The typical cost to reupholster furniture is about $650. While furniture reupholstery projects can range in price from about $300 to $2,000, high-end projects can cost up to $5,000. The total cost of your project will depend on the condition of the furniture, the cost of the fabric you choose and the price of labor in your area.

• How much does it cost to reupholster furniture?
• How much does it cost to reupholster different pieces of furniture?
• Is it cheaper to reupholster furniture or buy new?
• What does furniture reupholstery involve?
• When should you reupholster a piece of furniture?

If you’ve inherited a vintage settee from your grandmother or have recently found a cozy wing chair at your local consignment store, you may be considering reupholstering your treasured piece of furniture to give it a new look. And doing so can be a wonderful way to create a unique, personalized piece for your home, with fabric you select.

Often, people assume this is a cheaper route than purchasing a furniture piece new. However, before you decide to pick up a couch at a thrift store, it’s worth educating yourself on the average costs of furniture reupholstery. Read on to find out some basic facts.

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Ultimately, the cost of your project will depend on the piece of furniture you’re working with. Of course, sofas require much more fabric than do dining chairs. Multiple pieces of furniture will take more time to upholster, raising your labor costs. In general, upholstery fabric starts at around $30 per yard but can go up to $200 per yard for luxury fabric. While reupholstering a sofa typically costs about $1,000 to $4,600, reupholstering a dining chair costs around $200 to $400. To reupholster a standard armchair, like a wingback chair or a club chair, you can expect to pay $700 to $1,700.

• Sofa: $1,000 to $4,600
• Armchair: $700 to $1,700
• Dining Chair: $200 to $400

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Though you can sometimes reupholster an old piece of furniture for less than the cost of buying a piece new, that’s most often not the case. The bottom line is that you should expect to spend about as much on reupholstering a large piece of furniture, like a sofa, as you would on purchasing a new one. Sometimes reupholstering old furniture costs more than replacing it with new furniture.

For example, a new sofa typically costs between $600 and $2,500, though a high-end luxury sofa can cost $10,000 or more. Reupholstering a sofa can range in cost from about $1,000 to $4,600. As you can see, reupholstering a high-end piece of furniture may be just a fraction of the cost of buying a new one of equal value. But for less expensive furniture pieces, reupholstery may not be worth the money.

You’ll also need to weigh the cost of labor. Labor costs for upholstering furniture typically range from about $45 per hour to $150 per hour, depending on the work being done — whether it’s re-stuffing cushions, covering the sofa with a new fabric or repairing a furniture frame. You should expect to pay somewhere between $600 and $1,050 in labor costs for a sofa reupholstering job.

Things You Need to Know About Buying a Sofa

Upholstery is essentially the fabric that covers your furniture — whether that’s velvet, leather, canvas or any of a host of other materials. Your new upholstery may also have special detailing, such as piping (cording that edges the lines of the furniture piece or its pillows), tufting (a sunk-in area marked by buttons) or nailhead trim (typically around the edges of a furniture piece).

Reupholstering furniture is a messy and technical job that requires considerable skill, especially for more elaborate jobs. Upholsterers cover furnishings with fabric, but they also replace interior padding and batting to rebuild back cushions and seat cushions. Professionals from an upholstery company attach trims, piping and fringes; create slipcovers; and refinish wood.

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There are a number of factors to consider in determining whether it’s a good idea to reupholster your furniture piece. Cost should likely be the number-one factor — and the following questions will help you determine whether the cost of reupholstering will be worth it to you in the long run.

1. Is it a high-quality piece? Well-made, quality furniture pieces have solid hardwood frames and eight-way hand-tied springs. S-curve springs can also be comfortable, but drop-in coil springs are a cheaper alternative and an indication of lower quality.
2. How old is it? If your furniture piece is less than 15 or 20 years old, it may not be worth it to reupholster. You’ll want to make sure your furniture is of very high quality before reupholstering to ensure it’s worth the money. Unfortunately, much modern furniture is simply not made to last, unless you have a piece from a luxury brand. However, if you have an older piece with well-made bones, it may just need some new fabric and padding.
3. What is the condition? Does the piece smell like smoke? If so, that smell may have seeped into the piece’s wood frame and may be impossible to ever get out. Also, did the piece ever spend time in a basement or garage? If so, humidity may have caused a musty smell to permeate the piece and created mold. Addressing this would require stripping the piece and treating the wood for mold, which can certainly add a lot to the cost. Similarly, if the cushions are missing or need a lot of work, the cost will rise.
4. Do you love it? Sometimes you simply can’t find a modern version of a vintage sofa with the same amount of charm. Or you may have inherited an item that bears special sentimental value for you. If this is the case, and your piece is quality and in decent condition (or even in need of some repair), then upholstering may be well worth the cost to you to do it — even if it’s costlier than buying a new piece instead.

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