How Much Does Sofa Reupholstery Cost in Australia?

Published Australian prices: what they actually cover

Price check: 1 October 2026. These pages describe different services and furniture. Read the limitations alongside the amounts rather than treating the table as a comparison between interchangeable offers.

On a phone, swipe the table to see each column.

First Edition’s example is useful because it separates the upholstery charge, fabric and optional foam. Its A$1,455 total includes that foam allowance but still needs GST and any transport added. It does not establish a price for every 2.5-seater.

Koskela’s module names belong to its own range. A “Double” in that FAQ should not be turned into an Australian two-seater benchmark. Nor should the difference between these providers be used to judge value without knowing the furniture and work involved.

What can be included in a reupholstery quote?

Ask the business to spell out the job in ordinary language. A project described as “recovering” may focus on the outer upholstery. Another proposal may include substantial internal work. Do not rely on the heading to tell you which components are being replaced.

Use these categories to read the quote:

• Upholstery work: which existing panels will be removed and replaced, and which will remain?
• Fabric supply: what textile, colour, width and quantity are allowed for?
• Cushion work: are seat and back fillings retained, topped up or replaced?
• Support and frame: what work, if any, is specified for webbing, springs, joints or other structure?
• Finishing: are piping, buttons, skirts, zips and exposed timber work included?
• Logistics: who collects, delivers, carries upstairs and handles any agreed disposal?

Not every sofa needs every item. The point is to distinguish “not needed” from “not included”. A lower quote may be perfectly appropriate if it addresses a smaller, sufficient scope.

Dylberry Design’s cost guide describes individually priced jobs influenced by material choice, size, condition and detailing. It also explains the limits of assessing hidden work from photographs. Those variables are good reasons to seek an itemised proposal rather than applying a generic per-seat rate.

Why fabric choice changes the budget

A fabric’s price per metre is only part of the calculation. Ask your upholsterer to confirm the quantity for the specific sofa and textile before you buy anything. Usable width, pattern direction and the intended panel layout need to be considered together.

A stripe or large repeat can require planning to align the visible sections. A directional surface also needs consistent orientation. Ask whether your chosen design changes the required quantity or work, rather than assuming all fabrics can be substituted metre for metre.

Request a sample and the fabric’s care information. Consider how the finished lounge will be maintained, whether the texture suits your household and what you are comfortable living with. The cheapest attractive swatch is poor value if it cannot meet the project’s requirements.

If you want to supply your own material, ask first. Confirm that the business accepts it, that the textile is suitable, who checks for faults and what happens if too little is ordered. Clearance stock is particularly worth discussing before committing: you do not want to plan a job around a quantity that cannot be supplemented.

A transparent fabric calculation

This is an arithmetic example, not a quote or a typical fabric allowance:

14 metres × A$80 per metre = A$1,120 for fabric. For this hypothetical calculation, the A$80 price includes GST. The 14-metre quantity is invented for illustration and must not be used to order fabric for your sofa.

You would then add only the other items actually quoted. If the upholstery proposal already includes the fabric, do not add it again. Check whether each figure is GST-inclusive before comparing totals.

The design and condition matter too

Send photographs that show the entire piece, including its sides and back. A close-up of a worn seat does not communicate the amount of upholstery elsewhere, the number of separate cushions or the detailing you want retained.

List comfort problems separately from visible wear. Say whether a cushion feels flat, a seat dips, a joint moves or a mechanism has a fault. Ask which concerns can be assessed from photos and which need an inspection. Avoid requesting “new foam” as the only solution before the cause of a poor seat has been checked.

For a modular sofa, provide a simple sketch and identify each section. A corner, chaise, armless module and end piece need not have identical requirements. A straight per-seat multiplication can obscure the actual scope.

For a recliner or sofa bed, make the mechanism part of the initial enquiry. Ask whether the workshop handles that design and whether upholstery work leaves any existing mechanism issue unresolved.

Questions to ask before accepting a quote

Send the same information to each business so that their responses can be compared. Then use this checklist to fill any gaps:

1. Is this an estimate or an agreed quote? Ask what still needs to be inspected or selected.
2. Does the total include GST? Get a clear tax-inclusive amount for your budget.
3. Is the fabric included? Record its brand, range, colour or code, and the allowed quantity.
4. What happens to the cushions? Specify seat and back filling separately.
5. What internal work is included? Ask about each known fault rather than relying on “repairs as needed”.
6. Are finishing details included? Confirm what will be retained, changed or removed.
7. What does transport cover? Check both directions and disclose stairs, lifts and access restrictions.
8. How are surprises handled? Agree that extra work and its cost require your approval before proceeding.
9. What is the timing? Ask about fabric availability, collection, time without the sofa and return arrangements.
10. What comes with the finished job? Request care instructions, written warranty details and a contact for concerns.

Keep the accepted scope and fabric selection together. If an important detail changes during a phone call, ask for the revised description and total in writing.

A simple budget worksheet

Use one version per provider. Where an item is included in another line, write “included” so that it is counted once. Where the cost is unknown, leave it visibly unresolved rather than treating it as zero.

On a phone, swipe the table to see each column.

Put any replacement-sofa comparison on the same basis: the product you would actually buy, delivered into the room, with any required removal included.

Ways to keep the project manageable

Start by asking what is necessary. If the fault is isolated, a targeted repair may be worth pricing before a full recover. If you mainly want a different colour, ask about removable-cover options. Do not pay to replace serviceable parts simply because you assumed a complete rebuild was required.

If the full proposal exceeds your budget, ask for a second version using a suitable lower-cost textile or simpler optional detailing. Keep essential repair work visible in both versions. Hiding a failed support system beneath new fabric does not resolve the original problem.

Be clear about your ceiling early. It gives the workshop a useful constraint and helps you decide whether further design selection is worthwhile.

Budgeting for a removable cover instead

A cover is an option when the sofa is safe, comfortable and mainly needs a surface refresh. It does not provide the same work as reupholstery, so a percentage-saving comparison between the two can be misleading.

Use the piece-by-piece sizing guide, list each required size and quantity, then add delivery where applicable. Check the current product page for availability and care instructions. The complete configuration is the useful figure for your budget.