Changing Up Your Car's Interior? Here's How Much It Can Cost To Reupholster The Seats

A little reupholstery work can really transform how a car's interior feels. That work, though, can range from simply addressing rips and tears on the bolster of an old 3 Series to completing a full retrim and change of material on a custom project. Naturally, pricing ranges dramatically from one job to the next.

Minor repairs might start at a couple hundred dollars, regardless of whether the seats are cloth or leather, although leather will typically be a touch pricier. Much of the cost is in the labor, rather than the material. As for reupholstering an entire seat, the cost climbs a little, with prices starting at around $350 per seat.

If a full interior retrim is required, the cost can quickly spiral into the thousands. It will understandably be cheaper to retrim just the seats than to retrim the door panels as well. Budget for around $2,500 for a cloth retrim, and expect to add around $1,000 to the invoice if leather is being used. Here, the standard of leather will make a difference, in addition to whether synthetic or genuine leather is being used.

Extras such as contrast stitching or diamond-quilted finishes will add a surprising amount to the total cost. So, a single seat refinished in factory leatherette or cloth may only set you back a few hundred dollars, but if a comprehensive interior retrim in premium leather with contrast stitching is required, that cost could quickly soar to north of $5,000.

A complete reupholstery job can be expensive, but it also makes great sense in certain circumstances. For example, if someone is chasing down a show-quality finish or original concours-level finish on a classic project, a custom retrim can meet the highest expectations, right down to the stitching. However, there are alternative methods that could work out considerably cheaper for those who don't require the same degree of excellence.

For common models, buying a matching used seat from a breaker is often far cheaper than a retrim. For example, eBay currently has listings for F30-generation 3 Series interiors, with prices ranging from $99 for a leather front seat base to $475 for a pair of M-Sport contrast-stitched leather front seats, and $1,000 for a complete, heated, tan-leather interior. Just be wary of using any seatbelts from a parted-out car — safety restraints should never be bought from a junkyard.

Seat covers are notably cheaper than a full retrim. They are one of those simple upgrades that can help make a cheap car feel more expensive, with products ranging from cheap universal-fit sets sold by the likes of Walmart and Amazon for around $50 to custom-made, high-quality sets designed for a specific make and model. Of course, these are more expensive, but with a budget of $500 proving more than enough to secure such a set, it's still far cheaper than shelling out for a complete retrim.