Does your home have a couch that has already lost its beauty? Tattered, soiled or worn out?
You can’t really let it go. You have a lot of connections with it. Don’t you?
Well, before you think of buying a new one, you can actually bring your old couch back to its good shape by reupholstering or by simply giving it a total makeover. If that has crossed your mind, then the first basic thing to ask is how much does it cost to reupholster a couch? Or perhaps sofa reupholstery prices?
Normally, reupholstering a couch is not cheap, but you get to spend a lesser amount of money than buying a replacement that has of the same quality. The furniture reupholstery cost may become lower if its frame is still intact and not sagging since it gets fewer renovations.
Average Cost To Reupholster a Couch
The cost of giving your old seat a makeover includes fabric, labor, and supplies. Apparently, there is no standard price for reupholstering a couch. It depends on the furniture’s size, style and the fabric’s price, which ranges from $5 to $170 per yard. Amazon has a good collection of upholstery fabrics starting from just $5 per yard.
If you need to repair or re-stuff its cushions, you might need to spend anywhere between $20 to $100 extra, depending mainly on the size of cushions. You can buy sofa cushion forms online at sites like Amazon. However, it gets a bit pricey if you decide to have an exquisite stuffing like down feathers, increasing the average furniture reupholstery price.
Furthermore, you get to spend within the range of $350 and $1,200 for the labor cost or the needed work to complete the job. But if considering both the fabrics and the labor, you could spend as much as $700 or more per couch depending on the type of fabric and the couch itself.
Aside from a couch, there are other furnitures that can be reupholstered and one of them is a sofa. But how much does it cost to reupholster a sofa? Is it cheaper or more expensive than repairing a couch?
According to JH Conklin & Co. in New Jersey, the different cost to reupholster a couch per type are the following:
| Type of Couch / Sofa | Yardage Needed | Ave. Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Chaise | 9 to 11 yards | $880 to $1,020 |
| Armless Settee | 7 to 8 yards | $580 to $620 |
| Settee | 7 to 8 yards | $620 to $680 |
| French Provincial Sofa | 10 to 12 yards | $980 to $1,080 |
| Camel Back Sofa | 12 to 14 yards | $1,080 to $1,180 |
| Tight Back Love Seat | 12 to 14 yards | $980 to $1,080 |
| Semi-attached Back Sofa | 14 to 18 yards | $1,120 to $1,220 |
| Tight Back Sofa | 14 to 18 yards | $1,080 to $1,180 |
| Loose Back Sofa (3 cushion) | 18 to 26 yards | $1,280 to $1,420 |
| Tufted Back Sofa | 16 to 20 yards | $1,380 to $1,480 |
| Sectional Sofa | 28 to 36 yards | $2,800 to $3,200 |
Meanwhile, Reed Upholstery in Maryland has the following prices for their reupholster services which are for the labor only:
| Type | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Chair And-A-Half (38" to 50") | $500-$600 |
| Closed-Arm Chaise Lounge | $680-$840 |
| Closed-Arm Couch (70" to 85") | $800-$990 |
| Closed-Arm Loveseat (50" to 70") | $575-$800+ |
| Modular/Sectional Pieces | $200-$400 per piece |
| Open-Arm Chaise Lounge | $475-$700 |
| Open-Arm Couch (70" to 85") | $600-$850 |
| Open-Arm Loveseat (50" to 70") | $350-$675 |
| Oversized Couch (85" to 100") | call shop for quote |
Winter Sewing & Upholstery of Oregon has the following prices:
| Sleeper Sofa (without Skirt) | Labor | Yards |
|---|---|---|
| Plain Back | $500 to $650+ | 10 to 11+ yards |
| With Loose Back Cushions | $600 to $750+ | 12 to 13+ yards |
| With Attached Pillows | $600 to $750+ | 12 to 13+ yards |
| *For skirt add | $90 to $150+ | 2+ yards |
| Sleeper Loveseat (without skirt) | ||
| with Plain Back | $400 to $550+ | 8 to 9+ yards |
| With Loose Back Cushions | $500 to $650+ | 10 to 11+ yards |
| with Attached Pillow Backs | $500 to $650+ | 10 to 11+ yards |
| *For skirt add | $80 to $130+ | 1 ½ to 2+ yards |
Additional Costs
- Pick up / Delivery – $45 to $60 or more
- Repairing couches that have zippers, frame gluing and repair – varies per company
- Fixing or mending welt or fabric cords, which are used to outline the seams of the stuffed materials such as the cushions and pillows – varies per company
- Applying decorative nails – $140 to $240 per the piece
- Decorative nail trim – $10 per foot
- Working on the patterns and shapes if they are not aligned – the price estimates presented above if it is included are based on solid fabric and those with small consistent patterns that need minimal cutting to align them across the couch. For special designs, below are the additional costs when aligning a fabric pattern:
- 3″ to 14″ repeat – add 10%
- 15″ to 19″ repeat – add 15%
- 20″ to 27″ repeat – add 20%
-
- 28″ to 36″ repeat – add 25%
- 37″ to 43″ repeat – add 30%
- 44″ to 51″ repeat – add 35%
- Adding patterns by threading through the fabric with its ends tied with buttons or knots and tufting – varies per company
- Rebuilding the sofa foundation to make it more sturdy – $325
- If the project requires leather works, add around 12% of labor cost
- Installation of cornice boards – additional $60 per hour of labor plus the materials and delivery
- Frame Touch-Up and Polishing is Free-of-Charge
Shopping for Couch Reupholstery
When looking for a re-upholstery service, the best way to be assured of the quality of service is through referrals. Ask someone you know who might have tried reupholstering a furniture and ask for a contact information of the contractor. You may also try to check out Yelp.com for any reupholstery services near your place.
Always remember to get several quotations so you can compare the prices and scope of work.
Factors Affecting Reupholster Chair Cost
As mentioned, the price of couch reupholstery varies due to a lot of factors. And the presence of these factors and their degrees or levels determines how cheap or how expensive each project can become.
Your choice of fabric – whether the fabric is included in the project estimate or scope or you decided to take care of it, its cost would definitely make up a huge chunk in the budget of reupholstering you precious couch.
The degree of upholstery – your cost would also be affected by whether you would need a complete reupholstery or just some parts.
The size of the couch – since the fabric is one of the major components in the reupholstery, the bigger the couch, the more fabrics are required which therefore translates to higher cost.
Type of couch or sofa – the reupholstery cost also depends on the type of couch or sofa you have as the level of difficulty to reupholster a furniture would depend on the intricacy of its design. So if your type of couch requires a lot of pleats, has a different or irregular shape, or requires more details, then expect higher cost compared to others which are simpler.
Labor cost – the labor charge for the reupholstery is where the majority of the upholstery price is allocated. This can be mostly determined by the prevailing rate in the area, but the complexity of the project can also play a part in the costing.
The contractor – the expertise and reputation of the contractor is directly proportional to the price they impose. The more they are known for good quality of service, the higher cost you have to pay.
Additional service – additional treatments to couch issues such as buttons, tufts, channels, and pleats, as well adding decorative nails and skirts to a previously unskirted couch would entail extra costs that would hugely affect your total reupholster chair cost.
The condition of the couch – The overall quality of the couch that includes the existing padding and springing or foundation can also affect the cost as these issues need to be addressed first prior to proceeding with the reupholstery for a better quality of the finished product.
Location – the cost of living and cost of doing business in a particular area are constant factors in the pricing of any kind of goods or services that includes the couch or sofa reupholstery prices.
Why Do We Maintain Old Furniture?
All of us are different in our own special ways. And the way and the reasons why we hoard our possessions are different. Be it innate in our personality or for practical reasons.
That being said, here are some of the reasons why we are compelled to keep old furniture:
- Hoarding disorder – you may have this condition, whether you are aware of it or not, hence, you are reluctant to give up things whether they still have value or not.
- Attached memories – when the couch is an item with so many memories attached to it especially if you have inherited it from parents or grandparents, chances are, you would do anything to preserve it.
- Current value – when your furniture is made of precious woods that it becomes more sturdy as time goes by, its value soars as well that you want to maintain them like a prized possession.
- Quality – you may notice that most of the household items such as furniture tend to not last the same amount of time as the older ones did. When you have these kinds of properties, it is so hard to let go especially if you know that you might never purchase the same kind of quality among the newer items.
- Environmental concerns – it may sound crazy and ridiculous to some when your reason for keeping a couch is just to avoid contributing a humongous trash on landfills, but hey, Mother Nature is smiling!
Regardless of the reasons for maintaining and keeping an old couch, the most important thing is being satisfied with it after undergoing a reupholstery. When it turned into a beautiful piece of furniture from being an almost obsolete item for discarding, the cost may be something you would not be concerned about.