Art inevitably lives a life after it leaves your studio. Sometimes, that life includes accidents—a bumped corner, a scratched surface, or a fragile sculpture gone awry in a collector’s home. When the artwork comes back for repair, a key business question arises: who handles the repair, and should the gallery take a commission on the repair cost?
As a gallery owner, I’ve faced this scenario many times. Here’s my approach, and some best practices for handling repair requests fairly and professionally.
Who Should Handle the Repair?
First, think of the repair as a customer-service opportunity. The goal is to make it easy for the collector to restore their cherished artwork—and to reinforce positive feelings about both the artist and the gallery.
In practice, repairs can be handled in three ways:
- Direct Artist-Collector Arrangement: Sometimes, the gallery connects the collector directly with the artist. This works well when the artist lives nearby or if the repair is very technical and needs a detailed consult.
- Gallery as Intermediary: More commonly, the gallery acts as a bridge, handling logistics (shipping, communication, payment) while the artist performs the repair. This helps maintain the gallery-collector relationship.
- Gallery Handles Everything: Rarely, a gallery may have an in-house restorer or recommended third-party conservators for certain repairs (more common with higher-value pieces).
Should the Gallery Take a Commission?
My strong belief: galleries should not take a commission or markup on repair costs. Here's why:
- Customer Service Trumps Profit: The repair is about maintaining good collector relationships, not an additional revenue stream.
- Transparency and Trust: Passing through the artist’s stated repair fee without a markup builds trust on both sides.
- Goodwill for Future Sales: Going above and beyond—even occasionally absorbing minor costs—often leads to return purchases and enthusiastic referrals.
That said, there are nuances:
- If the gallery incurs significant out-of-pocket costs (e.g., complex shipping logistics, insurance, or packaging), it’s reasonable to pass those along. However, it’s best to quote these transparently upfront—never as a “commission.”
- In some cases, a reasonable handling fee might be justified for extensive logistics, but it should always be disclosed and kept as minimal as possible.
How Should Artists Price Repairs?
When quoting a repair:
- Honestly assess material and time costs. Don’t under-value your time, but don’t use the opportunity to gouge the client—this isn’t the moment for broad profit margins.
- Consider the stage of the artwork’s “life cycle.” For recent sales or minor fixes, some artists will even offer complimentary repairs as a gesture of goodwill (budget for this possibility).
- Avoid setting the price so low that the collector questions the work’s original value.
Turning Repairs into Opportunities
Handled well, repairs create stories collectors remember—about your responsiveness, professionalism, and commitment.
A few practical tips:
- Respond promptly and empathetically when a repair request comes in.
- Keep the collector updated on the process and timeline.
- If circumstances allow, include a thank you note or small extra gesture—these go a long way toward deepening loyalty.
Bottom Line
Repairs are an inevitable part of an artist’s and gallery’s business, but they’re an opportunity to build (or reinforce) lasting relationships. In nearly all sales, I advise galleries to forgo a commission on repair work. The goodwill generated almost always outweighs any small margin missed—and the next sale is often just around the corner.
Takeaway: Treat every post-sale problem as a chance to prove your professionalism and care—for the artwork and the collector.
Reader Question:
How have you (or your gallery) handled artwork repairs and costs in the past? What approaches have worked well—or badly—for you?
if the repair is significant enough to involve an insurance appraisal then commercial restoration costs should be applied whether performed by the artist or a professional restorer. Minor stuff like scuffs or corner bumps take very little time or effort and should be done as good will exclusive of travel costs or out of pocket expenses to go to the client. If it is a rip or tear caused by the clients direct action or negligence the cost is on them . light fade due to improper hanging placement is on the owner. If the damage is due to improper materials or improper application of the materials restoration if possible is on the artist as would be replacement if required [it does happen ] .
As a trained restorer it is my experience that artists are very poor restorers of technical material damage but invaluable to those elements that create or change the overall character or feeling of a work. Example; Restored a Fantin la Tour painting of a rose for insurance after it had gone through a fire which changed the basic tone and character of the pigments rendering the work to no longer be characteristic of his work. It was not restorable to original state and was regected by the corporate client and museum who formerly showed/owned the work. its value became effectively 0. In modern terms the artist could not have restored the work. [insurance paid out the work and the restoration efforts as a write off]
it is hard to restore a clients confidence and faith in the work even though on the surface it has no visual defects remaining. Discuss with the client just what their goals are and decide whether to restore from that starting point. assumptions are deadly in restoration activities whether on contemporary or historical works. [lesson learned over 50 years of doing restorations]
Restoration of a damaged painting is a craft way beyond my capabilities as an artist. Of course there are many levels of damage, from a saggy canvas to a tear in the canvas. My paintings are finished with a permanent, acrylic barrier varnish and a an oil based removable varnish on top. I would not consider managing the removal of these varnishes. So any repair that would need to penetrate the layers of varnish are beyond my craft and knowledge. I consider professional restoration to be an art and a craft. Any replacement of color is better executed by a professional restorer than by the original artist. Time light and general environment can affect matching the colors precisely. I don’t know how to do that. I once damaged a sold painting with a disastrous varnish. My attempts to fix it made things worse. I sent the painting to an art restorer in LA and the repair was magnificent. The old varnish was removed and a new varnish applied. The repair cost was around $300. In another case I was contacted by a collector who had purchased 5 large paintings. The stretcher bars had warped and he wanted me to fix it. Without question I took the painting off the wall next day and delivered it to have the stretcher bars replaced. I installed a new painting in the empty space temporally until the original painting was repaired. And yes he was happy with the repair and purchased the temporary painting.