Ladies, does this sound expensive for re - covering kitchen chairs?

[Big Cuddly Bear]

I figure you ladies have a better idea than most of the guys.

Ours really need new fabric. We found fabric and batting - I think it is called - that would cost $140 for us to buy and cover 6 chairs.

The guy who does it near us wants almost $600 to do the work including the fabric, batting, labor, and tax.

$600 sounds outrageously high to me, but I have never priced this kind of thing before. It doesn't look too hard to do it myself, but maybe it is harder than I think?

The whole kitchen set was $2000 about 10 years ago.

Too expensive at $600?

 

[marlynnp]

It would depend on the style of chair and the number of them. The most important details which you failed to provide.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

It would depend on the style of chair and the number of them. The most important details which you failed to provide.

I don't know... basic kitchen chairs. Only padding is in the seat. And I did say 6 chairs.

 

[MIGrandma]

It would depend on the style of chair and the number of them. The most important details which you failed to provide.

He said 6 chairs.

I have no idea if the cost is reasonable or not. Are there other people in your area that do reupholstering of furniture? Could you call a few and compare their prices?

 

[marlynnp]

I don't know... basic kitchen chairs. Only padding is in the seat. And I did say 6 chairs.

missed the 6. Do you have a picture? There is a big difference in the difficulty of recovering depending if the fabric needs to be sewn first or just pulled tautly over the base plywood.

 

[npmommie]

I don't know if that is a lot or not, but if you are buying the fabric and batting on your own, his charge would just be for labor right? is he including the fabric and batting too?

 

[golfgal]

Do it yourself-it is very easy. Get an electric staple gun and a pair of scissors-that is all you need. I have done it for several sets of chairs.

 

[Christine]

I've always done my kitchen chairs myself. Extremely easy.

 

[tvguy]

Well, hard to compare, but Target is selling fabric covered kitchen chairs for $229 a pair, that would be $687 for 6.

I think what you have to realize is brand new chairs are being assembled most likely in a foreign country with no mimimum wage and less strict (or non existent) labor and environmental laws. The process is highly automated with materials being cut to size by machines to exact size, and purchased in bulk.

Your current chairs are being worked on by someone making at least minimum wage, and probably 2 or 3 times that, with workers comp insurance, and health insurance working with materials that are regulated. They are probably doing everything by hand, and buy their materials in much smaller, and more expense quantities.
I suspect if you have your chairs recovered, the workmanship will probably be better than the original, and better than new chairs, but better costs more.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

He is charging you 100/chair which includes fabric, batting, and labor.

How much is the fabric per sq. yard? Is there a pattern? If you have a pattern then it will cost more because he will need to get more fabric than if it were something plain.

 

[Green Tea]

I've always done my kitchen chairs myself. Extremely easy.

SO Easy.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

DIY, is pretty easy with redoing chairs. I have done it in the past however all my chairs are wooden now.

 

[TTFN]

Is this kind of like your chairs? It does look easy to do.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n05vd45JQO4

 

[rie'smom]

Is it just recovering the seats? If so, yes, that's expensive. Google and do it yourself. I did my breakfast room and dining room chairs. It cost next to nothing because the fabric I wanted was on sale. I had to buy a staple gun and staples. It took an hour to do the 3 breakfast room chairs and bench.
What you have to do is take off the seat covers that are on now and use them as a pattern to cut out the new fabric.
This was one of the easiest projects ever. I just saw TTFN's post. Watch that video.
Think of what you can do with the extra $460.00.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Is this kind of like your chairs? It does look easy to do.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n05vd45JQO4

Similar.... so, we will do it ourselves and save $400 or so.

Don't know why I forgot about youtube.

 

[SandrA9810]

Done it myself. If the original fabric isn't worn to pieces, it's much easier to just cover that up, and works as a barrier.

 

[kelleyrn2000]

Similar.... so, we will do it ourselves and save $400 or so.

Don't know why I forgot about youtube.

Go for it! It's very easy, just use a good staple gun and have fun picking out the fabric! I found a great faux leather at the fabric store, and I get compliments all the time, so save yourself the money

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Is it just recovering the seats? If so, yes, that's expensive. Google and do it yourself. I did my breakfast room and dining room chairs. It cost next to nothing because the fabric I wanted was on sale. I had to buy a staple gun and staples. It took an hour to do the 3 breakfast room chairs and bench.
What you have to do is take off the seat covers that are on now and use them as a pattern to cut out the new fabric.
This was one of the easiest projects ever. I just saw TTFN's post. Watch that video.
Think of what you can do with the extra $460.00.

My wife has rich tastes, I guess... The fabric she wants is $28 a yard because they include $5 per yard if you don't order at least 5 yards, and we're only needing 3 yards ( but are ordering an extra yard in case we mess up, or a chair gets stained in the future ).... But the upholstery guy wanted $36 a yard for the same fabric.

 

[Green Tea]

Look on ebay for the fabric. You can sometimes find the same fabric for a lot less. Or even just by googling the name.

 

[rie'smom]

My wife has rich tastes, I guess... The fabric she wants is $28 a yard because they include $5 per yard if you don't order at least 5 yards, and we're only needing 3 yards ( but are ordering an extra yard in case we mess up, or a chair gets stained in the future ).... But the upholstery guy wanted $36 a yard for the same fabric.

See the post below and also try housefabric.com

Look on ebay for the fabric. You can sometimes find the same fabric for a lot less. Or even just by googling the name.

These can all save $$$. My MIL found a silk for her sofa that was 275/yd. I found it on ebay for 35.00/yd.