Is The Cost To Reupholster A Sofa or Couch Worth It?

Before you rush out to buy a replacement sofa or chaise lounge, you might want to consider giving the one you have a new lease of life.

Furniture upholstery can be, relatively easily, replaced with new fabric and that can often work out much cheaper than replacing your existing sofa.

We’d also note that it’s much kinder to the environment too.

Is It Worth The Cost To Reupholster An Entire Sofa Or Chaise Lounge?

It depends on a few variables as to whether this exercise is going to be worthwhile, of course, you need to consider what upholstery fabric you will need, how much fabric, labor costs, etc. but that’s only going to tell you the cost of the job itself.

Whether it’s worth doing some couch reupholstering or not really boils down to other factors:

• Is the current item a family heirloom? There’s a difference between cheap sectional sofas and the beautiful hardwood frame of a top-quality heirloom. A piece with family history and rich sentimental value as well as being relatively sound (the structural repairs needed are minimal or non-existent) could well be worth saving even if your costs are around the same as buying new furniture.
  
• Is the piece a valuable antique? This ought to be obvious but if you have an old sofa with real value, then you ought to want to preserve it. However, you’re probably not going to get away with covering a Chippendale in an inexpensive fabric and trying to save money on fabric costs.
  
• Is the piece in good condition? Chaise lounge reupholstering or taking on a sofa is usually going to be worth the effort if you find that it’s otherwise in good condition.
  
• Do you care about the planet? One of the best reasons for furniture reupholstery that we can think of is that you want to give old furniture new life because you know that new upholstery is kinder to the planet than a new couch.

What Does It Cost To Have A Couch Reupholstered?

How long is a piece of string? We’re not being facetious a lot depends on what needs to be reupholstered and what materials you decide to use.

If you have couch cushions or outdoor cushions then they will use more fabric than a sofa without these things.

Fabric can range from as little as $10 a yard to more than $200!

However, there is an “average cost to reupholster a couch” and that seems to be about $700. We’d note though that your geographic location plays a big part in this too – in Texas, the average is as low as $400, and in California, it’s as high as $1,500.

The best thing to do before you start work on a sofa is to get some quotes for everything you need to be done, so if you have outdoor cushions or loose cushions then you need to include those when getting a quotation to be certain of an accurate price.

Can I Save Money By Reupholstering Furniture Myself?

Yes, if you carry out the reupholstery job yourself then really there are no labor rates to worry about and you will only need to pay for the fabric chosen, the rental or purchase of tools, and any fixing materials and padding you need to use.

However, this is a fairly skilled job and you’re going to need to think carefully about whether it’s worth reupholstering if you’re not skilled at DIY projects.

Are There Any Alternatives To Reupholstering My Couch?

Yes. If you’re not comfortable with the cost of your favorite fabric choice, then you can skip reupholstery costs and just buy slipcovers to cover your cushions, etc. and if your sofa’s not really worn at all – change the cushion arrangement and you’ll spruce it right up for next to nothing.

Is It Worth The Cost To Reupholster Seat Cushions?

Again, it depends on your old couch and what kind of state it’s in. Get a quote and find out.

When Should You Buy A New Sofa?

We would suggest that you should only opt for a new item if your current couch is broken structurally.

Repairing furniture often won’t make it as strong as it once was.

Otherwise, while it may cost nearly as much to reupholster a couch as it does to replace it, it’s kinder to the environment and if you have a good quality item, why throw it out?

Final Thoughts On Reupholstering Sofas

Couch reupholstery is an investment in extending the life of your sofa. It’s an investment that’s often worth making rather than replacing your sofa, in our book.

However, if your mind is made up and you want to skip the couch reupholstery and buy a new model instead, may we recommend these articles? How to choose the right sofa color for your living room?, the best sofa brands to transform your living room, and the best places to buy a sofa online?