HOW TO HIRE · HOME REPAIRS & HANDYMAN

How to hire an upholsterer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to upholsterers, but fire-safety rules cover fillings and covers. What to check and ask before the job.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an upholsterer in five steps

  1. Photograph the damageTears, sagging and the frame.
  2. Ask about fire-safe materialsFillings and covers meeting the 1988 Regulations.
  3. Count the fabricMetres needed before buying.
  4. Springs and frameCheck whether they need work too.
  5. Collection?In the price for big pieces.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Upholsterers need no licence and are on no statutory register in any of the four nations, so the checks are the materials and the workmanship.

Ask for a written upholstery repair scope and the materials list.

Fire safety of fillings and covers

The 1988 Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations set fire-resistance requirements for upholstered furniture supplied in the course of business, covering fillings and covers. Ask the upholsterer what their materials meet.

Ask whether the fillings and cover for the upholstery repair meet the 1988 Regulations, and keep any label. legislation.gov.uk →

Solvents and COSHH

HSE's COSHH rules on hazardous substances apply to self-employed people who take hazardous products onto other people's premises. The solvents, lacquers and strippers used in upholstery repair are that kind of product.

Ask what products the upholstery repair uses, and how the room will be ventilated. hse.gov.uk →

Your rights

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the upholstery repair must be done with reasonable care and skill; seams that split or springs that sag again can be put right at the upholsterer's cost.

Get an invoice describing the upholstery repair and materials.

VAT

Upholstery repair is standard-rated at 20% when the upholsterer is registered, fabric and fillings included. Once a business's taxable turnover goes over £90,000 it must be registered, and the VAT then goes on the quote as its own line.

Ask the upholsterer for a VAT number on the estimate before VAT is added. gov.uk →

“Will the fillings and cover meet the fire-safety rules?”

A good answer: Yes, meeting the 1988 Regulations, with a label.

“Do the springs or webbing need replacing for this upholstery repair?”

A good answer: A look underneath and a price.

“Is the frame sound?”

A good answer: Checked and repaired first if not.

“How much fabric does the upholstery repair need?”

A good answer: A measured figure in metres.

“Workshop or at home?”

A good answer: A stated choice, with transport priced.

“What guarantee do you give?”

A good answer: A period for the work.

Getting the quote right

  • Repair scope: fabric, springs, webbing, frame
  • Fillings and cover, and their fire-safety standard
  • Fabric supplied by whom
  • Collection and delivery
  • Who actually attends to the piece — the upholsterer you met, or a subcontracted workshop
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% as its own line

Walk away if

  • Unlabelled foam with no fire-safety answer
  • Covers over a broken frame
  • No fabric quantity
  • No written scope
LOW
£40
TYPICAL
£150
HIGH
£300

What an upholsterer costs: £40–£300 per item

Upholstery repairs are priced per item by size, frame and spring work and the fabric. Upholstery Repair 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

Upholsterers 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.

  1. StripOld cover and padding removed as needed.
  2. FrameFrame reglued or strengthened.
  3. Springs and webbingReplaced or retied.
  4. FillNew compliant fillings.
  5. CoverFabric fitted and finished.

Webbing
Strips under a seat that support the springs.
Serpentine spring
A zigzag spring in modern seats.
Fire label
Shows the upholstery meets fire-safety rules.
Interliner
A fire barrier between cover and filling.
Drop-in seat
A removable chair seat.
Reupholstery
Replacing the cover and padding.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the fire labelAnd the materials list.
Sit and checkEven support, no rattling springs.
Care adviceCleaning code for the fabric.
Leave the reviewReviews on Locufy are tied to a booking, so yours about the upholstery repair carries weight. If something is not right, the make-it-right step gives the upholsterer the first chance to fix it before it is published.

STEP 1Put it in writing to the upholstererWrite it down: what the upholsterer did, what is wrong with the upholstery repair and what would fix it. Reasonable care and skill is the standard section 49 of the 2015 Act sets; if the upholstery repair missed it, ask for the work to be redone free, or for part of the price back.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right stepA score under four stars opens the make-it-right step: you choose whether the upholsterer gets the chance to put the upholstery repair right first, and we chase it to an end before you publish.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplinesFor advice about the upholstery repair, or to have the complaint passed to Trading Standards, call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 (England and Wales), Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claims, if money is owedA claim against the upholsterer that will not settle can go to court without a lawyer — the small claims track for up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure for up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court for up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an upholsterer: questions people ask

No. No licence or register applies.

The 1988 Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations set requirements for fillings and covers in upholstered furniture supplied by businesses.

Usually, if the frame is sound.

£40–£300 per item, about £150 typical. The upholstery repair price guide has the detail; enter your town above for upholsterers near you.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you can ask for it to be redone at the upholsterer's cost.

A day for small repairs; one to two weeks in a workshop.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in home repairs & handyman

How to hire: Furniture RestorationHow to hire: Antique RestorationHow to hire: French PolishingHow to hire: HandymanHow to hire: Painter & DecoratorHow to hire: Odd JobsHow to hire: Furniture AssemblyHow to hire: Sealant & CaulkingAll 701 hiring guides →

Upholsterers near you

Upholsterers in LondonUpholsterers in ManchesterUpholsterers in BirminghamUpholsterers in GlasgowUpholsterers in BelfastAll upholsterers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988
  2. HSE — does COSHH apply to the self-employed?
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  4. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  5. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  6. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register