Is it Worth it
to Reupholster a Sofa?
Do you love your sofa but it is looking very tired and dated? Did you know that you can reupholster your sofa and gain many more years of use?
Sofa reupholstery is a diverse art form. You could reupholster your sofa in the same design that it currently has, creating a brand new version of the original sofa.
Or, you could reupholster your sofa with a custom design and create something completely new!
You may want to reupholster your couch to save money, particularly if your sofa was very expensive originally.
Or, perhaps your sofa possesses a high level of sentimental value and you want to breathe fresh air into a tired piece of furniture?
Furthermore, you are supporting local reupholstery businesses and preventing waste. Your sofa would end up at a landfill site if you chose not to rescue its cosmetic imperfections.
There are many reasons why furniture reupholstery seems like an attractive option. But, is it really worth it to reupholster your couch?
Read on to discover whether it is worth it to reupholster your sofa.
Cost
How much do you think it costs to reupholster a couch?
It can be expensive, depending on what you want to be done. The reupholstery cost will additionally increase depending on the materials used and the size of the sofa you want to be reupholstered.
However, before reaching for a furniture reupholstery professional and obtaining a price, do your research! do your research!
Is it really cheaper to reupholster your sofa instead of buying a new couch? How much would the same size sofa cost if you were to buy a replacement today?
$10 to $80 per yard
Typically, fabric to reupholster a sofa will cost you at least $10 per yard, although can cost as much as $80 per yard. The type of fabric you use will decide exactly how much the materials will cost for your upholstery job.
$40 to $100 per hour
Upholsterers will charge between $40 per hour and up to $100 per hour. Reupholstery is a technical skill that carries a significant price tag! However, the finish of your sofa will certainly show you have spent your money well.
Once you have compared your reupholstery cost with the cost of a brand new sofa, make your decision whether upholstery is worth it for you!
Average Cost to
Reupholster a Sofa
How much does it cost to reupholster a sofa?
The cost to reupholster a sofa with vary according to the size of the sofa, the materials used, and your design requirements.
reupholstered
cost
$4,500
The highest cost you may need to pay to reupholster a couch is around $4,500.
This cost will typically cover couch reupholstery for bespoke packages and custom designs, using professional skills and expert materials.
$1,800
The average couch reupholstery cost will fall around the $1,800 mark, however.
This is the typical reupholstery figure that you should have in mind when considering a standard reupholstery job. Of course, the bigger the sofa, the higher the cost to reupholster couch styles or sofas.
$500
If you are aiming to patch up your sofa with an easy upholstery job, you could pay as little as $500.
This reupholster couch cost will typically cover a basic love set or armchair, providing the reupholstery task is simple.
Average Cost to
by Sofa Type
Each type of sofa carries a different size and structure, therefore demanding a different average cost to reupholster a couch.
The cheapest reupholstery job is to get your sofa cushions reupholstered.
This could be done in a few hundred dollars. However, prices to reupholster a chaise or a loveseat will cost from $500 and $800 respectively, rising considerably.
The most expensive sofa reupholstery is for leather sofas due to the materials used, reaching up to $4,500 for a typical leather sofa.
Likewise, reupholstering a sectional sofa is equally as expensive due to the complexities involved in reupholstering a sofa of this type.
Here are the main types of sofa and the average cost to reupholster a sofa of each type.
Sectional Sofa
Sectionals are complicated sofas. Typically, a sectional will utilize a range of corners and cushion shapes, enhancing the labor required and the yards of fabric.
Depending on the dimensions of your sectional sofa, you could require between 28 yards to 45 yards of fabric.
Knowing how to reupholster a sectional couch will require a great deal of skill and technical ability! This may mean that your sectional sofa reupholstery could cost you in the region of $1800 – $4500.
Love Seat
Loveseats are smaller sofas that offer high comfort levels yet save a great deal of space in your living area.
Therefore, loveseat sofa reupholstery should not cost too much, right? You could find a reupholsterer that only charges around $500 for your loveseat reupholstery.
However, this will involve a quick reupholstery and the use of lower-cost fabrics. For more complicated reupholstery costs, you could see the cost rising to as much as $2,000. Additionally, the more expensive the fabric, the higher the reupholstery cost will rise even further.
Sofa Cushions
Do you want to get your sofa cushions reupholstered?
Freshly upholstered cushions can make your sofa stand out, costing a few hundred dollars yet making a significant difference to your home!
Prices for reupholstered cushions can start as low as $150, rising to around $800 if larger cushions and more expensive materials. This will include the fabric, the foam insert, and the zipper.
Leather Sofa
Leather is one of the most expensive fabrics that you can choose to use for your sofa reupholstery. The most expensive leather material will cost you from $250 to $750 per hide, although can last up to 25 years on your sofa when looked after properly.
You could choose a fake leather option, but you will only receive limited use from this material type. Typically, fake leather will eventually peel and will significantly shorten the lifespan of your reupholstery.
Due to the vast differences in material, reupholstery for a leather sofa can cost from as little as $600 to as high as $4,500.
Outdoor Cushions
If you love your outdoor space in the summer, you probably notice that the outdoor cushions in your seating area look quickly worn. You can easily reupholster your outdoor cushions, although may cost more money than reupholstery for indoor cushions. This is because of the need for materials suited to harsher weather conditions.
You could find a reupholsterer who may reupholster your outdoor cushions for only $100. However, for more complicated reupholstery and more expensive fabrics, expect to pay around $600.
Chaise Sofa
A chaise sofa is a classic addition to a spacious living area. However, if your chaise sofa has a high back and elaborate detailing, a reupholstery job could cost you extra.
Typically, reupholstering a chaise sofa will cost between $800 to $2,000.
Sofa Reupholstery
Costing Factors
What factors impact the cost of your sofa reupholstery?
The predominant cost that will rise or fall is the fabric you use. Cheaper fabrics will result in a lower cost for your entire reupholstery job.
Likewise, a higher fabric cost will result in higher reupholstery costs. However, you do get what you pay for. No doubt a more expensive material will last longer and be much more hard-wearing.
The extent of the reupholstery job at hand will also vary the reupholstery cost, with broken frames resulting in a higher overall cost. You will also need to consider the number of hours that your reupholsterer will spend working on your sofa, factoring in their hourly cost
Here are the main costing factors that you should remember when identifying possible reupholstery costs.
Frame & Age
of the Sofa
The main reason why you may decide that it is worth reupholstering your sofa is if your sofa is rather old. For example, the sofa may be a family antique that you simply cannot replace! However, what is more important than the age of the sofa is the condition of the frame.
Once the frame of the sofa has become damaged, the lifespan of your sofa will depend on the opinion of the reupholsterer.
They will determine if the sofa frame can be fixed and whether it is worth fixing. Some problems, such as woodworm, may be difficult to rectify over the long term.
Newer sofas usually do not last very long as their frames are not as strong as older sofa frames. Therefore, it coud be very much worth reupholstering your current sofa if it is older with a strong frame.
Springs
It is usually worth reupholstering high-quality sofas. One way to tell whether your sofa is of high quality is the shape of the spring.
High-quality springs are positioned in the pattern of an asterisk and are quickly identifiable.
A lower-quality spring will be shaped in an S-shaped pattern and will not offer a coil spring. Generally, a lower quality spring will indicate that it is worth replacing the sofa as opposed to reupholstering.
Padding
Squishy padding
Squishy padding across the cushions and the backs of the sofa will indicate that the sofa is of lower quality and probably is not worth reupholstering.
Firm padding
Alternatively, firm, yet lumpy padding can be worked on by the reupholsterer to create a fantastically renovated sofa!
Reasons in
Favor of
Reupholstering
There are many reasons to reupholster your sofa.
Here are the top 5 reasons in favor of reupholstering your sofa.
Reasons
Against
Reupholstering
What reasons can you think of against reupholstering your sofa?
Here are the top 5 reasons against reupholstering your sofa.
DIY
Once you understand how much to reupholster a couch, you may start to consider reupholstery DIY. If you can reupholster your sofa yourself, you will only need to pay for the cost of the fabric and materials. You could also make a truly custom sofa that is exactly what you want in your living area. But, you may ask, how to reupholster a couch yourself?
Follow these steps to complete reupholstery DIY on your sofa.
Check Couch Condition
If you have decided to complete DIY reupholstery, couch condition matters. Make sure you are not taking on too much too soon, especially if this is your first DIY attempt!
Check your couch for damage and assess whether the frame of the couch is strong enough.
As long as the sofa frame is strong and not damaged, then your DIY reupholster couch project should be straightforward.
It is a good idea to take pictures of the couch before your begin reupholstering so you have a reference to refer back to.
Take Your Couch Apart
You now need to strip your couch and take it apart.
First, turn the sofa upside-down and remove the fabric covering the base of the sofa. Turn the sofa back round so it is standing normally and take off the outside and inside arms, the outside and inside back, and the deck.
Be careful not to damage the sofa cover unnecessarily as you can use this as a template when cutting your new fabric.
Check Your Cushions
Assess the quality of the cushions and whether any filling material needs to be replaced.
Purchase high-quality foam that will add longevity to your sofa. Buying cheaper foam will result in a very short lifespan. You could be left with a saggy couch very quickly!
Check Your Fabric
You will need a very large space to cut your fabric, typically the floor or a large table. Lay the fabric flat on the surface and then lay the old pieces of fabric over the new fabric.
Use the old fabric as a template that you can mark off and cut around. However, be sure to add around ½ inch around each edge from the seam.
Sew the Fabric
Using a heavy-duty sewing machine, sew your fabric together, using a zipper foot across welting edges. A heavy-duty needle and thread will also be required. Then use a high-quality staple gun to seal the base edges of the sofa.
Attach the Remaining Sofa Sections
Next, attach the inside arms and inside back, after the sofa deck. Make sure that the fit is snug to prevent an ill-fitting sofa.
Conclusion
So, is it worth reupholstering your sofa?
Well, that depends on the sofa you currently own and your reasons for considering reupholstery.
If your sofa is an antique or family heirloom, you may want to reupholster your sofa no matter what. You may be willing to pay the cost due to your attachment to the sofa.
Likewise, if you love your sofa and simply cannot find a better replacement, you will want to reupholster it. This is particularly true if you have previously spent a considerable amount of money on the couch in the first place!
Reupholstering is also a great idea if you want to create your own custom model, something different that no one else owns.
Although, it may not be worth reupholstering your sofa if there is considerable damage, particularly to the sofa frame. Repairing the sofa frame will increase the cost of the maintenance and reupholstery work and may make the cost too high. Therefore, buying a new sofa may be a sensible choice to make.
It may also not be worthwhile to reupholster your sofa if you purchased a low-quality sofa originally. The reupholstery job may subsequently cost more than the original cost of the sofa! In this case, it may make more sense to buy a new sofa with your money.
However, how much does it cost to reupholster a couch?
You need to gain a reupholstery quote and find out the specific cost and how much to reupholster a sofa of your type. For example, a reupholster leather couch cost may rise considerably due to the cost of high-quality leather.
Compare your reupholstery quote with the cost to buy a brand new sofa. Which is cheaper?
The answer to this question will vary, depending on the size and style of your current sofa and the sofa you would buy if you were to buy a new couch.
Of course, a cheaper price is not always the best option to go for. You will want a high-quality sofa that will last for a long time so you don’t have to consider maintenance again in a couple of short years. Providing your sofa frame is durable and in good condition, a re-upholstery finish may be the best choice to secure longevity in your living area.
