Upholstery Prices

[B&BGaryC]

What and how do you charge?

I'm not talkin' fancy stuff, just your average throw-away (Under $1,500) sofa/ love kinda thing.

What about microfiber? You gotta spend forever brushing it...

The guy said no after I booked, I quoted him $110-$130 for a 7 1/2 foot microfiber.

His quotes, $85.00 from a good company, $75.00 from an average company, and $59.00 from a company I haven't heard of.

 

[Guest]

I usually charge $15 per linear ft.
Some around here are higher,but most are lower.

I had a lady hang up on me today because I wouldn't come out and clean a great room(sq.ft?) AND a recliner for $65.

I was on my way to a flooded basement when she called($$$).

 

[GRHeacock]

You set your prices- not the customer or other cleaners.

That said- my price for an average synthetic 7 foot sofa was $150.00.

And I did lots of them at that price.

You want to make a profit- which is the object of being in business. And set your prices where you can do that- and like doing it, not "Boy I hate doing furniture".

I love doing furniture because I make a good profit doing them.

Groom that microfiber with a folded towel- not a brush.

Gary

 

[Rex Tyus]

The guy said no after I booked, I quoted him $110-$130 for a 7 1/2 foot microfiber.

His quotes, $85.00 from a good company, $75.00 from an average company, and $59.00 from a company I haven't heard of.

If I remember correctly, you stated you were trying to overcome an inherited bad reputation. It is of my not so humble opinion you may have to discount a bit to get a chance to start the ball rolling. It is much easier to be a high end cleaner when you have an excellent reputation.

It is hard to get referrals from an empty appointment book. :shock:
GRHeacock

That said- my price for an average synthetic 7 foot sofa was $150.00.

Gary H,

Was your price the same when you started out or did it progress upwards as you reputation did?

 

[Ron Lippold]

I hate furniture it takes way to long to do right.

I charge 175.95 for sofas and 139.95 for love seats

 

[steve r]

$10.00 linear foot, throw cushions 5 to 10 extra each.

 

[-JB-]

C'mon Ron, upholstery is where the BIG money's at!

I can't believe you'd pass it up.

Course, suckin a settee with a V is kinda like opening a jar of peanutbutter w/a jackhammer, huh?

 

[Ron Lippold]

I have to clean at an idle. At 1650 rpm I can suck cushions right into the waste tank

 

[-JB-]

Yeah, I know I hate that, I have the same problem with my Rugg Dokter.

 

[B&BGaryC]

If I remember correctly, you stated you were trying to overcome an inherited bad reputation. It is of my not so humble opinion you may have to discount a bit to get a chance to start the ball rolling. It is much easier to be a high end cleaner when you have an excellent reputation.

Yeah, I understand. I am getting things going a bit on carpet, but as far as upholstery goes, its kinda hit and miss. I want to get some little air movers, and some brushes, a sprayer that foams the cleaning solution instead of spraying it, but with how little I do upholstery, I can't justify the expense, not to mention, I am not all that good at upholstery. With jaquard weaves (sp?), cotton and velvets, I have never ruined any of 'em, but I never really got any of them that clean. On a really dirty synthetic blend and that herculon crap I do wonders with the jet-outside prochem tool. I think I oughta discount things until I know for sure my upholstery cleaning is something to brag about.

I think I would have to set it up something like this:

Sofa, $85
Love $70
Recliner $50

It's not worth the time I take even if I am not really doing it right, but it will be some sort of start.

 

[Derek]

like Ron, i dislike it to.

to do it properly, it takes me alot longer than what most other forum posters claim, so i charge accordingly.

sectional takes me 2+ hours? gotta charge $200+ (i'm no speedy gonzalez).

50% of the time they shop-for-price somewhere else.

or i just send them to JB.

--- Derek.

 

[danpauselius]

We get $120 for a sofa ... I should raise that to $150 like Gary said.

What about a discounted upholstery package where you only do one side of the seat cushions, the arms and one side of the back cushions. We've been offering this for about a year or so. Price conscious clients like it.

If you can spend less time on the piece then you can afford to charge a little less. As long as the client is happy, who cares?

 

[minuteman]

165. and up for sofa and 135. and up for loves.

They take time when you do them right.

 

[Derek]

Greg,

your nickname is very misleading :idea:

thanx --- Derek.

 

[TimP]

I agree with most of you guys. You have to charge what it's worth. I find it takes a good while to do upholstery and I don't like being on my knees so I have no problems charging. Some upholstery just don't turn out and the last effort will get you in trouble. I wouldn't say I'm the greatest but I charge more than some of you and I'm a newbie. I did a mattress for a relative and used avenge spotter to get a stain out as an additional effort, weak spotter in my opinion. Well, everywhere avenge touched the color went bye bye when I followed with a rinse pass with my upholstery tool. So it's easy to buy some furniture if you're not careful. If I was doing the cleaning for a customer I would of just used a towel and would of been fine. Just one of those things to think of when you set up your pricing. They are risky, time consuming, and just a pain.

Tim

 

[diamond brian]

I only post one price, and it's a YP coupon for a $99 sofa and love seat. Usually add $20-$30 for a bunch of pillows.

 

[John Watson]

Wish I was as fast as that there Heacock guy. Took me 1 1/2 hr to clean a 3 piece sectional sofa for $320.00 today

 

[The Preacher]

why not charge your hourly CODB and not worry about anything else.

if we're doing VLM its a $49 min. if its with the TM its $84, then estimate our time to do a super job!!!

 

[Mikey P]

$20 a foot for Syns, $30 for Naturals.


For the most part.

 

[GRHeacock]

OK- here's some tips for the newbies- and guys that do not like doing furniture.

Proper tools. A PMF dry technology tool or a Drimaster tool.

A power bonnet system- such as a drill motor and a bonnet head and some cotton bonnets for it- and some of Rick G.'s Fiber Plus Pads- the 8 inch that fit a Cimex.

A sprayer. Electric Multisprayer or similar- could be battery too, but I prefer an electric. Looks better, and is quicker than a trigger sprayer.

Run your Truck Mount at idle, or get a big portable for upholstery.

Proper cleaning products. (NOT CHEMICALS!!)

No high pH pre-sprays and acid rinses.

Use a neutral pH cleaning product- I preferred Bi-O-Kleen products Fiber-Glow Powder, when HWE, and Bi-O-Kleen products Bonnet Cleaner/Carpet Shampoo for doing the VLM system.

Using neutral products minimizes the possibility of overwetting, browning, colors bleed, shrinking, etc.

With the VLM power bonnet system, the potential of bleeding,shrinking, etc goes way down, to a less than 1%.

OK, ready to clean. Spray the cushions and set them aside.

Tilt the front up, onto it's back. Clean the front base and 2 outside edges, and front of arms.

Set back on its feet. Clean the tops and inside of one arm, inside back, and tilt onto the front to clean the outside back. Set back on its feet and clean the other arm, then the seat decking.

No bending over- or very little.

Use a folding table to clean the cushions on.

No folding table? Stack them on the seat decking. No bending over to clean them. Clean the top, turn over, clean other side, and the edges. Rotate to the bottom. Repeat.

When cushions are clean, set them together teepee style on the seat decking unless it is not colorfast.

OK, done. A fair question- what did I charge in the beginning? Basically- all the traffic would bear. No discounts.

Buy my manual.

Lots of info there, and ideas on how to clean difficult material, expensive material, and how to clean many other things than furniture, such as toys, purses, luggage, draperies, etc.

http://www.heacocks.com/manuals.htm

Gary

 

[John Watson]

Thanks Mr Heacock, For liability's sake, I'm sure it's in the manual somewhere. Especially for you new-bees and some other bright ones too...

If you do this with a hide a bed, Tie the bed down with a coat hanger or you will really have fun as it jumps out at you while you are turning it over on it's back or front..

Just wanted to CYA Gary....