Why there is no single price for sofa upholstery
Most people start by searching for a number. The trouble is that sofa upholstery cost depends on what is under the fabric as much as the fabric itself. A frame with loose joints and broken springs needs hours of work before any new fabric goes on. A sound frame with tired cushions needs far less.
Fabric adds a second layer of variation. The same three seater can need noticeably more metres in a patterned fabric than in a plain one, and fabric prices per metre range widely. A quote that looks low may assume a budget fabric, reuse old foam or leave out collection and fitting.
For these reasons The Fabric Room does not publish fixed prices. We visit, check the frame, show you fabrics from our library and send a written quote within 24 hours. You can read more about how we price.
Sofa upholstery Dubai cost: the price drivers at a glance
This table lists every factor that moves furniture reupholstery cost and which way it pushes the price. Each driver is explained in more detail below.
| Price driver | What it means | How it moves cost |
|---|---|---|
| Size and number of seats | Width, depth, number of cushions, arms and backs | Larger pieces and corner sofas need more fabric, foam and labour |
| Frame repairs | Regluing joints, replacing rails or corner blocks | Adds labour and materials; none needed on a sound frame |
| Springs and webbing | Replacing broken serpentine springs or slack webbing | Adds labour and parts, priced per area of work |
| Foam | New foam, its density, grade and wrap | Higher density and feather wrap cost more than standard foam and fibre |
| Fabric metres | How much fabric the piece needs | More cushions, skirts and patterns increase metres |
| Fabric price per metre | The fabric you choose | Often the single biggest variable in the quote |
| Pattern matching | Aligning stripes, checks or motifs across panels and cushions | Adds metres for the repeat and extra cutting time |
| Buttoning and tufting | Deep buttoning, shallow buttons or channels | Slow hand work; deep buttoning adds the most |
| Piping and details | Piped seams, contrast welts, skirts, pleats | Each adds cutting, sewing and fabric |
| Collection and fitting | Moving the piece and returning it | Access, distance, stairs and lifts affect handling time |
How does sofa size change the cost?
Size is the starting point for any sofa upholstery cost. A single armchair, a two seater, a three seater and an L shaped corner sofa each need a different amount of fabric, foam and labour. Width matters, but so does the number of separate parts. A sofa with three seat cushions, three back cushions, two arms and a skirt has many more panels to cut and sew than a tight back sofa with one long seat cushion.
Depth and height also count. Deep lounging sofas and high back designs use more fabric on the inside back and more foam in the seat. Curved sofas take longer to pattern and fit, because each panel has to follow the curve.
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Home visits across Dubai, written quote within 24 hours, fitted on a fixed date.
What do frame, spring and webbing repairs add?
Frame work is the part of the quote you cannot see from the outside. Once the old fabric is stripped, our craftspeople check every joint and rail. Loose joints are reglued and clamped, split corner blocks are replaced and any cracked rail is repaired or renewed. On a well built sofa there may be little to do. On an older or heavily used sofa this can be a meaningful part of the work.
Seats rely on serpentine springs, pocket springs or elastic webbing. Broken or sagging springs and webbing that has lost its tension are replaced during reupholstery. This is also the reason a home visit matters. We can press the seat deck, lift the frame and tell you in advance whether repairs are likely, so the written quote reflects the real job. Our sofa repair guide covers these faults in detail.
How much does foam affect sofa upholstery cost?
Foam is where a cheap quote and a good one often part ways. Reusing old foam keeps the price down but leaves you with the same flat seats under new fabric. Replacing it costs more but changes how the sofa sits.
The foam grade matters. Seat foam commonly sits around 30 to 40 kg per cubic metre, with higher densities lasting longer. Backs use softer foam or fibre. Wrapping foam in polyester fibre is the standard finish. A feather and down wrap gives a softer, relaxed look but costs more and needs plumping. Our sofa foam guide explains each option, and our foam replacement service can be quoted on its own if the cover is still good.
Fabric metres and fabric price
Fabric is usually the biggest single line on the quote, and it has two parts: how many metres you need and what each metre costs.
Metres depend on the piece and the fabric. Most upholstery fabric is around 140 cm wide. Some can be railroaded, meaning it runs sideways along the sofa so a long seat or back can be cut in one piece without joins. Others must run up the roll, which can need more metres. A skirt, piping and loose cushions all add fabric.
Price per metre ranges from practical woven polyesters to performance fabrics, linen blends, velvets and leather. Leather is priced by the hide rather than the metre and has more waste, because natural marks and thin areas are cut around. Our upholstery fabric guide and fabric guide explain the choices.
Pattern matching, buttoning and piping
Details are where skill shows, and they take time. Each one is priced as labour, sometimes with extra fabric.
Pattern matching
Stripes, checks, florals and large motifs must line up from the inside back to the seat, across cushions and down the front. The larger the pattern repeat, the more fabric is lost lining it up. Matching also takes extra cutting time. We write the pattern match into the specification so you know exactly how the fabric will sit.
Buttoning and tufting
Deep buttoning, as on a Chesterfield, is slow hand work. Each button is set into pleated fabric and the folds are dressed by hand. Shallow buttoning and vertical channels take less time but still add to the cost compared with a plain back.
Piping and finishing
Piped seams, contrast welts, box pleated skirts and tailored corners each add cutting and sewing. Piping also uses extra fabric, cut on the bias. These details are worth it on a sofa you want to look sharp for years.
Collection, delivery and fitting in Dubai
Full reupholstery is done off site, so the sofa has to be collected and returned. Handling depends on access. A ground floor villa is quicker than a high floor apartment where the sofa has to go through a service lift, and some towers need a booking or permit for furniture moves. Very large or heavy pieces need more people.
At The Fabric Room collection, delivery and placing are part of the written quote, not a surprise on the day. Our team delivers and fits on the agreed date. See our process and the areas we cover.
How to get an accurate upholstery quote in Dubai
The best way to control cost is to compare quotes on the same specification. Ask each upholsterer to state the foam density, whether springs and webbing are included, the fabric and metres, the pattern match, the stitching details and whether collection and fitting are included.
A complete upholstery quote in Dubai should state every item in the checklist at the end of this section in writing. If one is missing, ask before you compare prices.
If you want to keep the cost down, choose a plain or small repeat fabric, keep the existing shape, skip deep buttoning and replace only the seat foam if the backs are still good. If you want the sofa to last as long as possible, put the budget into frame work, high density seat foam and a fabric with a high rub count.
To start, try fabrics and colours in the The Fabric Room Design Studio and send your design for a price, or book a home visit. You receive a written quote within 24 hours, and a 50% deposit books a fixed fitting date.
- The piece, its dimensions and the number of cushions
- Frame, spring and webbing work included, or how it will be priced if found on stripping
- Foam density for seats and backs, and the wrap: fibre or feather
- Fabric name, colour, metres and whether it is railroaded or up the roll
- Pattern match, piping, buttoning and any skirt or pleat details
- Collection, delivery and fitting, with an agreed date
- The workmanship guarantee and what it covers
