Tired of seeing discoloration on your car seats or foam sticking out of tears?
Even the most diligent and clean car owners will eventually see signs of aging on their car upholstery.
With friends, family, children, and pets going in and out of the car over several years, there is bound to be some serious wear and tear.
Old and ragged upholstery may not be detrimental to your car’s running, but it can make your car feel old and unappealing -not to mention, lower the resale value.
Reupholstering can go a long way toward making your car feel like new.
However, it can be considerably expensive.
Keep reading to learn how much it can cost to reupholster your car.
Average Cost to Reupholster Your Car Seats
There are different factors involved in determining how much it costs to reupholster a car.
The material you choose will be one of the biggest.
Also, the condition of your seats will play a role in how expensive the job is. If the foam of the seats is also in bad condition, it will need to be replaced, increasing the job’s overall price.
On average, it costs around $2,500 to reupholster an entire car. This is a pretty big chunk of change for a largely cosmetic repair.
Because the price is so high, many people will get a single seat reupholstered as necessary. I
t costs about $200 to $800 to reupholster single seats, and anywhere from $500 to $2,000 to reupholster rear bench seats.
How long will it typically take to complete?
A full reupholster is not an easy job.
You can expect your car to be held overnight by the reupholstered, and in some cases it could take several days for the job to be completed.
Be ready to make alternate transportation plans when getting your car reupholstered.
Can you replace your car seats with a different material?
You can absolutely get your car reupholstered with a different material from the original upholstery.
Just note that the type of material you use will be a factor in how much the job will cost.
You can expect to pay much more for quality leather than standard cloth upholstery.
When should you reupholster your car?
Reupholstering a whole car can be very expensive.
The good news is that there are no rules determining when you need to reupholster your car seats.
In fact, more often than not, reupholstering your entire car is unnecessary and completely optional.
Instead, you can have your current upholstery repaired and cleaned to help rejuvenate it.
Tears in the upholstery and chunks of missing foam can be filled and patched for much less than an entire reupholstery job.
Good Reasons to Reupholster Your Seats
If money isn’t a concern for you, then any reason might be considered a good reason to reupholster your seats. You might simply just want a new look and feel for your car’s interior.
However, most of us aren’t easily willing to spend $2,500 unless we really have to.
If your seat’s upholstery and paddings are beyond repair, with large portions of material missing or damaged, it might be time to reupholster.
Just keep in mind that you don’t necessarily have to reupholster the entire car.
If other seats are fine, just reupholster the one that needs it.
A good reupholstery shop can help you find the right material to match the rest of the car.
How to Keep Your Car Seats in Good Condition
One way to avoid the high cost of reupholstering your car is by keeping your car seats in good condition for as long as possible.
You can accomplish this by following these tips:
- Protect your car seats from direct sunlight and excessive heat when possible.
- Use seat covers.
- Vacuum your car seats regularly.
- Use a fabric protector on cloth and treat leather with leather conditioner.
- Place child car seats on a padding or towel.
- Don’t smoke inside your car.
- Use padding and covers when transporting your pets.
By keeping a clean and cool environment inside your car, you’ll go a long way toward keeping the upholstery in great condition.