Commercial seating takes more wear in a month than a home couch does in a year. Restaurant booth upholstery, bar stools, hotel lounge chairs, church pews, salon and barber chairs, dental and treatment beds and gym benches all need tougher fabric or vinyl, cleanable surfaces and often fire-retardant materials. Many jobs are done on site after hours, so the business keeps trading. Tell us what seating you have, how much of it and when the work can happen, and we pass it to independent commercial upholsterers in your area. They quote you directly. The request is free, with no obligation.
What commercial upholstery covers
- Restaurants and bars: booths, banquettes, bar stool reupholstery and dining chairs
- Hotels, guesthouses and lodges: headboards, lounge chairs, ottomans and pool loungers (see outdoor cushions)
- Churches and halls: church pew upholstery, pew cushions and hall chairs
- Theatres and auditoriums: fixed seats and backs
- Salons, barbers, dentists and clinics: salon chairs, dental chair reupholstery and treatment beds
- Gyms: benches and machine pads
- Offices: reception couches and office chairs
Choosing contract fabric and vinyl
Ask the supplier for the rub count and choose a contract grade for seats used all day; domestic fabric wears through fast. Vinyl and faux leather wipe clean, which suits restaurants, salons and medical rooms, and clinics should check that the vinyl stands up to their disinfectants. For hotels, theatres and public venues, ask for fire-retardant fabric and foam and get it in writing. Darker or patterned fabrics hide spills, and channel stitching or piping helps booth seams last. See upholstery fabric for the types.
How the work is done without closing
Fixed booths and pews are usually done on site: the upholsterer removes the seat and back panels, recovers them in the workshop or in place, and refits them. Many work at night, on a quiet weekday or in the off season, and split a big room into stages. Loose chairs and stools go to the workshop in batches. Common mistakes are domestic fabric, skipping new foam on flattened seats and leaving rusted staples in coastal venues. Wipe vinyl daily with a mild cleaner and avoid harsh solvents that crack it.
What affects the price and what to ask
Bulk jobs are quoted per piece, per seat or per metre of bench. The price depends on how much seating there is, the fabric or vinyl grade, the foam, stitching details, after-hours work and access. Ask:
- Can you do one sample seat first?
- Is the fabric fire retardant, and can you show me?
- Will you work after hours, and in stages?
- What guarantee do you give on seams and foam?
Hotels redoing bedrooms can add upholstered headboards to the same quote.
What to include in your request
- Type of venue and seating
- How many pieces or metres of bench
- Fabric or vinyl and colour
- When the venue can close
- Fire-retardant requirements
Commercial Upholstery for homes, cars and businesses
- Homeowners and tenants: a home-based salon or a small family takeaway with a few seats to redo
- Restaurants, hotels, guesthouses and lodges: restaurants, bars, hotels and guesthouses with booths, stools and lounge chairs worn by daily use
- Offices and businesses: reception couches, boardroom chairs and canteen seating in office parks
- Car, bakkie and taxi owners: dealership waiting lounges and service centre seating that sees heavy daily use
- Boats, caravans and 4x4s: lodge lounges, golf clubhouses and resorts with bar stools and lounge seating
- Clinics, salons, spas and gyms: dentists, doctors, salons, spas and gyms with treatment beds and chairs in cleanable vinyl
- Churches, schools and halls: churches, theatres, school halls and community centres with pews and fixed seating
- Upholsterers, makers, designers and DIYers: shopfitters, interior designers and furniture makers subcontracting the upholstery work
Frequently asked questions
How much does restaurant booth upholstery cost?
Can church pews be upholstered on site?
Do I need fire-retardant fabric for a restaurant or hotel?
Do you do commercial upholstery?
Commercial Upholstery by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg