The choice of a manufacturing process is of primary importance to control composite materials properties and optimize their performance. Moreover, various parameters of a given implementation may also modify these properties in a significant way. Hence, this paper aims to underline the role of tool preparations in an autoclave process of composite manufacturing and their different links with adhesion performance. To this purpose, the influence of surface characteristics is discussed in terms of wettability, roughness, and by microscopy and chemical analysis. A link between the surface properties and adhesion performance has been assessed via single lap shear tests. Results clearly demonstrate the major influence of surface contamination and roughness but also the role of fibre reinforcement on adhesion properties.