How much does it cost to reupholster in Melbourne?

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.

What actually drives the cost

Four things do most of the work. In rough order of impact:

• Fabric is the biggest driver, by a distance. The same lounge can be recovered in a sensible mid-range fabric or a high-end designer weave, and the difference in material alone can be larger than the labour. Fabric is priced per metre, a big piece can swallow fifteen metres or more, so the choice you make here matters more than any other. We'll help you pick something that suits how the piece is actually used.
• Size and shape of the piece. More fabric, more foam, more hours. A single armchair is quick. A modular corner lounge, a sofa bed, or anything with lots of separate cushions is a much bigger job. Curves, tight corners and awkward shapes all add hand-work.
• Condition underneath. If the frame needs re-gluing, the webbing replaced or the springs re-tied, that's work on top of the recover. Sometimes it's minor, sometimes it's the difference between a tidy job and a proper rebuild. We can only see so much from a photo, which is one reason we firm the price up before we start.
• Foam and fillings. If the seat has gone flat or the foam has broken down, replacing it with genuine Australian fire-grade Dunlop foam is usually worth doing while the piece is apart. Better foam costs more than budget foam, but it's the difference between a seat that holds up for years and one that sinks again in months.

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.

Why we quote from a photo, not a price list

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:

• Send a photo or two (and rough dimensions) through our quote form.
• We come back with a realistic ballpark and honest advice, including whether we think it's worth spending the money at all.
• You choose your fabric, we'll guide you toward something that fits your budget and how the piece is used.
• We firm the price up before any work begins. We never start until you've approved the quote, so there are no surprises at the end.

Getting the best value

A few honest pointers if you're watching the budget:

• Spend where it lasts. A good frame and quality foam are what you'll feel every day for years. If something has to give, trim the fabric grade before you trim the foam.
• Plainer fabrics stretch further. Patterned fabric needs matching across panels, which uses more metres and more time. A plain or subtly textured fabric often looks just as good for less.
• Do it all in one go. If the frame or springs need attention, it's cheaper to sort them while the piece is already stripped than to go back in later.
• A solid old piece beats a cheap new one. If the bones are good, recovering usually costs a fraction of buying the same quality new, and you end up with something better made than most furniture on the floor today.

Common questions about cost