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Custom Furniture Adelaide

The process

How a commission works

You send 1 enquiry. We pass it to an Adelaide maker who builds that kind of piece, and they quote you directly. It is free, there is no obligation, and your contract is with the maker rather than with us.

The detail below covers all 6 stages. If you want the maker's side of the same process, read how commissioning actually works. If you are not sure how to describe what you want, use the briefing checklist. And if you are still working out who you even need, start with furniture makers in Adelaide.

The underside of a solid timber stool showing wedged through-tenon joinery

Step by step

The 6 stages, and what happens in each

  1. 01

    You send one enquiry

    You tell us the piece, a rough size, the room it is going in, a timeframe and a budget range. That is enough to work with. You do not need to have chosen a timber species, a finish or a joinery detail, and a phone photo of the space is worth more to a maker than a precise measurement.

  2. 02

    We pass it to a maker who does that work

    A workshop that builds fitted wardrobes all week is the wrong home for a live-edge slab table, and the reverse is equally true. We read every enquiry ourselves and pass it to a local maker whose work suits what the piece actually needs. If we can't find one, we'll let you know.

  3. 03

    You check the maker before you commit

    Check their ABN on ABN Lookup, ask for a certificate of currency for their public liability insurance, and ask to see completed work in Adelaide homes. Do it on the day you commit, so what you rely on is true on the day it matters.

  4. 04

    The maker contacts you directly

    They talk through sizes, timber, finish and access, then quote. Some will want to visit and measure, which is normal and mandatory for anything fitted. You contract with the maker, not with us.

  5. 05

    You decide, or you do not

    If the quote or the fit is not right, you walk away and it has cost you nothing. There is no fee, no obligation and no follow-up campaign. If it is right, you pay a deposit, usually 40% to 50%, and the maker orders your timber.

  6. 06

    They build and deliver

    Expect 8 to 14 weeks for a dining table and 6 to 12 weeks for fitted wardrobes, measured from the deposit rather than from your first enquiry. Balance is paid on delivery.

Being straight with you

How we are paid, and what that means

This site is a referral service run by Loudachris Digital Marketing, an Adelaide marketing business. Independent local makers build the furniture. We pass your enquiry to a maker whose work suits it, and that maker may pay us a fee. That is the whole model, and it is why the service costs you nothing.

The obvious question is whether that biases who we send you to. The honest answer is that it would if we ran it badly. We route by fit: fitted joinery goes to a workshop that does fitted joinery, and a live-edge slab table goes to a maker who builds slab tables.

We pass each enquiry to a local maker as it arrives. Before you commit, check their ABN on ABN Lookup and ask for a current certificate of currency for their insurance, so both are current on the day you sign, not 14 months ago.

What we do not do

The limits, stated plainly

  • We do not build, install, deliver or repair anything ourselves.
  • We do not hold your deposit or handle any money between you and the maker.
  • We do not sell your details to multiple businesses or to any third-party lead broker.
  • We do not operate outside Adelaide metro, and we do not refer interstate workshops for Adelaide jobs.
  • We do not display testimonials, reviews or ratings, because we have not collected any and inventing them would be dishonest.
  • We do not claim to check a licence. Furniture making is not a licensed trade in South Australia, so there is nothing to check. For fitted work that forms part of building work, licensing may apply to the maker or their builder, and that is worth confirming with them for your specific job.

FAQ

How it works: the questions we get asked

What does this cost me?

Nothing, at any stage. There is no fee to enquire, no fee to be matched, and no fee if you accept a quote. The maker we pass your enquiry to may pay us a fee, which is the standard model for a referral service and the reason it is free to you.

How many makers will contact me?

We pass your enquiry to 1 maker, occasionally 2 where a brief genuinely sits between 2 kinds of workshop. Your details go only to the makers who quote you. If you'd like a second quote, let us know and we'll look for another maker who does that work.

What should I check before I commission a maker?

A current ABN on ABN Lookup, a certificate of currency for their public liability insurance, and a portfolio of completed work in Adelaide, plus references where the job warrants it. Furniture making is not a licensed trade in South Australia, so there is no register to check. Anyone claiming to check a furniture maker's licence is describing something that does not exist.

Do you take a cut of my quote?

No. The maker quotes you their own price. Any fee the maker pays us is between us and the maker. If you would rather approach a maker directly after we introduce you, that is entirely your call.

What if something goes wrong with the build?

Your contract is with the maker, so the maker carries the obligation, and Australian Consumer Law consumer guarantees apply to the work as they would to any trade. We'd like to hear about it either way, so we know who to pass future enquiries to.

Do you cover regional South Australia?

No. Adelaide metro only, from Gawler in the north to Aldinga in the south, plus the Adelaide Hills where a maker is willing to travel. We would rather tell you we cannot help than pass your details to a workshop that will not turn up.

Keep reading

You might also find this useful

Start here

Tell us what you want made

One short form. We pass it to a local maker who builds that kind of piece, and there is no obligation to go ahead.

  • Free to use. The maker may pay us a fee, you never do.
  • Check the maker's ABN, insurance and completed Adelaide work before you commit.
  • Adelaide metro only, so you are not sent to an interstate workshop.

The piece

Step 1 of 4

The room size is enough if you do not know the piece size yet.

Free, and there is no obligation. We pass your enquiry to a local maker who builds that kind of piece.

Get quotes from Adelaide makers