Picture framing cost in Luxembourg (2026)

Component breakdown on a typical €150 midrange A3 frame:

• Moulding — 1,6 m at €24/m = €38
• Mount and backing — acid-free double mount = €24
• Glazing — 2 mm picture glass = €18
• Labour — cutting, mitring, assembly, fitting = €50
• Subtotal HT = €130
• TVA 17 % = €22
• TTC total = €152

A frame quoted net at €95 HT with TVA 17 % lands at €111 TTC — always compare on the TTC figure.

Modifiers beyond the base price:

• Conservation UV glass — adds €20–€60 depending on format
• Museum anti-reflective glass — adds €60–€140
• Triple mount with beveled window — adds €15–€35
• Hand-gilded moulding — adds €60–€180 on a medium frame
• D-ring with wire kit + wall fixings — €5–€12

Three cost lines carry most of the spread — moulding, glazing and mount choice. Labour and fittings are minor contributors.

Moulding — the dominant cost line:

• Pine and beech stock moulding — €12–€25/m, used on 80 % of basic frames
• Hardwood oak, walnut, ash — €25–€55/m, standard for mid-range
• Handgilded solid wood — €60–€180/m, premium category
• Aluminium profile — €18–€35/m, modern and poster use

Glazing — the second driver:

• Standard 2 mm picture glass — included on most basic quotes, safe for everyday art
• Acrylic (Plexiglas) — same price as standard glass, preferred for children's rooms or shipping abroad
• UV-filtering conservation glass — €140–€220/m², recommended for watercolours and photographs with original value
• Museum anti-reflective UV glass — €300–€450/m², reserved for high-value pieces in direct light
• Low-iron glass — €180–€280/m², better colour transmission for photographs

Mount and backing — understated driver:

• Standard pulp-core mount — fine for posters, yellows in 5 years
• Acid-free alpha-cellulose mount — €6–€12 per window extra, neutral for decades
• 100 % cotton museum board — €15–€28 per window extra, used for irreplaceable originals
• Triple mount with beveled window — €15–€35 extra, a specific aesthetic

A small A3 photograph in basic moulding + standard glass at €70 becomes €160 with conservation glass + acid-free mount. That doubling is typically worth it only for photographs or drawings worth more than the framing.

A typical Luxembourg framer quotes the full frame as one price, with a printed slip that separates lines so you can compare.

Included in a typical €150 midrange quote:

• Moulding cut to size with mitred corners
• Acid-free double mount with standard window
• Picture glass (2 mm), cleaned and inserted
• Rigid backing board with dust-seal paper
• D-rings and hanging wire
• In-shop fitting of the artwork (dry-mount, hinge, float, as appropriate to the piece)
• Cleaning of glass before delivery

Usually not included — expect a separate line:

• Dry mounting or heat press — €18–€40 for permanent flat adhesion
• Japanese hinge or float mount — €25–€65 for fragile or high-value originals
• Custom fillets and inner lips — €15–€45 for decorative depth
• Shadow-box depth frame — €40–€120 extra over a flat frame for 3D objects
• Wall hanging service on-site — €45–€90 per visit, including fittings
• Pickup and delivery in Luxembourg-Ville — €20–€40 per round trip

Red flags in a quote:

• "Neutral mount" without the word acid-free or alpha-cellulose — it is pulp-core, it will yellow
• Glass described only as "glass" — ask whether it is 2 mm picture glass or float glass
• No line for backing board — some low-end framers use cardboard off-cuts that accelerate foxing
• No written warranty on moulding joint — reputable framers guarantee mitred joints for 2 years

For irreplaceable originals, always ask for conservation glass and 100 % cotton board. For decorative posters, stock moulding + standard glass is a valid €40–€90 bracket.

Custom picture framing is a service with goods. Luxembourg applies the standard 17 % TVA to the full invoice in almost all private cases.

Rate in practice:

• Framing a personal photograph, print or poster: TVA 17 % on the full invoice
• Framing a signed artwork bought from a gallery: the gallery sells the artwork under its own regime (often with margin TVA); the framer invoices its service at 17 %
• Corporate display framing (office art programme): TVA 17 %, deductible for a TVA-registered client
• Bookseller framing of rare book pages or engravings: typically TVA 17 %; bookselling carries a 3 % rate but that does not carry over to framing of bookplates

What a compliant invoice shows:

• Net per line (moulding, mount, glass, labour)
• TVA line explicitly at 17 %
• Framer TVA number and Autorisation d'établissement reference
• Description of the framed work and size
• Retained for warranty — the mitred joint and conservation fitment are covered for 2 years by declared framers

Gift-vouchers and multi-piece orders:

• Gift vouchers for framing services are common, issued with the TVA included on the face value
• Three or more frames on the same order often triggers a 10–15 % volume discount, applied before TVA on net

Private clients cannot reclaim TVA. A €100 frame at net carries €17 of TVA; a business client with a TVA number can reclaim it against office wall-art budgets as long as the invoice is in the company name.

Lead times in Luxembourg are driven by moulding availability and the calendar — December and mid-May peaks aside, one week is the norm.

Typical lead times:

• Stock mouldings — 5 to 8 working days in Luxembourg-Ville, slightly less in the southern communes
• Special-order European mouldings — 2 to 4 weeks, includes a stop at the supplier in Germany, Belgium or northern France
• Handgilded or bespoke profile mouldings — 4 to 8 weeks, often tied to a single artisan workshop
• Museum-grade anti-reflective glass cut to size — 10 to 15 working days; fragile in transport and ordered separately
• Rush turnaround — 2 to 4 working days possible on stock mouldings with a €30–€60 surcharge

Seasonal demand windows:

• Mid-November to 20 December — gift-frame rush. Lead times extend by 3 to 5 days, rush fees apply
• Early May — graduation and end-of-school season, photos and diplomas peak
• September — art-gallery opening season drives professional framing demand
• Summer (July, August) — low demand. Best month to order bespoke mouldings with no rush fee

Pickup and delivery:

• Shop pickup — free at the workshop
• Luxembourg-Ville and first-ring communes — €20–€35 per round trip for single pieces
• Southern industrial zone (Esch-sur-Alzette, Differdange, Dudelange) — €25–€45 per round trip
• North and east (Diekirch, Ettelbruck, Mersch, Wiltz) — €45–€75 per round trip, often combined with other deliveries on a weekly schedule

For moves: frames over 80×120 cm are generally quoted for pickup separately, and custom-built transport crates cost €40–€120 depending on size. Many framers work with local art handlers on a fixed-rate schedule.

Framing quotes vary more by material choice than by labour rate. A shared brief makes three quotes comparable in five minutes.

The five checks that matter:

• Exact moulding reference. The supplier catalogue code is the only way to verify that two quotes refer to the same product. Pine LEBK-102 and oak LEBK-203 at the same price is a red flag on one.
• Mount specification. "Neutral" is not acid-free. Ask for the specific classification: alpha-cellulose, 100 % cotton, or pulp core.
• Glazing reference. 2 mm picture glass, conservation UV, museum anti-reflective — each carries a distinct cost line. Check which is in the quote.
• Labour minimum. Is there a €40 shop minimum or does the quote reflect actual work? Small pieces can bunch near the minimum across three shops.
• TVA line. Retail framers usually quote TTC; workshops quote HT. Convert before comparing.

The briefing pack to hand each framer:

• Physical piece or high-resolution photograph with exact size
• Desired moulding family (modern aluminium, classic wood, gilded)
• Desired glazing level (standard, conservation, museum)
• Budget ceiling
• Target ready date

Where framers diverge:

• Art-shop framers stock fewer mouldings and upsell conservation glass aggressively
• Workshop framers have broader moulding libraries but longer lead times
• Artist-cooperative framers often match workshop prices for single pieces and offer better advice for original art

Ask for a printed slip not a napkin estimate. Three printed slips from three framers on a shared piece land within ±15 % on a midrange quote; a wider spread traces to a material-reading difference — call to reconcile before picking.