How Much Does It Cost To Reupholster A Chair
Do you have a worn-out chair at home or an old chair you bought from a flea market? It may be right to reupholster it to bring back its elegance and beauty. However, you must take note that reupholstering a chair can cost you some money. In fact, a lot of people choose buying a new chair instead of reupholstering a new one because the price can definitely be more expensive to reupholster as compared to buying one. Read on and find out the current cost to reupholster a chair.
Typical Cost Of Reupholstering A Chair
The average cost of reupholstering a chair is $150.
The price includes the labor fee only.
Factors That Affect The Price Of Reupholstering A Chair
Type of chair. The kind of chair you wish to reupholster will tell how much the job will cost. A simple chair with springs can cost $100 for the labor alone. This refers to reupholstering a seat only. A chair that is subject to both seat and back reupholstering can already cost as much as $175 for the labor. Bigger and more complicated chairs can cost up to $300 like a recliner chair. FurnitureRepair.net lists the labor price of reupholstering a chair depending on its kind and size.
Geographical location. The area where you live can also determine the price of reupholstering a chair. Reupholstering prices in big cities may be higher as compared to smaller towns. Moreover, upholsterers who work from home may charge cheaper as compared to those who rent a commercial space.
DIY. Doing the job yourself can make the cost of reupholstering a chair very cheap. In fact, one reupholstering job of a simple chair can cost you less than fifty dollars if you have all the necessary materials. You only have to pay for the fabric, which can cost $10 to $50 per yard. A staple gun is also needed when doing it yourself, so expect to invest around $20 for a manual staple gun or more than $100 for electric ones.
Additional Costs
The above-quoted average price of reupholstering a chair includes labor only. Hence, it is obvious that the fabric will add up to your expenses when reupholstering a chair. The price of fabric usually depends on the quality of your choice. Cheap items can be as low as $10 per yard while there are some that can be more than $50. Besides the price of fabric per yard, the amount of fabric that you need can also affect the cost of the project. If you need two yards of a $50 per yard fabric for the project, you already have extra $100 to pay for.
In some cases when the chair is too worn out, repair may be necessary. Hence, aside from fabric, you may need to pay for upholstery foams and the like. After all, it is not worth it to reupholster a chair and ignore its obvious repair needs.
Transporting the chair from the upholstery shop to your home and vice versa can be an added expense, too. This is especially true if you do not have the right vehicle to transport the chair.
Tips Before You Reupholster A Chair
Get price estimates on how much to reupholster your kind of chair from various upholsterers. If the price is higher than the actual value of the chair, it may already be impractical to go on with reupholstering the chair. However, you can exempt yourself from this rule if the chair has sentimental value to you.
Decide whether to DIY the job or not. Obviously, DIY is cheaper but if you don't have the patience and time to do the job perfectly, it may be better to hire professionals to do the job for you. DIYorNot.com has a price comparison of reupholstering a chair yourself and having it done by a pro. You can also get here an average cost of the job depending on your zip code for a more accurate estimate of how much you will need to spend for reupholstering the chair in your area.
Look for reliable upholsterers to do the job for you. More often than not, it is better to pay higher for upholsterers who can do the job with quality and efficiency. Get recommendations from friends and neighbors to find an upholsterer that has satisfied people you actually know.
For do-it-yourselfers, check this illustrated guide from CountryLiving.com on how to reupholster a chair.