The Average Cost to Reupholster a Sofa

Upholstery Fabric

• The upholstery fabric will be the biggest expense. The cost of the fabric can vary greatly. The average price of upholstery fabric, at the time of publication, is in the $15 to $20 range per yard. The average size couch, with three cushions takes at least 17 yards of fabric. If you want to add skirting around the bottom edge of your couch, that is another nine yards of fabric. The average cost of the fabric for reupholstering your sofa is around $400. Of course, if you are a regular shopper at a fabric store, you can use coupons and watch for sales to bring your cost down considerably.

Foam

• Sometimes you need to replace the foam in the cushions when reupholstering your sofa. The cost of the foam will vary depending on the depth of the foam you need. For a couch with an average of three cushions and using a 4-inch thick foam, the cost will be in the $70 range, at time of publication. Here again, if you frequently shop at fabric stores, you can wait for sales and use coupons to reduce your cost.

Quilt Batting

• Quilt batting is sometimes necessary to add a little body to the back of the couch where your backs rests. One package of queen size quilt batting costs anywhere from $20 to $30 per package at time of publication. One package of queen size quilt batting is usually enough.

Other Supplies

• The other supplies you might need to reupholster a sofa are the least of your expenses. You may already have many of these supplies at home, bringing the cost of reupholstering you sofa to even less. You will also need a staple gun with staples, a special curved upholstery needle, chalk, spray adhesive and upholstery thread. The staple gun is the most expensive, depending on what brand you buy. The remaining supplies only cost $2 to $3 each.