Method: Labor = hours × hourly rate. Fabric to client = qty × (your cost × (1 + markup%)). Supplies to client = cost × (1 + markup%). Add-ons are editable flat surcharges. Gross profit = total − your fabric cost − your supplies cost. Based on industry pricing conventions documented at UpholsteryResource.com and OSU Extension. Estimate only — not professional financial advice.
Generated by Upholstery Job Quote Calculator — supreminders.com |
How to Use This Upholstery Quote Calculator
This tool is built for upholsterers — not clients. It calculates what you should charge, not what a customer expects to pay. Work through it in five steps:
Choose the furniture type to auto-fill typical labor hours and fabric yardage for that piece. Adjust both to match the specific job.
Enter your labor rate — the hourly rate you want to earn, before overhead. Most independent upholsterers charge $55–$100/hr.
Enter fabric details — your actual cost per yard (or metre), the quantity needed, and your markup. A 50% markup (charging clients 1.5× your cost) is industry-standard.
Add supplies — foam, batting, thread, webbing, tack strips, staples, buttons. Estimate your out-of-pocket cost; the tool marks it up for the client.
Check add-ons — tufting, welting, skirts, nailhead trim, pattern matching, frame repair, and pickup each carry their own surcharge that you can set.
The result updates in real time. When the total looks right, print or copy it as a client quote.
How Upholsterers Typically Price Their Work
There are two common methods in the trade:
1. Hourly Rate Method
Estimate how many hours the job will take, multiply by your hourly rate, then add materials at cost-plus-markup. This is the most transparent method and easiest to explain to clients. It works especially well for complex or unusual pieces where time is hard to predict in advance.
2. Per-Yard-of-Fabric Method
Some experienced upholsterers use fabric yardage as a proxy for labor complexity — charging roughly $40–$70 in labor per yard of fabric used. The logic: more yardage generally means a larger or more intricate piece with more seams, cushions, and fitting time. This calculator uses the hourly method (the most defensible), but you can back into a per-yard number by dividing the labor total by yards used.
3. Per-Piece Flat Rate
Many shops quote flat rates per piece type — for example, $150 for a dining chair seat, $850 for a wingback. This builds from the hourly method, averaged across past jobs. Once you know your typical hours per piece, convert to a flat rate to speed up quoting.
Typical Labor Hours by Furniture Type
These ranges reflect professional-speed work — a DIYer should expect 2–4× longer:
Add 3–8 hours per panel for diamond tufting; 1–3 hours for a skirt; 1–2 hours for individual nailhead trim on a chair.
Fabric Markup: What's Standard?
Most upholstery shops mark up fabric at 30–100% over their purchase price. A 50% markup is the most common middle ground — it covers sourcing time, swatching, storage, and handling without overcharging clients. For specialty or designer fabrics that are hard to source, 75–100% markups are common. Some shops charge fabric at retail price (which is essentially a 100%+ markup on trade cost). Whatever you choose, be consistent so your quoting is predictable.
When to Recommend Reupholstery vs. Buying New
The rule of thumb: if the reupholstery quote is more than 75% of a comparable new piece's price, many clients will buy new instead. The exceptions are:
Antiques or high-quality vintage frames that cannot be replicated at a comparable price
Pieces with sentimental value
Custom sizes or shapes that don't exist in the new-furniture market
Heirloom or hand-crafted frames that would cost far more than the quote to replace
This calculator includes an optional "comparable new price" field that flags whether the quote represents good value for the client.
FAQ
How do professional upholsterers price their work?
Most use an hourly rate (typically $55–$100/hr) multiplied by estimated labor time, plus fabric and supplies at cost-plus-markup. Finishing add-ons like tufting, welting, skirts, or nailhead trim carry flat surcharges. Some experienced upholsterers use a per-yard-of-fabric proxy for labor instead of tracking hours.
How many hours does it take to reupholster a sofa?
A professional upholsterer typically takes 15–20 hours on a standard three-cushion sofa. A dining chair takes 2–4 hours, a wingback or armchair 6–12 hours, and a loveseat 10–15 hours. Complex pieces with tufting, skirts, or nailhead trim add several hours on top of the base time.
What is a fair markup on upholstery fabric?
Most upholstery shops mark up fabric between 30% and 100% over their cost. A 50% markup — charging the client 1.5× your fabric cost — is a common middle ground that covers sourcing time, storage, and handling. For specialty or hard-to-source fabrics, higher markups are standard practice.
Should I quote upholstery by the hour or per piece?
Both methods work, but most experienced upholsterers prefer per-piece pricing because it protects your income if a job goes faster than expected, and clients prefer a fixed price over an open-ended hourly bill. The hourly method is better for unusual or highly complex pieces where time is genuinely unpredictable. Build your flat-rate pricing by tracking hours per piece over time.
What does tufting add to an upholstery quote?
Diamond tufting is one of the most labor-intensive techniques. It requires marking a grid, pulling fabric evenly through each button point, and setting each button individually — typically adding 3–8 hours on a chair and 6–15 hours on a sofa back. Many shops charge a flat tufting surcharge per panel rather than tracking hours individually.
How much extra should I charge for pattern matching?
Pattern matching requires additional fabric (typically 15–50% more yardage depending on repeat size) and significantly more cutting and layout time. Increase the yardage estimate to account for extra material and add 1–3 hours to your labor for the additional cutting time. Large-scale repeats (18"+ vertical repeat) can require up to double the yardage of a plain fabric.
How much deposit should an upholsterer collect?
Industry standard is 30–50% upfront. The deposit should at minimum cover your fabric and supplies cost so you're not personally funding materials for a job that hasn't started. On large jobs with expensive fabric, 50% or more is common. Collect the balance on delivery or pickup.
Estimate only. All figures are derived from your inputs and industry-published benchmarks. Actual job time, materials cost, and market rates vary by region, piece complexity, and shop. This tool is for pricing guidance only and does not constitute professional business or financial advice.