Advice · from our Eltham workshop
The cost of reupholstery in Melbourne is driven mostly by the fabric you choose, then the size of the piece, the condition of the frame and foam, and any hand-detail like buttoning or piping. Because fabric is your choice and the single biggest cost, Dylberry Design quotes from a photo and firms the price up once you've picked your fabric, before any work starts.
Key points
Last updated: September 2026
The honest answer is: it depends on your piece, and mostly on the fabric you choose. Here's a plain-English look at what actually drives the cost, so you know what you're paying for before you ask for a quote.
Reupholstery is quoted per piece because a handful of things move the price, and they are different on every job. Understanding them is the fastest way to know why two quotes for the "same" sofa can be hundreds of dollars apart.
Because the fabric is your choice and the biggest variable, we quote from a photo and firm the price once you have chosen your fabric, before any work starts. See reupholster vs recover vs slipcover for how the type of job changes the cost, and the fabric guide for what drives material cost.
It's the first thing everyone wants to know, and it's a fair question. The trouble is that "how much to reupholster a sofa" has about as many answers as there are sofas. A compact tub chair in a hard-wearing plain fabric and a deep-buttoned three-seater in designer velvet are worlds apart, even though both are "reupholstery".
So rather than throw a number at you that we'd only have to walk back, here's what genuinely moves the price. Once you understand these, our quote will make a lot more sense.
Four things do most of the work. In rough order of impact:
On top of those, detail work adds time: deep buttoning, fluting, contrast piping, a skirt or a tricky pattern-match all take skilled hand-work. Beautiful, but they're hours, and hours are cost.
We don't publish set prices, and we'd be a bit suspicious of anyone who does. A fixed "sofas from $X" number either has to be padded to cover the worst case, or it quietly leaves out the fabric, the foam and whatever's hiding under the old cover. Neither is honest.
Instead we do it the straight way:
A few honest pointers if you want to keep the cost sensible:
It depends most on the fabric you choose, then on the size of the sofa, the condition of the frame and foam, and any detail like buttoning or piping. That's why we quote from a photo and firm the price up once you've picked your fabric, before any work starts. Send us a picture and we'll give you a realistic estimate.
Because the fabric is usually the biggest part of the cost, and that's your choice, not a fixed number. A photo tells us the size, shape and condition, and once you've chosen a fabric we can give you a firm price. Anything before that is a genuine estimate, not a guess dressed up as a quote.
High-end designer fabric is the big one. After that: larger or more complex pieces, lots of separate cushions, a frame or springs that need repair, new foam, and hand-detail like deep buttoning, fluting or contrast piping. Each of those adds either material or hours.
If the frame is solid, usually yes, for the same quality. Older frames are often better built than new furniture, so recovering keeps a better-made piece that outlasts a cheaper new one. If it's cheap flat-pack, buying new can make more sense. We'll tell you honestly which camp your piece is in.
Yes, if it's needed. If your seat has gone flat we'll usually recommend replacing the foam with genuine Australian fire-grade Dunlop foam while the piece is apart. It adds to the cost, but it's what makes the seat sit right and hold up for years rather than months.
No. A quote from a photo is free, and there's no obligation. We reply within 24 hours with a rough price and honest advice, including if we think you're better off not spending the money.
Price comes down to the size and complexity of the piece, the fabric you choose, and how much internal work like foam, webbing or springs is needed. That is why every job is individually and fairly priced on its actual scope rather than a flat rate.
Fabric choice and the amount of rebuilding are usually the two biggest factors, since upholstery-grade fabric varies widely in price and structural work adds labour. Getting clear photos to us early means the quote reflects your piece accurately.
Yes, upholstery fabrics range from modest to premium per metre, and a larger piece needs several metres, so the choice can move the total noticeably. We help you balance the look you want against what you'd like to spend.
Renewing foam and padding does add to the job, but it is often what makes the difference between a piece that looks new and one that also feels new. We use high-resilience foam and only replace what genuinely needs it.
Send us clear photos from a few angles plus rough dimensions and a note on any sagging or damage, and we can give you a free quote from the photo. The more we can see, the more accurate the figure.
We aim to give you a firm quote from good photos, and where something can only be confirmed once a piece is opened up we flag that upfront. There are no surprises added without talking to you first.
Good to know
Not sure which job you need? Our guide to reupholster vs recover vs slipcover explains the difference, the cost order, and how to decide.
New: our upholstery foam guide explains foam density in kg/m3, firmness, and which foam your cushions actually need.
Because the fabric is usually the biggest part of the cost, and that's your choice, not a fixed number. A photo tells us the size, shape and condition, and once you've chosen a fabric we can give you a firm price. Anything before that is a genuine estimate, not a guess dressed up as a quote.
Yes, if it's needed. If your seat has gone flat we'll usually recommend replacing the foam with genuine Australian fire-grade Dunlop foam while the piece is apart. It adds to the cost, but it's what makes the seat sit right and hold up for years rather than months.
No. A quote from a photo is free, and there's no obligation. We reply within 24 hours with a rough price and honest advice, including if we think you're better off not spending the money.
Often the opposite of what you would hope. A quote that comes in well under the others is usually quoting less work, and the most common thing left out is rebuilding what sits under the cover. That job is quicker because it skips the webbing, the springs and the foam, and it is also the one that sags within a year or two. Proper work takes the time it takes. Glue has to cure, springs tied by hand take hours, and fabric arrives when the supplier sends it. Ask what a quote actually includes before comparing timeframes.
With us it depends on the job, and we would rather tell you plainly than bury it. If you are reasonably close to the Eltham North workshop and the piece is something one person can shift, we generally just collect and return it and it does not go on the invoice. Larger pieces, multiple items, or addresses further out need a carrier and there is a real cost to that, so we write it into the quote from the start. Either way you know before the work begins, not afterwards.
Before you enquire
We do not race to the bottom, and we are honest that we are not chasing the cheapest quote in Melbourne. What we aim for is a high-end finish at a mid-tier price, using quality materials: the frame checked and repaired, the seat rebuilt from the webbing up, genuine Dunlop foam where it is needed, and the cover cut and fitted by hand.
Because we price the actual work rather than a headline number, sometimes we come in as the cheapest quote you get and sometimes we do not. It depends on the piece and, just as much, on what the other quotes actually include. A quote well under the rest is usually leaving out the work under the cover, which is the part that makes a seat last.
The material is where people are most often caught out. On most jobs the fabric or vinyl alone costs more than they had in mind for the whole chair, before anyone picks up a tool. That is not us being expensive, it is what quality commercial-grade material costs. If you have a piece genuinely worth keeping, send a photo through and you will get an honest number and a straight answer about whether it is worth doing.
Want to know what yours would cost? Send a photo and we'll give you a realistic estimate and honest advice, no obligation, no pressure.
No obligation, no pressure. Just a realistic estimate for your piece, and honest advice on whether it's worth it.
Get a free quote Call 0425 832 619