How do I calculate yardage for upholstery?
Eleanor Gray
Updated on February 21, 2026
How do I calculate yardage for upholstery?
Measure the length and width of the front of the sofa. Then, measure the inside and outside of the arms and the seating area with the cushions removed. Once you have your numbers, divide by 36 to determine the yardage. Keep in mind that upholstery fabric is usually 54 inches wide.
How many yards do I need to reupholster 4 chairs?
If you have four chairs, you will need 1.5 yards, six chairs takes 2.25 yards, eight chair seats take 3 yards, and so on. If your chair seats have cording, allow 7/8 yard for two chairs.
How many yards do I need to reupholster a chair?
Yardage Estimates
| Upholstered Furniture | |
|---|---|
| Sectionals: 24 – 34 yards | Square Ottoman: 2.5 yards |
| Benches (with backs): 6 yards | Benches (no backs): 3 yards |
| Club Chairs: 6 – 8 yards | Club Chairs with Ottomans: 8 – 9 yards |
| Basket Chairs: 5 yards | Swivel/Rockers: 8 yards |
How many yards of fabric do I need to reupholster a large chair?
It will vary a lot depending on the fabric’s dimensions, the size of the chair, and how much of the chair you want to cover. If you’re looking for a general idea, you will require about 3 yards to 7 yards of fabric. Then, multiply it by the number of chairs if there is more than one.
How do you figure yardage?
Length in feet x Width in feet x Depth in feet (inches divided by 12). Take the total and divide by 27 (the amount of cubic feet in a yard). The final figure will be the estimated amount of cubic yards required.
How do you measure for upholstery fabric?
Measure from the bottom of the upholstered area on the back of the couch to the top. If the couch has a curved back, measure at it’s highest point. Measure again from the floor to the top of the couch at its highest point. This gives you the height of the upholstered area as well as the total height of the couch.
How many yards of fabric do I need to reupholster a couch?
Allow approximately 12 yards of fabric as a base estimate for a 6-foot-long, 2-cushion sofa. Increase that to 14 yards for a 7-foot sofa. Estimate an additional 1.5 yards of fabric per cushion for a sofa with more than two cushions — so a 7-foot-long, 6-cushion sofa would require around 20 yards of fabric.
How big is fabric by the yard?
3 feet
How big is a yard of fabric? A yard is a unit of measurement equal to 3 feet or 36 inches. With fabric, a yard refers to the length only. The width can vary from 36 inches for quilting cotton, to 108 inches for sheeting.
How many yards of fabric do I need for a 2 seater sofa?
Count your cushions, including both upper and lower cushions. Depending upon your sofa, you may have as many as six cushions. Allow approximately 12 yards of fabric as a base estimate for a 6-foot-long, 2-cushion sofa.
How many yards of fabric do I need calculator?
Dimensions that fit into the width of the fabric Take the total length you need and divide by 36 to calculate how many yards you need. Most of our fabric is sold in full yard increments, so round up to the nearest yard.
How do I calculate how much material I need?
Figure out how much fabric you need with this formula:
- Width of fabric divided by width of one piece equals the number of pieces that fit into width (rounded down to the whole number).
- Total number of pieces divided by number of pieces that fit into width equals number of rows you need.
How much fabric do you need for reupholstering?
Most people will only need to use two or three layers of fabric for this project. However, if you are in the process of reupholstering a couch that’s already made up of multiple pieces of fabric, then you’ll probably need to purchase an additional supply of material.
How much fabric to reupholster a couch?
Using standard 54-inch wide upholstery fabric, a typical 6-foot sofa requires about 10 yards of fabric to upholster. An 8-foot-long sofa could take 13 or more yards of fabric.
How much fabric do I Need?
Width of fabric divided by width of one piece equals the number of pieces that fit into width (rounded down to the whole number).
