Date: 10/11/09 9:53 PM

Hi all. It looks like my alterations business is picking up a little because now someone wants me to make some patio furniture cushions. There are a total of 8: six for the sofa and two for a chair. Could someone give me an idea of what to charge? She's paid for the fabric and the foam; I just need to put on a price. Should I charge by the seam or by the inch?

Thank you!

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"Having to squeeze the last drop of utility out of the land has the same desperate finality as having to chop up the furniture to keep warm" -- Aldo Leopold
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"Don't cry; don't be sad; make happy"--Peggy Jones. Rest your weary body, dear friend.

Reply to Miss Fairchild
Date: 10/12/09 12:29 PM

Much like the cost of rent or cost of buying a home, prices vary in different parts of the country. A city will probably bear higher prices than a rural area. The northeast will be more expensive than the south or the midwest. Whether your area has been hard hit by the economy will be a factor. I have a guy that all my friends & I use for re-upholstry b/c he lives a couple of hours away from our suburban area, and he is much less expensive than his counterparts in the 'burbs. I recommend that you call around to the re-upholstry places in your area and ask them what they would charge you to make these cushions if you provide the foam & fabric. You can probably make yourself competitive by doing it for a little less since you don't have the expense of overhead, renting a shop in a shopping center, advertising, a business phone line, etc. But this would give you a starting point of what a retail re-upholstry place would charge & you can tell the client, "Such-n-such a place charges X amount but I will do it for you for X amount". She will know you have done your homework & will feel confident that she is getting a fair price. Good luck!!