The Upholstery Forum

Wasn't sure if i should post this in beginner questions or biz... anyhoo!
I won't ask how much you charge because everyone is different...
What I really want to know is how much time does it take you to make new covers for the following, assuming no repairs to the interior elements like springs or foam:

- 2 Front seats (Recaro)
- 1 back bench seat
- 2 door panels

Thanks!

@Michelle_Trillium ,

The Recaro seats are troublesome

I saw another discussion on pricing, and the commenter said he thinks in days. The example he was talking about was one bare bench seat that needed new patterns. He suggested one day to develop the patterns, One day to cut the pieces, and another day to sew.
As a new learner and looking at the amount of time it takes me to finish little projects, I doubt I could complete the seat in 3 days, but a pro probably could.
I had a shop make three couch seat bottoms. Two were identical, but mirror image and the center cushion was unique. I doubt the cloth material was more than $5 per yard. She charged $300 for the three cushions. I think $50 an hour at the time was the going rate, so the job was completed in six hours. At this point, I couldn't make those in six hours. If I took on a job for someone, I would quote six hours, knowing it would take much longer. I think it's like all other skills to work toward pro-level speed to justify pro-level pricing.

I give you credit for taking this job on. I don’t have a ton of experience but any time I hear the words Ricaro I run the other way! In all seriousness, whenever I take a challenging job on that’s beyond the scope of my comfort, I look at it as a opportunity to gain experience. I go in knowing 2 things

1) I will most likely lose money or at best break even. I always order wayyyy more materials knowing I will be making mistakes

2) laybor charge will be almost nonexistent. I want to learn as much as possible so I can profit on the next job. In all seriousness it will take me at minimum 5x as long as it should to do these seats the first time.

If you can break even on material and maybe make 50 bucks just to gain experience.... that’s a win.


By no means am I underestimating your experience or skill. This would just be my outlook if I was going to tackle this job.

Definitely keep us posted.

Hi @Michelle_Trillium
Do a search on the forum for "pricing" and you will find some other discussions on this topic.

Its really really difficult to give you any reliable #s without seeing the exact seats and details on what the customer wants.
For example door panels. I have done door panels in a few hours and others I have spent 2 weeks. It all depends on what need to be done. This is why its important to make sure the customer know the estimate ins not necessarily the final price.

I would estimate 3 days on a set of standard recaro seats. They are very difficult to get right.
8 hours on a basic bench seat with no fancy stitching or design.

I hope this helps a little.