Looking for upholstery near me because the couch has sagged, the dining chairs are stained or Ouma's wingback is showing its springs? Reupholstery keeps a good frame and renews everything else: webbing, springs, foam, wadding and the cover. Upholsterers recover couches, armchairs, dining chairs, headboards, ottomans and antiques, and many also repair frames and leather. Tell us what you have, with a photo if you can, and we pass your request to independent upholsterers near you, who quote you directly. It is free, with no obligation to accept any quote.
What upholsterers do
Most furniture upholsterers take on the same core jobs, and many specialise in one or two:
- Couch reupholstery for lounge suites, corner units and sleeper couches
- Couch repairs for sagging seats, broken rails and recliner mechanisms
- Dining chairs, armchairs and wingbacks and headboards
- Leather repairs and restoration of older pieces
Car seats, boats and restaurant booths go to motor trimmers and commercial workshops, which you can also find through this site.
Recover it or replace it?
Reupholstery is worth it when the frame is solid: hardwood, a good older piece, an heirloom, an odd size that fits an alcove, or built-in seating. It is often not worth it on a cheap chipboard frame that is already cracking. Recovering a good couch can cost as much as a cheap new one, so compare honestly: a recovered hardwood couch with new foam usually outlasts a flat-pack one by years. If you are unsure, send a photo of the underside, where the frame and webbing show.
What a full reupholstery job involves
The upholsterer strips the old cover and keeps it as a pattern, then checks the frame for loose joints, broken rails and woodworm. Webbing or zig-zag springs are redone, coil springs retied, hessian replaced and the foam renewed and wrapped in polyester fibre wrap so the cover fills out. The new cover is cut, sewn and fitted with piping, buttons and a dust cover underneath. Pick fabric with a rub count to suit the use, and choose solution-dyed fabric if the piece stands in strong sun.
What affects the price and what to ask upholsterers
Quotes are usually split into labour per piece or per seat, fabric per metre, and foam and repairs as needed. Patterned fabric, deep buttoning, loose cushions and frame work add cost. Ask each upholstery shop:
- Is the fabric included, and do you charge to use my own?
- Does the price include new foam, wrap and a dust cover?
- What deposit do you need, and do you collect and deliver?
What to include in your request
- What the piece is, with a photo
- Number of seats, chairs or pieces
- New foam, a new cover or both
- Workshop fabric or your own
- Your suburb and whether to collect
Upholstery and Reupholstery for homes, cars and businesses
- Homeowners and tenants: a tired lounge suite, a family armchair, dining chairs or a headboard given a new cover
- Restaurants, hotels, guesthouses and lodges: guesthouse lounge chairs, lodge couches and bar stools recovered between busy seasons
- Offices and businesses: reception couches, waiting room chairs and boardroom seats recovered in a hard-wearing fabric
- Car, bakkie and taxi owners: car, bakkie and taxi seats handled by motor trimmers rather than furniture upholsterers
- Boats, caravans and 4x4s: caravan benches, camper cushions and boat seats recovered in marine vinyl and outdoor foam
- Clinics, salons, spas and gyms: clinic waiting chairs, salon chairs and treatment couches recovered in cleanable vinyl
- Churches, schools and halls: church pew cushions, school hall chairs and stage furniture recovered in bulk
- Upholsterers, makers, designers and DIYers: interior designers and furniture dealers sending frames out for recovering before resale
Frequently asked questions
How do I find good upholstery near me?
Is reupholstery cheaper than buying new?
How long does reupholstery take?
Do you do the upholstery yourselves?
Upholstery and Reupholstery 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