How Much Does It Cost to Recover Car Seats

How Much Does Upholstery for Cars Cost?

Custom Seat Covers: $200-$1,800+ Per Row, Professionally Installed

Reupholster Car Seats: $200-$750+, Per Seat

Completely Reupholster Interior: $1,000-$10,000+

A vehicle's interior can take a beating from spills, rips, friction, family pets, harsh sunlight and other damaging elements. An update to refresh or upgrade a vehicle's interior style can range from reupholstering just the seats to redoing everything -- seats, panels, headliner, carpets and more.

Typical costs:

Custom seat covers (either from the original vehicle manufacturer or, more typically, from a company specializing in seat voers) are made-to-order to fit a specific seat style in a specific year, make and model of vehicle, and can cost $200-$1,000 or more per row, depending on size, style and material. Installation by an auto upholstery shop (which can include adding batting or foam, or repairing springs if needed) can cost an additional $100-$800 or more, bringing total costs to $200-$1,800 or more per row for professional installation of custom slip covers.
Having the car seats professionally reupholstered (not just adding slip covers, but completely replacing the old material with a chosen fabric, adding foam or batting where needed, and repairing springs if needed) typically costs $200-$750 per seat, or about $500-$2,000 for two bucket seats and a back bench seat, depending on local rates; the size and style of the seat; the amount of repairs needed to the springs and padding; and whether the seats are reupholstered in standard cloth or vinyl, or with more expensive materials like leather or high-end synthetics.
For example, Jim's Auto Upholstery[1] in Nampa, ID has a minimum price of $400 for a truck bench seat, $500 for a pair of bucket seats, $85 for a single motorcycle seat and $250 for a double motorcycle seat; Kathy's Upholstery[2] in Conway, AR primarily recovers furniture, but advertises a starting price of $300 for reupholstering a truck bench and back (or $150 for only the bench).
A complete professional reupholstering of a vehicle -- seats, side panels, sail panels (triangular), headliner, carpets and more -- to create a "showroom" interior starts at about $1,000-$4,000 for basic materials but with leather or high-end cloth it can cost $5,000-$10,000 or more, depending on the year, make and model of vehicle, and what is included.

Related articles: Seat Cover, Auto Detailing, Painting a Car, Window Tinting, Chrome Wheels

What should be included:

Reupholstering car seats typically requires removing them from the vehicle; removing the fabric; using it to create a pattern for the new material; checking and repairing the springs and padding as needed; installing the new material; and replacing the reupholstered seat in the vehicle. DetailXperts.net provides an overview of the process.
Reupholstering the complete interior requires removing the seats and the other items that are being redone. O'Neal & Sons Upholstery in Florida provides a video demonstration of reupholstering a headliner[3] .

Additional costs:

An auto upholsterer might charge $150-$300 or more for a simple repair, depending on location and the extent of the damage.

Discounts:

As an alternative, universal seat covers that fit a general size and style of seat typically cost $10-$70 each; they don't look as good as custom covers or reupholstered seats, but they generally covers stains or rips and prevent further damage.
A do-it-yourself project is also a possibility. DoItYourself.com explains how to reupholster a car seat[4] for just the cost of the material (and spray paint if parts of the seat frame are corroded). Sunbrite Auto Works in Tampa, FL provides a how-to video[5] for recovering a vehicle's headliner (60"-wide foam-backed headliner material typically costs $10-$20 a yard).
If the damage is slight or in a limited area, another way to save money is by repairing the upholstery instead of repairing it. Mobil Oil estimates that do-it-yourself auto upholstery repair[6] takes about three hours for a typical project and costs $150-$200.

Shopping for upholstery for cars:

Car upholstery work is typically done by automotive upholstery, boat repair, sail or furniture upholstery shops; some car audio specialty stores also reupholster car seats.
Request references from previous customers, and ask to see photos of previous jobs. For example, Wright's Auto Upholstery in North Frankfurt, IN has an online portfolio[7] .

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Comments (10)

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What People Are Paying - Recent Comments

Posted by: CEB in Garden Grove, CA.	Posted: September 13th, 2020 07:09PM
Upholstery Material: Fabric	Car Make: Ford
Car Model: E350 xtl wagon	Car Year: 01
Shop: Garcias

This job covers the complete replacement of foam and fabric. Installation of new belt straps x3 benches 1 passenger bucket with wiring.

Posted by: Cole 3 in West columbia, SC.	Posted: December 15th, 2019 05:12PM
Upholstery Material: Leather Volvo OEM	Car Make: Volvo
Car Model: V70	Car Year: 2002
Shop: Ottich Enterprise

Posted by: Ronnie Warren in Enterprise, AL.	Posted: May 21st, 2019 12:05PM
Upholstery Material: Regular	Car Make: Chevrolet
Car Model: Malibu	Car Year: 2008

All seats need to be done

Posted by: a user in San Diego, CA.	Posted: October 5th, 2017 09:10AM
Upholstery Material: Leather	Car Make: Lexus
Car Model: ES350	Car Year: 2007
Shop: Jm's Upholstery

I spoke with his daughter, Brenda, who was rude and nasty. I told her that I was told it would cost $150. She stated, "That wouldn't even pay for the carpet." She further stated, "Good find someone else to do it."

Posted by: Jr Bynum in Baltimore, MD.	Posted: March 29th, 2017 05:03AM
Shop: Ben"s Auto Glass and Upholstery

$2500 for seats, carpet, carpet mats, weather stripping, window fuzzies, extra carpet and vinyl for kick panels, side panels, windlass, decal, POR paint, package tray detail, headliner detail, refinish partial door panels-materials. $2500. Installation 5 star rating in my book

Posted by: Jr Bynum in Baltimore, MD.	Posted: March 29th, 2017 05:03AM
Shop: Ben"s Auto Glass and Upholstery

Posted by: Mattryan in Cary, NC.	Posted: August 8th, 2016 09:08AM
Shop: Jb upholstery

All leather in my car was replaced including the steering wheel

Posted by: Robert86 in Placerville, CA.	Posted: April 25th, 2016 12:04PM
Shop: Bragg\'s upholstery

Drivers seat repair, Beautiful job and cost was WAY less than junk yard or dealership prices!
Dealer quoted 600.00 and junk yard wanted 350.00

Posted by: jerry johnston in Christiansburg, VA.	Posted: February 18th, 2015 02:02PM
Shop: wolfmans auto upholstery NRV

Excellent craftsmanship fair price on the leather seat repair for the Mercedes

Posted by: Dave Reynolds in Christiansburg, VA.	Posted: September 10th, 2014 02:09AM
Shop: ed Wolford upholstery

Great job I got from Ed . The dealer wanted 800+ for the job Ed did it for 175 and it was a perfect job

External Resources:

www.jimsupholstery.com/?page=services
kathysupholstery.com/upholstery-services
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxC83SHwCoI
www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-reupholster-car-seats#b
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MmT72NDtTs
www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Car_Care/DIY/Fixing_Leather_or_Vinyl_Car_Sea...
www.wrightsautoupholstery.com/portfolio/