Guide · upholstery in Melbourne
The cost to reupholster a recliner in Melbourne depends on its size, whether it is a single, twin or electric model, how much fabric or leather it takes, and how much time the reclining mechanism needs to be stripped down and reset. A recliner is more work than a plain armchair because the frame has to be dismantled around a moving action, the footrest, wings and side panels are recovered separately, and the whole thing has to run smoothly again once it is rebuilt. There is no flat rate for this, so we give you a clear written quote from a few photos, usually within 24 hours, once we can see the chair and how it is built.
Last updated: July 2026
Get a free quoteCall 0425 832 619We are a family upholstery and furniture-restoration workshop in Eltham North, servicing all of Melbourne, with close to a hundred years of combined craft between our upholsterer, machinist and restorer. Recliners are one of the pieces people are least sure about, because they can see the cover has worn out but they do not know whether the mechanism inside is still worth building around. This page walks through what actually makes a recliner different to recover, which ones are worth doing, and what drives the price.
From the outside a recliner looks like an armchair with a footrest. Inside it is a different job. A standard armchair is a fixed frame you strip and rebuild in one piece. A recliner is a moving machine wrapped in fabric, and every one of those moving parts has to be worked around, recovered separately, and made to run smoothly again at the end.
To recover a recliner properly, the seat, back and footrest usually have to be separated from the steel reclining mechanism so the old cover can come off cleanly and the new one can be fitted without fouling the action. That is careful, methodical work, not a quick strip. On a manual chair there is a spring-loaded handle or a side lever and a linkage; on an electric chair there is a motor, a control box and a wiring loom that all have to be disconnected and reconnected without damage. The time this takes is one of the real cost drivers, and it is the part a general furniture shop tends to underestimate.
A recliner has more separate pieces to cover than an armchair. The footrest is a whole extra section that folds away and has to be upholstered so it still tucks in cleanly. Many recliners have wings, outside back and outside arm panels, chaise-style leg extensions and gap-fillers that hide the mechanism when the chair is upright. Every extra panel is more fabric, more cutting and more sewing, which is why a bulky recliner uses noticeably more material than a compact armchair of the same seat width.
The finish on a recliner is judged by more than how it looks. It has to recline and return without the cover bunching, catching or pulling, and the footrest has to sit flush when closed. Getting there means fitting the new cover with the right tension in the right places and reassembling the mechanism correctly. This is exactly the kind of detail that separates a proper recover from a chair that looks fine but no longer works the way it should.
Not every recliner is built the same, and the type you have affects both the cost and whether it is worth the work.
On brands, the honest line is that a well-made recliner is worth recovering and a cheap one often is not. Quality branded chairs, the kind built on a solid hardwood frame with a proper steel action, tend to have a mechanism that outlives two or three sets of fabric, so recovering them is genuinely good value. Budget flat-pack recliners with a particleboard frame and a light mechanism are a different story, because once the structure or the action has failed there is not much sound chair left to build on. We will tell you plainly which camp yours is in.
Whether a recliner is worth recovering comes down to two things: the frame and the mechanism. If both are sound, recovering is almost always the better value than replacing, because those are the expensive parts and they are still good. Ask yourself:
If the frame is solid and the action is good but the cover is worn, you are the ideal candidate. If the mechanism is failing, the answer depends on whether it can be repaired or the part can still be sourced, which we can look into as part of the quote. This is the same honest frame-first assessment we bring to any piece, and it is covered more broadly in our guide on whether reupholstering is worth it.
There is no single figure for a recliner because the work varies so much from chair to chair. These are the things that actually move the cost, and seeing your chair is what lets us weigh them up.
| What drives it | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Size and number of panels | A big chair with wings, a chaise footrest and full outside panels uses far more fabric and labour than a compact chair |
| Single, twin or multi-seat | A recliner lounge is several recliners in one, so cost scales with the number of reclining seats |
| Fabric or leather quantity | Recliners are fabric-hungry, and leather or a patterned weave with a repeat uses more material than a plain cloth |
| Mechanism strip-down time | The hours to separate, work around and reassemble the action, more on electric and lift chairs |
| Spring, webbing or foam work | Renewing collapsed seat foam or worn webbing underneath adds materials and time |
| Any mechanism repair or service | Freeing a stiff action, replacing a worn part or servicing a motor while the chair is open |
The two biggest levers are the fabric you choose and the condition of what is underneath. A plain, hard-wearing fabric with no pattern to match keeps the material down; a full-grain leather or a big patterned print costs more per metre and takes more of it. If the seat foam has gone soft, renewing it while the chair is apart is the sensible time to do it, and you can read more about that in our guide to seat cushion re-foaming. We keep the quote fair to the scope and point out where you can save.
The best time to sort out a recliner's action is while it is already apart for recovering. When the cover is off and the mechanism is exposed, we can free up a stiff or squeaky action, tighten or replace worn linkages, and check the motor and wiring on an electric chair. Doing it then saves a second strip-down later and means the chair comes back to you not just looking new but reclining the way it did when it was new. If a part is worn out, we will look into whether it can still be sourced for your model before you commit. For structural fixes to the frame itself, see our furniture repair work, which we often combine with a recover in the one visit.
Good to know
Yes. A leather recliner can be recovered in fabric, and many people do exactly that to soften the look, cut the cost, or move away from cracked and peeling leather. The frame and mechanism do not care what the cover is made from. Fabric can be gentler in a cold room and is often less expensive than a good leather, so it is a popular choice. If you would rather stay with leather, we can do that too, and our leather reupholstery page has more on that side of it.
Sometimes, but not always, and it depends on how the chair is built and where the wear is. On some recliners the seat is a distinct section that can be recovered on its own, which is a smaller job. On many, though, the seat, back and footrest share panels and the same cloth, so recovering only the seat would leave a visible mismatch and the new fabric may not sit right against the old. It is also common for the whole chair to have faded evenly, in which case a part recover stands out. We will tell you honestly whether a seat-only job will look right on your particular chair or whether doing the lot is the better result.
Most single recliners take from a few days to a couple of weeks of workshop time once started, depending on size, the amount of detail, and whether the mechanism or foam needs work. A recliner lounge with several reclining seats takes longer. Fabric can add lead time if a particular cloth has to be ordered in. We give you a realistic timeframe with your quote and keep you posted, because rushing a recliner shows in how the action runs afterwards.
It is usually worth it when the frame is solid and the mechanism still works or can be repaired, because those are the costly parts and a good one outlasts several sets of fabric. A quality branded recliner in that condition is a strong candidate for recovering. A cheap chair with a failing frame or a seized action that cannot be repaired is often the one case where replacing makes more sense. We assess the frame and mechanism first and give you a straight answer either way.
Yes. Because the chair is already apart for recovering, it is the ideal time to free up a stiff or noisy action, tighten worn linkages, and check the motor and wiring on an electric or lift chair. If a part is worn out we look into whether it can still be sourced for your model. The aim is a chair that both looks new and reclines properly, not just a fresh cover over a tired action.
Yes. If you have a matching pair of recliners or a lounge suite and want them to stay consistent, we recover them in the same run from the same batch of fabric so the colour and finish match. If you are only doing one of a pair now, we will note the fabric details so a later match is as close as possible, though we always recommend doing matching pieces together where you can.
Yes. Recliners are heavy and awkward, and electric chairs need careful handling, so we collect from and return to homes across Melbourne from our Eltham North workshop and handle the chair with care at both ends. Just mention your suburb when you enquire and we will sort the logistics.
Send us a few photos of your recliner, a shot of the whole chair, a close-up of the worn areas, and the mechanism or handle if you can reach it, and let us know if it is manual, electric or a lift chair. We will come back with honest advice on whether it is worth doing and a clear written quote, usually within 24 hours. Email [email protected] or call 0425 832 619, and if it turns out your recliner is not worth saving, we will tell you that too.
Send a photo or the dimensions of your booths, banquettes or venue seating and we'll come back with a rough price and turnaround.
Send us the drawings or details and we'll come back with a straight quote, no clout needed, just a great job.
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