale. The seller must tell the buyer about this right at the time of sale and give them two copies of a cancellation form, along with a dated copy of the contract or receipt. The rule does not cover sales completed after negotiating at your permanent place of business, or arts and crafts sold at fairs, shopping malls, civic centres or schools. Some states have their own rules too, so check yours.
One way to avoid confusion is to discuss the piece at the client’s home, then send the quote and agreement for them to accept later, and only start once the deposit has been paid.
6. Take a Deposit
A deposit before you buy materials is one of the most important parts of the process. It shows the client is committed, and it covers your materials if the client changes their mind or does not pay the balance. In that case, you lose your labour, but not the money spent on wood and hardware. Using the client’s deposit to buy materials is also better than paying for them with your own money or credit.
- How much. Many woodworkers ask for 50% up front. Others ask for enough to cover materials, or split large jobs into stages, such as a deposit, a payment at a set point in the build, and the balance on completion.
- Refunds. State clearly in the agreement whether the deposit is refundable, and when. A common approach is that the part spent on materials is not refundable once they have been bought.
- Payment methods. Bank transfer, card payments through an invoicing tool and checks all work. Allow a check to clear before you buy materials. Always give a receipt.
- Be consistent. A deposit policy works best when you apply it to every order. Clients accept it more easily when it is simply how you work, and a genuine client rarely objects once they trust you.
- Exceptions. A very small job that you can finish in a day may not need a deposit. Business, contractor and government clients often pay on invoice after completion. See woodworking contracts with builders, businesses and government before taking on that kind of work.
7. Keep the Client Updated
Your contact with the client does not end once the order is approved. Send a photo or a short note at key stages, such as when the wood arrives, after glue-up and before finishing. Clients appreciate it, and it gives them a chance to raise concerns early. If anything will delay completion, tell the client as soon as you know, with a new date.
Ask whether you may use photos of the piece, and of it in place, in your portfolio and marketing.
8. Handle Changes in Writing
Clients sometimes ask for changes after the work has started. Record each change in writing, with any extra cost and any change to the completion date, and get the client’s agreement before you make it. Small changes can be done as goodwill, but say clearly that you are doing so. This keeps the original agreement intact and avoids disputes about the final price.
9. Deliver, Collect the Balance and Follow Up
- Inspect the piece carefully before delivery and fix any faults.
- Collect the balance before or at delivery, as set out in the agreement. Avoid handing over a finished piece on a promise to pay later.
- Give care instructions for the wood and finish.
- Ask the client to let you know if anything is not right.
- A week or two later, check that they are happy and ask for a review or a referral.
Your dealings with each client are about more than one job. A client who is happy with the work and with how they were treated may order again and recommend you to others.
Handling Complaints
A clear process prevents most problems, but complaints still happen. How you handle them affects your reputation as much as the work itself.
- Listen first. Let the client explain the problem fully before you respond. Do not interrupt or dismiss it.
- Acknowledge it. Even if you disagree, acknowledge the client’s concern. Many complaints grow because the maker refused to accept there was a problem at all.
- Check the agreement. Compare the complaint with the agreed drawing and quote. This shows whether it is a fault, a misunderstanding or a new request.
- Fix genuine faults promptly. If the work does not match what was agreed, or there is a defect, put it right without argument.
- Explain where needed. Some concerns are about the nature of wood, such as grain, colour change or seasonal movement. A clear, patient explanation often resolves these.
- Decide what matters more. Sometimes a little extra time to keep a client happy is worth more than being right, especially when it brings repeat work and referrals.
When a Client Asks for More Than Was Agreed
Some clients ask for extra work at no extra cost, or change their requirements after the piece is made. Decide whether you are willing to help:
- If you are not, decline politely and firmly, and offer to do the extra work for an agreed price.
- If you choose to do it as goodwill, do it fully and in good spirit, without making the client feel they owe you a favour. Make it clear that it is a one-off.
Keep a written record of complaints, what was agreed and what you did. It helps if a dispute goes further.
When a Client Does Not Pay
A deposit and a clear agreement make non-payment rare, but it can happen.
- Send a polite reminder with a copy of the invoice and the agreement.
- Follow up by phone. There may be a simple reason, such as a lost invoice.
- If the client is struggling, a short payment plan in writing may be better than nothing.
- Send a final written request with a deadline.
- As a last step, every state has a small claims court for smaller disputes. The maximum amount you can claim varies by state. Your written agreement, quote, drawings and messages are your evidence.
If the piece has not been delivered, keep it until the balance is paid, as your agreement allows.
Spotting Difficult Clients Early
Most clients are reasonable. A few signs suggest a job may be difficult:
- refusing any deposit for a costly piece
- vague or changing requirements, with reluctance to approve a drawing
- repeated pressure to lower the price below your costs
- unrealistic deadlines
- complaints about every previous maker or contractor they have used
It is fine to decline a job. A polite “I don’t think I’m the right maker for this one” saves time and stress for both of you.
For more on where custom clients come from, see how to sell woodworking projects and free and low-cost ways to advertise a woodworking business. For the wider picture of running a woodworking business, see how to start a small woodworking business from home.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission, Buyer’s Remorse: The FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule May Help
