Moving damage furniture repair in Saint Paul, MN is one of the most common calls Dale’s Furniture Refinishing takes, and Dale has been putting moved furniture back together by hand for over 40 years. A dresser catches a door frame on the way out. A table leg snaps in the truck. A chair racks loose because it was carried by the arms instead of the seat. Damage like that looks final the moment you see it, and it usually is not. Dale repairs move and storage damage for homeowners and renters throughout Saint Paul and the Twin Cities, and he writes a clear itemized estimate that moving companies and insurance adjusters accept.
How we repair moving damage
Dale starts with a full look at the piece, because move damage is rarely limited to the part you noticed. A snapped leg usually means the joints around it took the same shock, so he checks the frame, the rails, and the glue lines before quoting anything. Broken legs and stretchers are re-glued and reinforced where the wood allows it, and rebuilt from matching stock when a break is too splintered to hold. Racked and loose joints are taken apart, cleaned of the old glue, and re-glued square, so the piece sits flat and solid instead of being clamped over the top of a failing joint.
Surface damage is handled the same careful way. Gouges and dents from door frames and stair rails are filled, leveled, and refinished. Scratched tops are either spot repaired or refinished across the whole surface, depending on how the light catches them. Because Dale does the finish work himself, replacement wood and patched areas are stained and topcoated to match what surrounds them, so the repair reads as part of the piece rather than as a fix.
Move and storage damage we repair
- Cracked, split, and snapped legs and stretchers
- Loose and racked joints from being carried or set down wrong
- Gouges and dents from door frames, stair rails, and truck walls
- Deep scratches and scuffs on tabletops and dresser tops
- Torn and lifted veneer from shrink wrap, tape, and moving blankets
- Broken mirror frames, headboards, and empty picture frames
- Racked cases, split backs, and drawers that no longer track
- Dried joints and opened cracks after a long spell in storage
- Chairs needing re-gluing or new caning after a rough trip
Filing a claim with your mover
Most moving companies cover your belongings at a basic released value by default, which pays out based on weight rather than on what a piece is actually worth. A hundred year old walnut dresser and a flat pack bookcase of the same weight get treated the same way under that coverage. That is exactly why an independent repair estimate matters so much on antiques and solid wood furniture.
Photograph everything before you call anyone. Wide shots of the whole piece, close shots of each break, scratch, and gouge, and if you have them, photos from before the move that show the piece intact. Write down the date, the mover, and the crew. Then get a written estimate from someone who repairs furniture for a living, not a replacement quote from a store. Dale gives free estimates and writes them itemized, line by line, so a claims department can see exactly what the repair covers. If the loss runs through a homeowners or renters policy instead, see our insurance restoration service.
Why choose Dale’s for moving damage repair
- Itemized written estimates movers and insurance adjusters accept
- Structural repairs done by hand, not filled over and hidden
- Matched stain and finish so repaired areas blend in
- Honest assessment of what is worth repairing and what is not
- Fair pricing with FREE estimates and work we always guarantee
- 40+ years of craftsmanship, serving the Twin Cities since 1975
Repair instead of replace
Furniture that survived a bad move is usually worth more than what a claim check will replace it with. Solid wood cases, dovetailed drawers, and real joinery are hard to buy new at any sensible price, and a proper repair costs a fraction of replacement. If a piece came out of the truck looking tired as well as broken, repair pairs naturally with full furniture refinishing, so it goes into the new house looking better than it left the old one.
Call Dale at (651) 748-9465 for a FREE estimate, or contact us here. Move damage work often overlaps with furniture repair, veneer repair, and antique restoration, and you can see current pricing any time. Before the next move, it is worth reading our guide to moving antique furniture safely. Dale serves Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and the surrounding Twin Cities.