Upholstery quote that covers the fabric

What to put on a reupholstery estimate

Reupholstery is priced from three things: how much fabric the piece takes, the foam and filling it needs, and the hours to strip it back and rebuild it. This upholstery quote template gives each its own line, adds a 50% deposit to cover the fabric order, and offers pickup and delivery as an option. Edit the Fernstitch sofa sample in the quote maker, or use the Word and Excel files as an upholstery quotation.

Upholstery customers often see the fabric price and miss everything underneath it. The quote should cover the piece, the fabric and how much of it, foam and filling, frame and spring repairs, trims, and who supplies the fabric. That way a customer who brings their own material still sees the full cost of the work.

1. The piece and its conditionType, size and style: three seat sofa, wingback chair, set of dining seats. Note loose joints, broken springs and existing damage, with photos.
2. Fabric and yardageFabric name or code, width and the quantity needed, with extra allowed for pattern matching, stripes or a large repeat.
3. Customer’s own materialIf the customer supplies fabric, state the quantity and width you need, that it must arrive before work starts, and that you are not responsible for flaws in it.
4. Foam and fillingFoam density and thickness per cushion, polyester wrap, feather or fiber fill. Count every cushion: seat, back and arm pieces.
5. Strip and rebuild laborRemoving old fabric, tacks and staples, checking the frame, new webbing and padding, and fitting the new cover, priced per piece.
6. Frame and spring repairsRegluing joints, retying coil springs or replacing zigzag springs. Often found only after stripping, so priced as a range or a later variation.
7. Trims and detailsWelting, buttons, skirts, nailhead trim and zippers, each of which changes the hours.
8. Deposit, lead time and deliveryA deposit to buy the fabric, lead times for fabric and workshop, and pickup and delivery as an optional line.

Sample upholstery quotation with example prices

Fernstitch Upholstery quotes Lena Hoffman to reupholster a three seat sofa and two armchairs in a woven fabric. Materials are 18 m of fabric (about 19.7 yards) at $38 per meter, $684, and seven high density foam cushions at $45, $315. Labor is $780 for the sofa and $420 for each armchair. The subtotal is $2,619, with a 50% deposit. Pickup and delivery at $90 is optional. Prices are examples.

Edit the Fernstitch Upholstery quote

5 lines are filled in, from upholstery fabric to pickup and delivery. Put in your own upholstery rates, then download the PDF.

Open the upholstery sample

How to price upholstery work

Most upholsterers price labor per piece from a list built on hours, then add fabric by the yard or meter and foam per cushion. Fabric is the biggest variable, so labor and materials are often quoted separately and the customer chooses the fabric last.

1. Labor per pieceA set price for each type of piece: armchair, loveseat, three seat sofa, ottoman, dining seat. Build the list from your average hours, then adjust for tufting, channels or skirts.
2. Fabric by yardageRead the yardage for the style from your chart, adjust for fabric width and pattern repeat, then charge per yard or meter with your markup. Customer’s own material pays labor only.
3. Foam per cushionEach cushion priced by size, density and wrap, whether you cut it from sheet stock or order it precut.
4. Hourly for repairsFrame repairs, spring work and antique restoration billed by the hour, because the damage is hidden until the old cover comes off.

Fabric is ordered on the deposit, so set the deposit at least high enough to cover materials. The materials markup guide and the markup calculator help you price fabric you buy at trade rates.

Worked example: a wingback chair in a patterned fabric

Patterned fabric changes the yardage before you even reach the labor. The quantities and rates below are examples; use your own yardage chart and hourly figures.

1. Fabric quantityYour chart says a wingback in plain fabric takes 6 yards. A 27 inch pattern repeat adds 1.5 yards for matching, so order 7.5 yards.
2. Fabric priceAt $44 per yard, 7.5 yards is $330.
3. FoamOne seat cushion in high density foam with a polyester wrap: $65.
4. LaborStrip, re-web, pad and cover: 9 hours at an example $60 an hour is $540. Double welting adds 1 hour, another $60.
5. Total and deposit$330 plus $65 plus $540 plus $60 is $995 before tax. A 50% deposit of $497.50 covers the $395 of fabric and foam with room to spare.

Broken springs, loose frame joints, and fabric with a big repeat or a nap that must run one way can add hours or yardage, so price frame work as a variation once the piece is stripped.

Upholstery inclusions and exclusions

Upholstery quote mistakes

Upholstery jobs run for weeks and tie up fabric bought for one customer, so quoting slips are expensive. These come up most often.

• Using plain fabric yardage for a stripe or a large repeat, then running short halfway through the job.
• Quoting a fixed total before stripping, then finding broken springs and a cracked rail.
• Ordering fabric before the deposit clears and being left with a bolt nobody else wants.
• Accepting customer supplied fabric without checking quantity, width and its double rub durability rating.
• Not naming the foam density, so a cheaper quote with soft foam looks like the same job.
• Leaving lead time out, when the fabric alone can take weeks to arrive.