Stop losing money on Upholsterer projects.
Send your first 3 contracts for free. One hidden cracked frame or a misunderstood yardage estimate can turn a week of hard labor into a financial loss. Without a signed agreement, you risk losing hundreds of dollars in high-density foam and luxury textiles when a client suddenly changes their mind.
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Statement of Work
Ref: 2026-001 • Standard Business Template
Overview
This agreement governs the professional restoration and reupholstery services provided to the Client, ensuring that both aesthetic expectations and structural integrity are addressed. The Upholsterer shall perform all work to industry standards; however, the Client acknowledges that the internal condition of furniture frames and padding cannot be fully assessed until the original materials are removed. Consequently, the Upholsterer reserves the right to adjust the project scope and pricing should unforeseen structural defects—such as wood rot, compromised joinery, or spring failure—be discovered during the teardown process.
To protect the Upholsterer’s liability, the Client assumes all risk regarding the suitability and performance of fabrics not supplied by the Upholsterer, including issues related to pilling, fading, or shrinkage. All projects require a non-refundable deposit to secure shop time and purchase materials, with the remaining balance due in full upon completion and prior to delivery or pickup. Late payments or failure to collect finished items within the agreed timeframe may result in storage fees or the imposition of a mechanic's lien as permitted by law.
Customer's Own Material (COM) Failures
Clients often supply fabric that is too thin, lacks necessary backing, or has a difficult repeat that requires more yardage than estimated.
Structural Integrity Surprises
Once a piece is down to the frame, you may find broken dowels or collapsed springs that require hours of unplanned carpentry work.
Workshop Congestion
Finished projects left uncollected for weeks can halt your workflow by taking up the physical space needed for the next job.
What is a Upholsterer contract?
An upholstery contract template is a professional agreement that outlines the scope of furniture restoration, including fabric selection, structural repairs, and payment terms. It protects the upholsterer from hidden frame damage costs and ensures clients are responsible for material choices and timely pickup of finished pieces.
Built from real freelance projects
This template is based on real-world scenarios across freelance projects where unclear scope, missing payment terms, and revision creep led to lost revenue. It is designed to protect your time, define expectations, and ensure you get paid.
Why Upholsterers need a clear contract
Upholstery is a high-liability trade because you take physical possession of expensive and often sentimental furniture. Unlike many other services, you have significant upfront costs for materials like dacron, webbing, and springs. A contract is vital to define what happens when the client provides their own material which may be unsuitable for the piece. It also prevents the shop from becoming a free storage unit for clients who delay pickup. Since the final look depends on fabric grain and pattern alignment, a written agreement manages aesthetic expectations and prevents unpaid revisions. Without these terms, you are vulnerable to scope creep like requests for matching pillows or frame refinishing that were never part of the original quote.
Real-world scenario
A client brings in a vintage wingback chair and provides their own silk velvet. You quote based on the visible condition of the chair. However, once you strip the fabric, you find the burlap is disintegrated and the corner blocks are missing. You spend six hours repairing the frame but have no clause to charge for it. When you finish, the client notices the shading in the velvet, which is a natural property of silk, and refuses to pay the final balance until you redo it in a different fabric. Because you did not have a contract specifying that structural repairs are extra or that you are not liable for the natural characteristics of client-supplied fabric, you lose the profit on the job and the client leaves the chair in your shop for two months while they decide what to do.
🛡️ What this contract covers:
- ✓Initial consultation and frame inspection, including fabric yardage estimation and material procurement.
- ✓Removal of existing upholstery, frame stabilization, and replacement of internal foam, batting, or springs as specified.
- ✓Final fabric application, pattern matching, and installation of decorative trim or finishing touches.
Best practices for Upholsterers
Document Pre-Existing Damage
Photograph every piece of furniture from all angles before you begin the teardown to prove that any frame damage was pre-existing.
Require 100% Material Deposits
Never order fabric or specialized foam until the client has paid for those materials in full to avoid out-of-pocket losses.
Define Fabric Suitability
Explicitly state that you are not responsible for the wear-and-tear or longevity of fabrics chosen by the client that are not upholstery grade.
Legal Disclaimer: MicroFreelanceHub is a software workflow tool, not a law firm. The templates and information provided on this website are for general informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if hidden damage is found inside the furniture?
If structural issues like broken frames or pest damage are discovered after stripping the fabric, the client will be notified immediately to approve additional repair costs before work continues.
Can I provide my own fabric for the project?
Yes, but the upholsterer is not responsible for the durability, flaws, or insufficient yardage of client-provided materials, and a cutting fee may apply.