slip cover quote

[Darren Henry]

I need a little help here folks. Boss is out of town wants me do a quote on a slip cover for a sofa and chair I've never seen in an unknown fabric.  ::). I've never done a slip cover. :'( Anybody have a ball park on hours and yards? Sorry to be so vague, but I'm working with nothing here. BTW customer's budget is $300. Is that even doable?

[Grebo]

You not even got a photo ?  ???

[baileyuph]

Yardage is not less than reupholstery and I have seen it go a little higher.

You really need to see it because some furniture doesn't even lend itself to slips.  Plus, age and general condition isn't know; foam, skirts, and probably more to get to know about.

General thought is a good quality slip will go for about reupholstery is, maybe a little less if it isn't too big of a PITA to fit, plus depends on fabric used (pattern repeat?.  Matching pattern will drive yardage or can.

$300 around here would not pay the labor on sofa alone.  In your money?

The encouragement is go and look, keeping these parameters in mind, not to suggest that there aren't more. 

Hope it works out for you.

Doyle

[gene]

I second Doyle's comments, and Grebo's question.

I use my upholstery fabric chart for the yardage and it comes out the same. On large furniture pieces I might add 1 yard because the deck if face fabric on slipcovers and not decking material. I have a slipcover chart that I will refer to sometimes to double check or to help estimate that odd piece of furniture.

If I don't know the repeat of the fabric, I put "based on a small, or no, repeat and a bolt width of 54". Please call if otherwise and I will recalculate the fabric estimate".

My slipcovers are Custom Fit. I bring the furniture into the shop and custom fit each panel of fabric. I use welt cord to outline each piece. It looks at first glance like upholstery. My time is a lot more than someone who does the 'inside out' type of construction or who goes into the home and cuts the fabric to match the panels of the furniture, and then takes the cut pieces back to the shop to sew it together.

gene

[mike802]

Darren: I also agree with the other comments.  My slip covers are only slightly less than reupholstering labor and the fabric yardage needed is usually a little more.  $300.00 USD I would not even look at them.

[sofadoc]

I've toyed with the idea of doing slip covers a few times. But every customer around here seem to have the GROSS misconception that slip covers should cost about HALF as much as a complete upholstery job. They expect it to fit as if it were "melted and poured on", and they intend to toss it in the washing machine 3 times a week. When I explained to one lady over the phone that not every sofa is a viable candidate for slip covering, she said "Oh, mine looks like it would be EASY!!"
It turned out to be a tiered pillow-back sofa with a recliner on each end, and a fold down console in the middle.

[bobbin]

I can attest to the fact that they take a fair piece of time.  I'm still dealing with the learning curve on them, some go very easily, others are trickier.  Some pcs. of furniture don't lend themselves to slipcovering, as has been pointed out. 

I find that some people want a slipcover to look like upholstery, others prefer a more relaxed fit, not sloppy, but more relaxed than Gene's technique.  I try to be specific about customer's tastes when I speak with them, this saves aggravation in the long run.  I wouldn't consider doing 2 pcs. for $300.  I'm thinking the chair for that price, depending on the complicating factors... the sofa?  more! a lot more.   

[gene]

I only want to do the Custom Fit slipcover. It gives my designers an option when their customer wants to redo a room but the fabric on some piece of furniture has to stay, or some similar unique situation. They can cover it with a slip cover that looks as good as everything else in the room. Giving designers an option is the only reason I started doing slipcovers.

Some folks like to change the colors on furniture for the seasons. Putting on and taking off a slipcover can make this happen.

With the more relaxed slip covers people do start thinking that it should be a lot less expensive than upholstery. They will mention Walmart or the internet. This is not what I want to do. I do not want to compete on price.

In reference to another post, maybe I should start calling them "Custom Fit Slipcover Systems".

I gave an Estimate today for a slipcover on a two piece sectional, 5 loose back cushons, 5 loose seat cushions, skirt, and self welt. I estimated 33 yards of fabric and my labor was well over $1,000.

I don't do a lot of slipcovers. I look at them as filling a very unique situation.

Gene

[Darren Henry]

Thanks gang.  :-* . I got some pics and measurements this morning so put together a more realistic quote of $750-900. I guess that's why I've never sold slip covers LOL.

[stitcher_guy]

I was naive, and my one and only attempt at doing slip covers was when a woman brought in sheets for me to sew up. Not even high thread count sheets. The Wal Mart special sheets. Just wanted some "quick" covers for the furniture as it was going to her daughter's apartment at school. .... Lady, let her drag a sofa out of the alley like the rest of us.