Here’s a general information pricing guideline you might expect to see from seatweavers and wicker restoration professionals across the country. Use this pricing schedule only as a general guide for the typical charges you might expect in your area.
But keep in mind that not everyone charges the same way, and pricing varies drastically across the country, depending on the cost of living in the area, the weaver’s years of experience, the time and labor involved in completing the project, the material fees, etc., etc., etc.
After working in this field for 40+ years, I retired from active day-to-day cane and wicker restoration work in September of 2013 and have limited my restoration work to selective projects only. However, I continue to update and maintain this website, send an email newsletter, teach, demonstrate, lecture, blog, and consult with clients.
Check the National Furniture Repair Directory™ to find a pro near you to fix your furniture! Thanks to all my loyal clients, subscribers, and followers throughout these 40+ years in business and 20+ years on this website since 1999!
**Note: The 2013 pricing schedule below was updated to reflect current charges for September 2024.
Antique Wicker Repair & Restoration Charges:
Labor: $100 – $250.00 per hour, plus materials ($50-$150)
Many shops repair and restore both rattan reed and paper fibre wicker repairs but may not work on outdoor or plastic wicker.
Hole-to-Hole or Traditional Hand Caning:
Labor: $3.00 – $6.00/per drilled hole, plus materials ($25-$50)
More than 72 holes: $3.00 – $8.00/per drilled hole, plus materials
Holes are drilled around the perimeter of the chair seat frame and individual strands of cane are hand-woven through the series of drilled holes.
Cane Webbing, Pressed Cane, or Sheet Cane:
Labor: $5.25 – $10.00 per inch per longest rail, or diagonally, or $1.00 per square inch, plus materials ($20-$75)
Prewoven sheet cane is set into a routed-out groove on the top side of the chair, held in place with a reed spline, and no holes are drilled in the framework.
6MM Herringbone Twill Design or 6MM Porch Cane Design:
Labor: $7.25 – $10.50 per inch, longest rail or diagonally, plus materials ($40-$105)
A two-layer weave is applied to both the top and bottom around the seat rails, creating a pocket. It is frequently seen in the seats and backs of porch rockers and is weather-resistant, hence the name “Porch Cane.” It can also be woven in a Diamond Weave, Basket Weave, or Chevron.
Star of David, Spiderweb, or Daisy Caning:
Labor: $6.00 – $10.50 a hole, plus materials ($40-$105)
These fancy, very intricate, and difficult hand cane weaves use two different gauges of cane. They are not as sturdy as the Traditional 7-step Method of Hand Caning, so are usually reserved for the backs and underarms of Victorian wicker furniture only.
Blind Caning, Single Sided:
Labor: $4.50 – $10.00 per drilled hole, plus materials.
Extremely difficult and very time-consuming weaving technique. Blind Caning requires each strand to be measured exactly, cut to the exact length, and glued into holes that are only partly drilled through the framework. These holes are not drilled completely through the frame as are regular cane chair holes. Usually reserved for very fine high-end antique furniture or museum pieces.
Double Blind Caning, Two Sided:
Labor: $5.00 – $12.00 per drilled hole, plus materials.
Extremely difficult and very time-consuming weaving technique. Double Blind Caning requires each strand to be measured exactly, cut to proper and exact length and glued into holes only partly drilled through the framework, like the Blind Caning. But the big exception being that the caning is done on both the front side of each panel in the frame and the back side of each panel of the frame. Almost always reserved for very fine high-end antique furniture.
Hand-Twisted Natural Cattail Rush or Bulrush:
Labor: $18.00 – $30.50 per longest rail inch, plus materials ($50-$85)
Extremely rare and very laborious type of hand-twisted weaving uses natural materials of either cattail leaves or bulrush. Usually reserved for museum pieces or high-end quality antiques. Materials are very hard to source and not available commercially.
Pre-twisted Natural Rush (PTNR):
Labor: $8.25 – $12.00 per inch, longest length rail, plus materials ($30-$55)
Sea grass that has been pre-twisted in a continuous length, which looks very similar to hand-twisted cattail leaf rush.
Paper Fibre (spelling denotes man-made) Rush:
Labor: $5.25 – $12.00 per inch, longest rail, plus materials ($30-$50)
Paper Rush is a continuous strand of man-made paper material wrapped around the seat rungs, forming a distinct pattern of four large triangles meeting in the center. This weave is commonly found on post-1910s Colonial ladderback chairs.
Danish Modern Cord (Scandinavian):
Labor: $8.25 – $15 per inch, longest rail, plus material cost
Either L-nail type or side rail seat weaving. Seats and backs are also sometimes woven using wide-binding cane rather than Danish cord, so check with the weaver for additional pricing.
Splint Seats–Woven with Reed, Ash, Oak or Hickory Bark
Labor $7.50 – $11.25 per longest rail inch (Reed, Ash, Oak), plus materials ($30-$50)
Labor $8.75 Hickory Bark, plus material cost ($55 – $175)
Woven both top and bottom around four seat rungs, usually in a 3×3 or 4×4 twill, but can be other patterns, too. Hickory bark is a seasonal available material and much more costly to obtain than the other weaving materials.
Classes, Lectures, Demonstrations
- Private Instruction: $75-$200 hour, negotiable
- Lectures, demonstrations, and presentations: $200 – $550, plus all expenses paid
- Teaching Class Schedule: For guilds, workshops, and conventions $35-$150 per hour instruction, plus individual student material fee, with most expenses negotiable. Take a look at my teaching schedule for this year.