Upholstery Invoice Template: Labor, Fabric and Pickup

Quick answer: An upholstery invoice template bills a customer for reupholstering or repairing furniture. It lists labor per piece (sofa, chair, cushions), fabric by yardage and price per yard or a customer's own material (COM) note, foam, batting, webbing and other supplies, frame or spring repairs, pickup and delivery, sales tax, the deposit paid and the balance due.

Upholstery customers often do not know what goes into the price. They see one sofa, but you see stripping, frame tightening, new webbing, foam, batting, 16 yards of fabric cut to match a pattern, welting and two trips with a van. A clear upholstery invoice separates labor from materials so customers understand the value, and it documents fabric and supplies for any sales tax rules in your state. This guide covers what to include, how to estimate fabric, a worked sofa example and common mistakes.

What is an upholstery invoice?

An upholstery invoice is a bill from an upholsterer or upholstery shop for work on furniture or other upholstered items: sofas, armchairs, dining chairs, headboards, ottomans, cushions, boat and auto interiors, and commercial seating for restaurants or offices. The usual document flow is:

1. Estimate after inspecting the piece or photos, with fabric yardage and options. See our estimate template.
2. Deposit invoice when the customer approves fabric and price, usually covering materials. Our deposit invoice guide explains how to bill it.
3. Final invoice on completion, with any approved extras and the deposit credited.

If you build new furniture as well as reupholster, our custom furniture invoice template covers design and build pricing. If you mainly sew garments, see the alterations and tailoring invoice template.

What should an upholstery invoice include?

Section	What to include
Business details	Name, address, phone, email, license number where your state requires one
Invoice details	Invoice number, job number, issue date, due date
Customer	Name, billing address, pickup and delivery address
Pieces	Each item with style and size (3-seat sofa, wingback chair, 6 dining seats)
Labor	Per piece price, plus extras such as tufting, channeling, skirts, welting, nailhead trim
Fabric	Name, color, yards, price per yard, or "COM, customer-supplied, X yards received"
Supplies	Foam (density and thickness), batting, Dacron wrap, webbing, springs, cord, zippers
Repairs	Frame regluing, joint repair, spring re-tie, with approval reference
Logistics	Pickup and delivery fees, stairs, extra crew
Totals and terms	Subtotal, tax, total, deposit, balance, storage fees for uncollected items

How do upholsterers price their work?

Most shops price labor per piece based on type and complexity, then add materials at cost plus a markup. Hourly pricing is common for repairs and unusual items. The figures below are illustrative ranges to show the structure, not market data; your prices depend on your skills, location and overhead.

Piece	Typical labor basis	Illustrative labor range	Rough plain-fabric yardage
Dining chair seat (drop-in)	Per seat	$40 to $90	0.5 to 1 yd
Dining chair, seat and back	Per chair	$120 to $250	1 to 2 yd
Armchair or club chair	Per chair	$400 to $900	6 to 8 yd
Wingback chair	Per chair	$500 to $1,000	7 to 9 yd
Three-seat sofa	Per sofa	$800 to $1,800	14 to 18 yd
Ottoman	Per piece	$150 to $400	2 to 4 yd
Headboard	Per piece	$200 to $500	2 to 5 yd

Add 10% to 20% extra yardage for patterns with large repeats, stripes that must align, or fabric with a nap that must run one direction. Tufting, channeling, skirts and contrast welting add labor. To make sure each piece type pays, check margins using our guide to profit margin, and publish standard labor prices in a price list so estimates stay consistent.

Upholstery invoice example with real numbers

A customer has a three-seat sofa reupholstered in performance velvet and two dining chair seats recovered in the same fabric. Prices are illustrative. In this example state, materials are taxed at 7% and separately stated labor and delivery are not taxed. Your state may differ.

Invoice UPH-2026-0088 | Picked up: September 29, 2026 | Completed: October 22, 2026 | Delivered: October 24, 2026 | Due: on delivery

Description	Qty	Unit price	Amount
Sofa reupholstery labor: 3-seat, attached back, self-welt, strip and reglue frame	1	$950.00	$950.00
Fabric: performance velvet, Sage, 54 in, includes repeat allowance	16 yd	$42.00	$672.00
Seat cushion foam, high-density, 5 in, with Dacron wrap	3	$110.00	$330.00
Supplies: jute webbing, cotton batting, welt cord, zippers	1	$85.00	$85.00
Dining chair seat recover (drop-in seats)	2	$65.00	$130.00
Fabric for dining seats, performance velvet, Sage	1 yd	$42.00	$42.00
Pickup and delivery, local zone, 2-person crew	1	$120.00	$120.00
Subtotal			$2,329.00
Sales tax, 7% on materials ($1,129.00)			$79.03
Total			$2,408.03
Less deposit paid September 22, 2026 (fabric and foam)			-$1,000.00
Balance due on delivery			$1,408.03

The taxable materials are fabric ($672 + $42), foam ($330) and supplies ($85), totaling $1,129.00. If the customer had supplied their own fabric, the fabric lines would disappear and a COM line would note "Customer-supplied fabric, 17 yd received September 29". You can build this invoice in the free invoice generator and reuse it as a template for the next sofa.

How to handle COM fabric, hidden damage and change requests

Customer's own material (COM)

When the customer supplies fabric, you lose control of quality and quantity. Tell them the exact yardage needed (with pattern allowance) in writing, inspect the fabric on arrival for flaws, and note it on the job record. Many shops add a COM handling fee or charge slightly higher labor, and limit liability for flaws in customer-supplied fabric. If the fabric runs short, any delay and reorder cost should be the customer's.

Hidden damage

Stripping old fabric often reveals broken rails, loose joints, sagging springs or rotted webbing. Photograph it, send the customer a short change quote, and only proceed with approval. On the invoice, add a separate line such as "Frame repair: reglued and doweled back rail, approved by text October 3".

Changes after approval

If the customer switches fabric after you have cut the first choice, bill the cut fabric (or a restocking fee from the supplier) and any extra labor as a separate line. Our guide to change orders shows a simple approval format.

How to invoice commercial and marine upholstery

Restaurants, hotels, offices, medical practices and boat owners are steady upholstery customers, but they bill differently from households:

• Volume pricing. A restaurant recovering 40 booth seats and 60 chair seats expects a per-unit price lower than a single chair. Quote by unit type and quantity, such as "Chair seat recover, vinyl, 60 at $48".
• Specified materials. Commercial jobs often require contract-grade fabric or vinyl rated for heavy use and fire-code compliance. Put the material name, color and specification on the invoice.
• Scheduling around operations. After-hours or weekend work so a restaurant can stay open is a premium; list it separately.
• Purchase orders and terms. Businesses may need a PO number on the invoice and net 30 terms. Take a materials deposit on large orders even if they pay on terms.
• Marine and auto work. Boat cushions and car interiors use marine-grade vinyl, closed-cell foam and stainless or UV-resistant thread. Describe these materials, because they cost far more than standard supplies.

For large commercial projects, consider a staged schedule: a deposit for materials, a progress payment after the first batch is installed, and the balance on completion. Each invoice should show the contract total, what has been billed and what remains. This keeps cash flowing when a job runs for several weeks and makes it easier for the client's accounts team to approve each payment.

What payment terms work for upholstery jobs?

For households, the most common pattern is a deposit covering materials at approval and the balance due on delivery, paid by card, check or bank transfer. Some shops refuse to release the finished piece until it is paid, which is simpler than chasing a balance afterward. For designers and commercial clients, net 15 or net 30 is common. Whatever you choose, print the due date, accepted payment methods and any storage fee for pieces not collected within a set period (for example, 30 days after completion notice).

Storage and abandoned pieces

Customers sometimes leave finished furniture in the shop for weeks. State in your terms how long you hold completed work free of charge after notifying the customer, what daily or weekly storage fee applies after that, and what happens if the piece is never collected. Then show any storage charge as its own dated line on the final invoice.

Licensing, labels and tax considerations

Some states regulate upholstery businesses. In California, for example, custom upholsterers must be licensed by the Bureau of Household Goods and Services before operating, and the state has labeling rules for upholstered furniture and filling materials. Other states have no specific license, but you still need any general business license your city or county requires. Our guide on how to get a business license covers the basics.

For sales tax, materials that become part of the finished piece are often taxable, while labor rules differ widely by state. Itemize materials, labor and delivery, and confirm the treatment with your state revenue department. Commercial clients buying for resale, such as an interior designer billing their own client, may give you a resale certificate. This is general information, not tax or legal advice. The sales tax calculator can help you check the math.

How to create an upholstery invoice step by step

1. Start from the approved estimate and fabric choice.
2. List each piece with its labor price and any extras such as tufting or welting.
3. Add fabric by name, color, yardage and price per yard, or a COM line.
4. Add foam and supplies with enough detail for the customer to see what is new.
5. Add approved repairs discovered during the job.
6. Add pickup and delivery.
7. Apply sales tax to the correct lines.
8. Credit the deposit and show the balance due with the date.
9. Add terms: warranty on workmanship, storage fees for uncollected pieces, and care instructions for the fabric.

Common upholstery invoicing mistakes

• One lump price for labor and fabric. It hides your value and complicates tax.
• Underestimating yardage on patterned fabric, then absorbing the extra yard yourself.
• Starting without a materials deposit. Cut fabric is almost impossible to return.
• Doing hidden repairs without approval. Customers dispute surprise charges.
• Not charging for pickup and delivery. Two people and a van for an afternoon is real cost.
• No storage policy. Finished pieces left in your shop for months take up space you need.

Interior designers are a valuable referral source for upholsterers. Our interior design invoice template shows how designers bill their clients for trade work, which helps you agree on who invoices whom.

A clear upholstery invoice template separates labor, fabric, foam, repairs and delivery, credits the deposit and records exactly what went into each piece. Create yours with our free invoice generator: it is free, needs no sign-up, and builds a PDF in your browser that you can download and hand over with the finished furniture.