Upholstery Yardage Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

How much upholstery fabric does a chair take?

Use a manufacturer or designer cut-list, or rough chart values: dining chair seat 0.75–1.5 yds, club chair 6–8 yds, wingback 7–9 yds, sofa 14–18 yds, sectional 20–30 yds - all assuming 54 in goods with no pattern repeat.

How do I add for pattern repeat?

Extra yardage ≈ (vertical repeat in inches ÷ 36) × number of major cuts. A 27 in repeat on an 8-cut sofa adds about 27 ÷ 36 × 8 = 6 extra yards on top of the base figure.

What about railroaded vs up-the-roll fabric?

Railroaded fabric runs sideways on the bolt, so a 54 in width spans long pieces like sofa backs and seat decks in one cut - often saving 30%+ on yardage and avoiding seams.

Should I order extra for matching and mistakes?

Yes, 10–15% extra is standard for solids; 20%+ for stripes, plaids or large prints that must match across cushions. Order all fabric in one shipment to keep the dye lot consistent.

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Estimates for informational purposes only.

Important Disclaimer: Estimates for informational purposes only.

This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only. Results are based on assumptions and may not reflect actual outcomes. Consult qualified professionals in relevant fields before making important decisions based on these results.

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How This Calculator Works

Reupholstering is expensive to get wrong: upholstery fabric is sold in long cuts, often dye-lot sensitive, and frequently runs $30–$150 a yard, so ordering two yards short on a discontinued pattern can sink a whole project. This calculator estimates yardage two ways. The standard furniture chart uses the industry yardage tables that workrooms quote from - a dining seat at about a yard, an accent chair around six, a three-seat sofa around sixteen - all tabulated for the standard 54-inch upholstery bolt and automatically scaled if your fabric is narrower or wider. The cut-list mode lets you measure every panel (seat deck, inside and outside backs, arms, cushions, boxing) and lays them out across the bolt width to compute the real running length. Both then add a pattern-repeat allowance - large repeats waste fabric because every panel must start on the motif - and a waste allowance for railroading decisions, welting, and the inevitable trial cuts, returning a yardage rounded up to the quarter so you order from one dye lot with confidence.

Formula / Method

Chart mode: base yardage = chart figure × (54 ÷ your fabric width), because the tables assume 54-inch goods and a 48-inch bolt needs proportionally more length. Cut-list mode: pieces per row = floor(fabric width ÷ piece width), rows = ceil(piece count ÷ pieces per row), base yardage = rows × piece length ÷ 36. The pattern-repeat allowance adds roughly one repeat per three yards of cut goods (repeat inches ÷ 36, scaled by base yardage ÷ 3), since every cut panel must begin on the same point of the motif. Subtotal = base + repeat allowance; final = subtotal ÷ (1 − waste% ÷ 100); yards rounded up to the next ¼; metres = yards × 0.9144 rounded up to 0.1. Fabric width must be positive, repeat non-negative, waste between 0 and 100% - any blank or out-of-range entry skips the calculation so it never returns NaN.

Worked Example

A 3-seat sofa on the chart is about 16 yards of 54-inch fabric. Your fabric is only 48 inches wide, so base = 16 × (54 ÷ 48) = 18 yards. The fabric has a 14-inch repeat: allowance ≈ (18 ÷ 3) × (14 ÷ 36) ≈ 2.3 yards. Subtotal ≈ 20.3 yards. Add a 15% workroom waste: 20.3 ÷ (1 − 0.15) ≈ 23.9 → 24 yards (about 21.9 m), all from one dye lot. In cut-list mode, 20 panels each 24 inches wide on 54-inch fabric give floor(54 ÷ 24) = 2 per row, ceil(20 ÷ 2) = 10 rows, each 27 inches: base = 10 × 27 ÷ 36 = 7.5 yards before repeat and waste.

Common Mistakes

Using a 54-inch chart figure with narrower fabric and ordering short - always scale for the actual bolt width.

Ignoring the pattern repeat; a big repeat on a sofa can add several yards because every panel must match.

Forgetting welting, skirt, and cushion boxing in the cut list - they are easy to miss and add up fast.

Not deciding railroaded versus up-the-roll before measuring; the orientation changes which dimension hits the bolt width.

Ordering from two dye lots to save money, then seeing a visible colour shift across a single sofa.

Tips & FAQ

How reliable is the chart? Workroom tables are deliberately generous and a sound starting point; the cut-list mode is more accurate once a frame is stripped and panels measured. What is railroading? Running the fabric sideways so the bolt width spans the sofa length - it eliminates seams on long backs but only works with non-directional or railroad-printed fabric; decide before you measure. How much repeat allowance? A small (under 3-inch) repeat is nearly free; 14-inch-plus repeats on large furniture can add 10–20% - this tool estimates it, but for very large repeats consult the workroom. Why round to a quarter yard? Suppliers cut in quarter- or half-yard increments and dye lots vary, so always round up and order it all at once. Leather or hides? Hides are sold by the square foot, not the yard - this calculator is for roll goods; convert with a hide-yield factor for leather. Should I add for mistakes? Yes - first-timers should lean to the higher waste figure; an extra yard is far cheaper than a second order that no longer matches.

Upholstery Yardage Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

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