How to Start a Custom Picture Framing Business From Home
Custom picture framing combines woodworking precision with a steady stream of everyday customers: family photos, diplomas, kids’ artwork, posters, jerseys and keepsakes. A home-based framer can start small, take orders by appointment, and grow the shop as demand builds.
The core equipment
ZenBusiness lists the main tools of a framing shop: a double miter saw or chopper for corners, an underpinner (V-nailer) to join them, a mat cutter for beveled openings, a glass cutter, a point driver to secure the art and backing, and often a dry mount press, an air compressor and a framer’s vise.
Cost estimates vary widely. A Jim.com guide puts a miter saw at about $500–$1,500, an underpinner at $1,000–$3,000, a mat cutter at $300–$1,200 and starting moulding, mat and glazing stock at $2,000–$5,000, for a total of roughly $5,000–$12,000 including registration and insurance. ZenBusiness gives higher figures because it assumes a retail shop lease, with total budgets from about $15,000 for used manual tools to $50,000 or more for a computerized mat cutter and new pneumatic equipment. These figures were current as of October 2026. Working from a garage removes the lease, and buying used equipment can lower costs further.
Space and safety
You’ll need a long, flat worktable, racks for moulding lengths, flat storage for mat board and glass, and a clean area for fitting so dust doesn’t end up under the glass. Wear cut-resistant gloves and eye protection when handling glass, follow your saw’s guarding instructions, and keep adhesives and finishes ventilated.
Pricing
The Jim.com guide suggests cost-plus pricing: mark up materials, charge labor as its own line, and call at least three local framers for a quote on a standard job, such as a 16×20 with one mat, to benchmark the market. A printed price sheet for common sizes like 8×10 and 11×14 speeds up quoting. ZenBusiness notes that a basic poster frame and a conservation shadowbox can differ in price by hundreds of dollars, so offer clear tiers.
Finding customers
Good starting points include local artists and photographers, schools and sports leagues, graduation and holiday gift seasons, and wholesale work for interior designers. ZenBusiness notes that much framing revenue tends to come in October through December, so this is a good time to have samples ready.
Rules to check
ZenBusiness says a framer generally needs a local business license and a seller’s permit for sales tax, and that some fire departments inspect workshops that use adhesives and finishes. Customer visits to a home workshop may fall under home-occupation rules. Requirements vary by state, county and city, so check locally or with a professional.
More on Garage Business Blueprint
- How to Price Handmade Products: A Simple Formula for Garage Makers
- How to Set Up a Safe, Workable Garage Workspace for Your Business
- Selling Wholesale to Local Boutiques and Gift Shops
