Furniture assembly
Compare local handymen and assemblers for flat-pack furniture, beds, desks and cribs. 3,995 pros listed in 1,488 cities across 50 states.
Reviewed and updated by the Fixerlane editorial team · How we research
Furniture Assembly by city
What furniture assembly covers
Assemblers build flat-pack and boxed furniture: wardrobes, dressers, bookcases, beds and bunk beds, desks, office chairs, dining sets, cribs, outdoor furniture and storage systems. Many also anchor tall furniture to the wall, hang shelves and take away the packaging.
Some handymen do assembly alongside other small jobs; some businesses do little else. Either works for ordinary furniture. Large wardrobe systems and wall beds are worth booking with someone who has built that product before.
When it is worth paying someone
- Large pieces that need two people to lift and hold square while they are fixed.
- Wardrobes and tall units that must be anchored into studs.
- A whole room or office at once, after a move.
- Cribs and children’s beds, where a mistake is a safety problem.
- When you do not have the tools, the space, or the afternoon.
Anchor it: tip-over safety
Dressers, bookcases and TV units that tip over can kill or badly injure children. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Anchor It campaign says anchoring furniture with drawers, doors and shelves to the wall prevents tip-over injuries and deaths. A federal stability rule for clothing storage units took effect on September 1, 2023, but anchoring is still advised.
Ask the assembler to fit the anti-tip kit that comes with the furniture — into a wall stud or with a fixing rated for your wall — rather than leaving it in the box.
How to choose an assembler
- Send the product names or links when you book, so they can quote and bring the right tools.
- Ask whether anchoring to the wall is included, and what fixings they use for your wall type.
- Ask whether they take away packaging.
- Check liability insurance — a drill through a pipe or wire is not a cheap mistake.
- Ask what happens if a part is missing or damaged: most will finish what they can and come back.
What affects the cost
- How many pieces, and how complex each one is — a wardrobe system takes far longer than a nightstand.
- Whether the assembler charges per item, per hour or with a minimum charge.
- Wall anchoring and wall-mounting.
- Stairs, carrying boxes from the kerb, and moving items into place.
- Packaging removal.
- Return visits for missing parts.
DIY or a pro, and safety
Most single pieces are a reasonable DIY job with patience and the instructions. Work on a clear floor, sort the hardware first, and do not overtighten into particle board. Get help for anything tall or heavy.
Whoever builds it: fit the tip-over restraint, keep heavy items in the bottom drawers, and follow the crib manufacturer’s instructions exactly — never add or substitute parts on a crib.
Common questions
- Do furniture assemblers bring tools?
- Yes, normally. Send the product names when you book so they bring anything special.
- Will they anchor the furniture to the wall?
- Ask — many will, and CPSC’s Anchor It campaign advises anchoring furniture with drawers, doors and shelves.
- How long does furniture assembly take?
- From minutes for a simple table to most of a day for a large wardrobe system. Product details let an assembler estimate properly.
- What if parts are missing?
- Most assemblers finish what they can and return once the replacement parts arrive; ask whether a return visit is charged.
- Do they take the boxes away?
- Some do, some charge for it, some leave it flattened. Ask when you book.
- Can an assembler build a crib?
- Yes. Make sure the manufacturer’s instructions are followed exactly and no parts are missing or substituted.
Related services
Sources
Safety and standards advice on this page comes from these publishers. Dates are the ones each page shows.
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Anchor It! (no date shown; read October 2026)
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