25. April 2026
How Much Does It Cost to Reupholster a Sofa in the UK? (2026 Prices)
If you've got a tired-looking sofa and you're wondering whether reupholstery is worth the money, this is the honest, no-nonsense guide we wish more people read before getting in touch. We're an AMUSF-accredited workshop in West Yorkshire, and we get this question almost every day.
Here's the short version, then we'll break it down properly.
The quick answer
In the UK in 2026, reupholstering a 2 or 3-seater sofa typically costs between £900 and £1,800 in total — that's labour and fabric combined.
At Greenwood Upholstery, our labour for a 2/3-seater settee with removable cushions starts at £650. Fabric is on top of that and usually adds another £250 to £900 depending on what you choose.
A few common starting prices from our workshop:
- 2/3-seater settee (removable cushions): from £650
- Wingchair or armchair: from £450
- Small ladies' or bedroom chair: from £250
- Headboard (including foam): from £250
- Dining chair (seat and back): from £180
- Dining chair seat only (standard flat): from £35
- Cut and sew cushion: from £75
- Scatter cushion: from £20
Those are starting prices for the labour. Fabric, foam replacement, and any frame or spring repairs are extra. Below we explain why, and how to work out roughly what your own piece will cost.
What you're actually paying for
Reupholstery isn't recovering — it isn't just slipping a new cover over the old one. Done properly, it means stripping the piece back to its frame, often through several layers of fabric, hessian, and old horsehair, then rebuilding it from the bones up.
A typical sofa job involves:
- Stripping the old covers, padding and tacks (slow, careful work)
- Inspecting the frame for cracks or loose joints, repairing as needed
- Replacing or retying springs if they've gone
- Renewing webbing, hessian and burlap
- New foam and wadding to your preferred firmness
- Hand-cutting the new fabric to pattern-match across panels
- Sewing, fitting, and finishing — usually with hidden tacks or staples
That's days of skilled work, not hours. The reason a hand-built reupholstery costs more than a flat-packed sofa is the same reason a tailored suit costs more than something off the rack: it's made for that one piece, by someone who's spent years learning how.
What makes the price go up
Two sofas of the same size can come with very different quotes. Here's what shifts the number:
1. The fabric you choose. This is the biggest swing factor. A typical 2/3-seater needs roughly 12 to 16 metres of fabric. Budget upholstery fabric runs about £15-£30 per metre. Mid-range is £30-£60. Premium velvets, tweeds and weaves sit at £60-£150. Designer ranges (Linwood, Romo, Designers Guild) can be £150-£300 a metre or more. The same sofa could need £200 worth of fabric or £3,000 worth.
2. The condition of the frame and springs. If your springs have collapsed or the frame has loosened over the decades, those repairs add labour. We always check before quoting and tell you straight — no nasty surprises halfway through.
3. The style. A plain seat and back is straightforward. Add deep buttoning, fluting, piping, a Chesterfield-style back, or a complicated arm shape and the labour jumps. Our booth seating gives a useful comparison: plain seat and back is £95 per metre; a fluted back goes up to £130/m; a Chesterfield back is £180/m.
4. New foam and fillings. If your cushions have lost their bounce, new foam is usually a good idea. It's not expensive on its own, but it adds to the total.
5. Removable versus fixed cushions. Removable cushions are slightly more straightforward; fixed-back styles take longer to upholster cleanly.
Reupholster or buy new — which actually makes sense?
This is the question we'd rather you got an honest answer to, because we'd rather not take on a job that doesn't deserve our time.
Reupholstery makes sense when:
- The frame is solid hardwood (Parker Knoll, ercol, G-Plan, vintage Chesterfields, antique chairs, well-built mid-century pieces). Knock on the arm — if it sounds dense and dull, that's good.
- The piece has good bones but tired covers.
- It has sentimental value, or it fits a space perfectly and you'd struggle to replace it.
- The new equivalent would cost more than the reupholstery quote.
Reupholstery often doesn't make sense when:
- The frame is chipboard, plywood or pine throughout (most sub-£600 high-street sofas).
- The shape is dated in a way you don't actually like.
- You hated sitting on it long before the fabric wore out.
A useful rule of thumb: a well-made British sofa originally bought for £1,500+ is almost always worth reupholstering. A flat-packed sofa from a budget retailer almost never is. The frames just don't survive the strip-down.
Why prices vary across the UK
Quotes from London and the South East are typically 30-50% higher than the same job in the North. This isn't dishonesty — it's overheads. Workshop rents in central London are brutal.
Accreditation also matters. The Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers (AMUSF) holds members to specific standards on materials, methods and customer protection. We're members, which is part of why our prices reflect proper, lasting work rather than a quick recover that lets go in two years.
How to get an accurate quote
You don't need to bring your sofa anywhere to find out what it'll cost. Here's what helps us give you an accurate figure quickly:
- A clear photo of the whole piece from the front
- A photo of any damaged or worn areas
- The make and model if you know it (Parker Knoll, ercol, etc.)
- A rough idea of what fabric you'd like — or whether you want us to recommend something
- Your postcode (we serve Calderdale and the wider Yorkshire region, with a mobile service for static caravans)
Email a photo to pat@greenwoodupholstery.com or call 07882 014449 and we'll come back to you within 24 hours with a proper estimate. Most of our quotes are free and there's no obligation.
A final thought
A good reupholstery isn't cheap, but a £1,200 reupholstery that lasts 20 years works out at £60 a year. A £600 cheap sofa that sags after three years works out at £200 a year — and you've sent the old one to landfill.
If you've got a piece worth saving, we'd love to take a look.contact
Greenwood Upholstery is an AMUSF-accredited reupholstery workshop based in Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge. We serve the whole of Calderdale and West Yorkshire, with a specialist mobile service for static caravans across the North. Get a free quote →
