What would you charge?

[Upholstery Clinic]

Hello all,

Had a customer call me about sewing 2 cushions for her.  The dimensions are 25x21x4 and 21x21x4.  They have welt on both sides and are both zippered.  She is supplying the material (big surprise now days), and we have to supply the welt cord and zipper.  How much time would you take to cut and sew these cushions (I was figuring around 50 minutes a cushion), and what would you charge the customer?  She ended up calling around and another upholstery shop in the area told her $45 each.  Is it just me, or with cutting fees, material (zipper and welt cord) and labor time does this seem like a discount rate.  I will admit I don't do much residential stuff, but this seems kind of inexpensive.  I am curious to hear your opinions.  Thanks.

[kodydog]

I think you have the time close for a box cush with no T and no stripe. Including the time you already spent and more time you'll be spending interfacing with the customer.
As for price that can very greatly from region to region. Also a shop that's been around for 30 years and has a good reputation can charge more then a start-up that's struggling to find work.
You know what your shop fees are and should stick to it. Sometimes the customer will play the price game even though they already know which shop their going to use. Let them use the other shop and if the job comes out good then good for her. But if it doesn't you'll be hearing from her again.

[Mike8560]

Me I'd figure a hour per cusion at $75 an hour at least

[Steve at Silverstone Fabrics]

What do you charge? ..........I have learned that $ can be one of those taboo subjects on this site but lets talk about it anyway.

When I had an active shop and I would answer the phone, the first thing I would ask is "Are you letting your fingers do the walking....are you calling around the area shops asking for prices?", If they answer "Yes", I would say "Great, I shop the very same way", "Let me ask you a few questions first......is price or quality more important to you?" "How quickly do you need to have the project completed?" As I am listening to the answers, I am formulating a "battle plan". In this plan, I am considering things like: is this cushion going to keep me from a real money maker, can I work it into the flow of my shop, can I make money from future work from this customer.

I would give them a price that I knew would make me money and then I would listen....if they say "Well Acme Upholstery can do it for $15 less" I would always say that "If Acme can do the job in the same time table I can and if their quality is is good as mine....then you need to take it to Acme but if you bring it to my shop you will have the benefit of having over 60 years of experience cutting and sewing your cushions"

I know that everyone has their own phone personalities but I hope there were a few nuggets in what I used for 30 years. Steve

[Upholstery Clinic]

Thanks for the responses so far.  I was curious what others would charge without giving out to much information on the other upholstery shop.  The other shop has been in business roughly 60 years.  I am familiar with their work and it is quality.  I priced the job out at $160 for both.  Between the shop rate ($60/hour), cutting fee on the customer supplied material ($15/yard), a modest amount on my supplies, and the fact that she needs it done in under a weeks time, that this was fair.  I was told that the other shop included a cutting fee in the $90 for both price. 

Now I will admit I don't do a lot of residential upholstering, most of my work is medical and dental offices, but $45 each seems a bit on the cheap side.  I was curious if anyone else would do these cushions with customer supplied material a that kind of price.  That is short of someone needing work to keep their sewer busy.

[Peppy]

We charge $50 for small cushions. $75 for large. Be they square, T, COM, instock fabric, or whatever. The motto being- what you loose on the apples you make up for on the oranges. Money making plane-jane square one's make up for the money loosing plaid doughnut one's. Bear in mind we don't get requested to do a lot of 'only make the skin' jobs. More often than not we'll stuff it too. And so what we 'lost' on the sewing we make up for on the foam and zippers and fabric (more often than not).

Seems the people who do bring their own fabric in to get only the skin never knew about us before, and we end up getting more work from them. So it makes good business not to sting them too hard.

The first time ;)

[Mike8560]

I don't think it would be stinging. 
Guy brought me a flop flop seat back rest and a backrest off the front of a center console
About 2 yards one smooth and one quilted  I supplied the material $180 i
my times with money too

[baileyuph]

.

We tend to focus solely on what another shop would charge, while our main competitor is the manufacturers.  My point is, we ordered two complete  five inch thick cushions. new covers, new foam with wrap for $120.00.  The materials would or could cost a small shop that much.

Manufacturers actually establish mind set of the customers with respect to pricing.  It seems that much of what we do is compared to new replacement.

Furniture retailers will run a special on a sofa at $395, for example, and a customer will call to see if they can get their old one recovered for less.  We and what we do continue to be compared to new replacement.  Those in business a while, have had this experience. 

The main thing consumers understand is price and it is evident in market analysis.  If it is new, they expect it to be quality and perfect, because of that. 

With respect to running a custom small operation, it is a fact that we are not as efficient as mass production, we cannot buy as cheaply as they can, which leads to the understanding that we cannot compete with them. 

Therefore, when the consumer comes to us wanting something like cushions made, sure they are looking for the cheapest price because regardless of which shop they called it exceeds the expection due to their mind set, referenced above.  This is just an example to support the discussion of why we can't get more for our work.

At $45 per cushion cover and my overhead, it is not going to keep me in middle class.  It takes me longer to do the work on a custom basis, whatever I buy is more than manufacturers pay and when the labor cost is factored in (usually foreign), I cannot compete with new.  It is that simple. 

These are the challenges of a small business, what we do and whether we make it or not depend on several factors, too many to discuss in a thread like this.  Better done in the business section.

Bottom line, if you are doing something that pays better than sewing cushions, good management will do that but if the workbench is essentially empty, then $45 a cushion cover may at least keep the sign hanging on the door.  So, we can take the jobs that pay less and work longer hours and  compare it to our other opportunities are, if they exist.

I wish everyone the best, no one said it would be easy, did they?

Doyle

[Upholstery Clinic]

Well I would have to say $45 per cushion would not pay my overhead long term.  I will work on the assumption that this price was given so that the sewer has something to do.  There are a lot of upholsterers around here who have residential upholstering as their primary focus, and word is, business has been moderate to slow.   If not, and this is the normal amount received for sewing a cushion, I will stay away from the residential, and keep doing what I specialize in.  Thanks for all the input.

[mike802]

For a standard sized couch, or chair cushion, which falls into the dimensions you mentioned, I charge 75.00 each, for cushions larger than standard, I charge 3.00 pr. running inch, these are labor charges only and zippers and welting are additional charges.  Shop charges pr hour vary depending on where the shop is located and the over head cost to stay in business and turn a profit.  My overhead and shop rate is lower than many other posters on this board because my business is home based and that price per. cushion sounds low to me.

I stopped competing on price long ago, I figured out what my overhead cost were and how much I need to turn a profit and price on that information.   If I cant get my hourly rate than what I do is just an expensive hobby and I can think of many other "hobbies" I would rather spend my time pursuing.  We had a prospective customer call just the other day and ask what we would charge to reupholster dining seats.  I have a standard charge list, so the person who took the call just had to look at the list and find "plywood dining seats 70.00 each for labor".  The prospect responded with "do you realize all you have to due is staple fabric onto plywood?"  I guess it's a good thing I didn't take the call. :D

[jsquail]

I just did a seat and cushion back for a center console, the one that go in front of the console for 90.00 each.

What i have found is that it takes a fair amount of time even to do the "staple on" cushions. If they are more intricate and require more sewing i charge more. I can say, i wont charge less than 75.00 a cushion ever. Its not worth my time because after i pay shipping and taxes there is hardly any profit left.

The end all be all is we are in business to make money and not give our services away. We are good at what we do and should get paid accordingly.


/my 2 cents

[DBR1957]

The prospect responded with "do you realize all you have to due is staple fabric onto plywood?"  I guess it's a good thing I didn't take the call. :D

My response would have been, "If it's that easy then why are you calling me?"

I have some customers that can't understand why prices are they way they are
and some that are absolutely amazed how I can take straight pieces of tubing,
bend a frame then take flat material and turn it into a top.

I've hesitated commenting on this thread but for these cushions I would charge
around $200 each. Of course that's because we're primarily a canvas shop and
our labor rate in the DC area is higher due to higher overhead and the cost of
living here.

Something to consider is your labor rate is based in part on a profit margin on
materials. I hesitate using customer supplied fabric and if we do it voids any
warranty at all on the service. You don't take your steak to the restaurant or
your parts to the car mechanic do you?

Another thing to consider is whether you're pushing a job in progress to the
side to complete this small job in the customer's time frame. Will that have an
impact on future work from that other customer?

One thing that never fails. You get a customer that wants to nickel and dime
the cost of the job and needs it quick. So you do it for their price and push to
get it done. No matter how nice you think the job is they will have some complaint
and completely forget you went out of your way to make them happy. In the end
you kick yourself because you know you should have held your ground.

[Mojo]

If the customer gave you the quote whose to say they were honest ? I have seen that game played before in other industries where the customer says " I got quoted XXX number of dollars " when it fact is was more. They were simply trying to low ball the company they wanted to have do the work.

If the customers quote was factual then it very well could be that they are slow and are trying to get something in the door to keep employees busy.

To be honest, I could careless what others quote. I give them my best shot and if they take it fine if not then let another stitcher deal with it. If it is a big job and I have alot of margin to play with then I may step up to bat.

Chris

[needles eye]

Dearest upholstery friends:

thanking you for the quality and content of this particular thread which is really especially helpful, indeed rather so, for one lucky newbie starting out.

I reckon it's pretty crap to undersell yourself and the bs factor isn't worth it. But sometimes the coyote is at the door huh? When you became a tradie nobody really teaches you how to deal with the cockroaches.

Current competitor's prices as listed below -

[Fabric from samples shown to client usually marked up, marked up at about 80% - 100%.
Customer can supply fabric if required.
Pickup and delivery charge on the sofa or the seat/s to do job $150-, but charged more if miles away.]

seat cushions  55cm x 55cm $45- per cushion and add $5- for every 50 cm added

scatter cushions 1.2 mts makes three 45cm  x  45cm cushion = $20- per cushion
                                           and 50cm x 50cm cushion = $25- per cushion

dining chairs only one seat cushion, fabric costs and $35- per cushion
dining chair full cover to the floor , 1.4 mts per chair + $85- per chair for 4 chairs, $80- for 6 chairs, $75- for 8 chairs

arm chairs with seat and back cushions, and 6.5mts fabric cost, $300-
arm chair with only seat cushions, and 6 mts cost, $250-
arm chair without cushions, 5.5 mts, $200-

wingback chair, 6 mts, $250-

rocker / recliner, 6.5 mts, $300-

2 seater lounge / sofa with back and seat cushions, 11.5 mts, $350-
"                          "       only seat cushions, 10 mts, $300-
"                          "        without cushions, 8.5 mts, $250-

3 seater sofa with back and seat cushions, 13 mts, $450-
"              "    with only seat cushions, 11.5 mts,  $400-
"              "      without cushions, 10 mts, $350-

* note that my sailmaker mate from Fremantle (that's where we lost the auld mug back to ya) says the above prices are cheap.

Finally, thanking you, good buddies, for your constancy and virtue and in sharing your wisdom and prudence.

Like they used to say in Rome of old, "let not the cobbler venture above his last".

Yours ever, best regards, cheerio, catch ya later, take it easy, tra la la
:-X

[Mike8560]

Mike 802.  Me tionded overhead.  
Even if you  work from home and your overhead is low so what
I've got a friend who ended up a teamsters truckdriver he gets a good check ( isn't the boss soh has no headache) and when he retires soon will get a goood pension not to mention the heth INS he's had  
My point is he and how many of our customers make good money and have no o erhead except a car to go to work and gas   So why should one who works from home have the same ?
I'm not going to get a union pension here myself  but if one saves some money working from home should still make the same proffit  

I'm done ;)