HOW TO HIRE · PERSONAL & LIFESTYLE · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire an alterations specialist in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
A clothing alterations in Ireland costs €10–€60 per item, typically around €25. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring an alterations specialist in five steps
- Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers alterations specialist work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — repair and Patching — repair and patching services are essential for extending the life of your clothing.
- How does complexity of the job change the price?A fiddly job needs more care and more skill than a straightforward one. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does type of garment change the price?A premium option takes longer to get right. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does materials involved change the price?The grade you choose changes the bill more than the labour does. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- What is not included?Sleeve Modifications — sleeve modifications can enhance the overall look of a garment — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a alterations specialist job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
No register applies
NO REGISTER APPLIES to chefs, stylists, organisers, errand runners or concierges. You are buying somebody's time, taste and access to your home, so the checks are about trust and what is written down rather than about law.
Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.
What to check instead
Whether they are a trader — a business name and an invoice, not a favour with money attached; Public liability insurance, and who the insurer is; For anyone in your home unaccompanied, references you actually telephone; For food, whether they hold food-safety training and where the food is prepared; Exactly what the hours cover and what counts as extra; Keys and access in writing: who holds what, and how it comes back.
Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.
Insurance
Expect public liability; for food work, ask about product liability too. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.
Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
VAT
VAT at 13.5%, the reduced rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
A good answer: No register covers alterations specialist work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — repair and Patching — repair and patching services are essential for extending the life of your clothing.
A good answer: A fiddly job needs more care and more skill than a straightforward one. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: A premium option takes longer to get right. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: The grade you choose changes the bill more than the labour does. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Sleeve Modifications — sleeve modifications can enhance the overall look of a garment — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a alterations specialist job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
A good answer: Expect public liability; for food work, ask about product liability too — hem Adjustments — hem adjustments are one of the most common clothing alterations, often required for trousers, skirts, and dresses.
A good answer: A written scope and a price before the alterations specialist starts, and an itemised invoice after — tapering Pants — narrowing the leg of trousers for a more fitted appearance.
Getting the quote right
- Complexity of the job — a fiddly job needs more care and more skill than a straightforward one.
- Type of garment — a premium option takes longer to get right.
- Materials involved — the grade you choose changes the bill more than the labour does.
- Condition of the clothing — an older job often hides work that only shows once started.
- In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
- What is NOT included, named
- Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
- The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register
Walk away if
- They will not talk about it: complexity of the job — a fiddly job needs more care and more skill than a straightforward one
- They will not talk about it: type of garment — a premium option takes longer to get right
- They will not talk about it: materials involved — the grade you choose changes the bill more than the labour does
- A price for the alterations specialist before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
- Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
- No written quote, or one that moves once the alterations specialist has begun
What an alterations specialist costs: €10–€60 per item
The figures are for the job, per item, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Hem alterations and Waist adjustments each carry their own band. Clothing Alterations price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Alterations specialists near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
- Look firstComplexity of the job — a fiddly job needs more care and more skill than a straightforward one — that is what the alterations specialist is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneType of garment — a premium option takes longer to get right — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfMaterials involved — the grade you choose changes the bill more than the labour does — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherCondition of the clothing — an older job often hides work that only shows once started — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the alterations specialist is still there.
- What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, quality of materials used in the original garment can affect the alteration process.
- Hem Adjustments
- Hem adjustments are one of the most common clothing alterations, often required for trousers, skirts, and dresses.
- Sleeve Modifications
- Sleeve modifications can enhance the overall look of a garment.
- Repair and Patching
- Repair and patching services are essential for extending the life of your clothing.
- Provisional sum
- A figure held in the quote for something nobody can price until it is opened up. It is honest where it is marked as provisional and a problem where it arrives as a surprise on the alterations specialist invoice.
- Sleeve Alterations
- Modifying the length or fit of sleeves on shirts, jackets, or dresses.
- Zipper Replacement
- Replacing broken or malfunctioning zippers in various garments.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring an alterations specialist: questions people ask
The duration of clothing alterations depends on the specific services required. Simple adjustments like hems may take a few days, while more complex alterations might require a week or more, especially during busy seasons.
Many alteration services offer same-day options for urgent needs, but availability can vary. It's best to check with your local tailor to see if they can accommodate your request.
Yes, many tailors allow you to book multiple alteration jobs in one appointment. This can often save you time and may even lead to a discount, depending on the service provider.
Certain alterations, such as extensive structural changes to garments or alterations on heavily embellished items, may be out of scope for some tailors. Always discuss your specific needs with the tailor to understand what can be done.
NO REGISTER APPLIES to chefs, stylists, organisers, errand runners or concierges. You are buying somebody's time, taste and access to your home, so the checks are about trust and what is written down rather than about law.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and put right if it is not. Say what is wrong in writing first.
MORE GUIDES