--- title: "8 Questions to Ask an Upholsterer Before You Pay" url: https://trysoficprojects.co.za/blog/questions-to-ask-an-upholsterer/ --- ![Tan leather corner couch back in a customer's lounge](/_astro/03-home.BdlG4OOz_gaKei.jpg) [Home](/)/[Advice](/blog/) Before you book # 8 questions to ask an upholsterer before you hand over your couch ## In short 8 questions to ask an upholsterer before they take your couch: fabric stock, foam, frame repairs, lead times, updates and paperwork. By the Trysofic team · 28 September 2026 [Get a free quote](#quote)[★★★★★**4.9** from 300+ Google reviews](https://maps.google.com/?cid=15645396653824375776) On this page 1. [1\. Is the fabric I’m choosing in stock?](#1-is-the-fabric-im-choosing-in-stock) 2. [2\. Are you replacing the foam, and with what?](#2-are-you-replacing-the-foam-and-with-what) 3. [3\. What happens if you find damage under the fabric?](#3-what-happens-if-you-find-damage-under-the-fabric) 4. [4\. What’s the lead time, in writing?](#4-whats-the-lead-time-in-writing) 5. [5\. Will you send me updates while it’s in the workshop?](#5-will-you-send-me-updates-while-its-in-the-workshop) 6. [6\. Is collection and delivery included?](#6-is-collection-and-delivery-included) 7. [7\. What happens if I’m not happy with something?](#7-what-happens-if-im-not-happy-with-something) 8. [8\. Can I see work like mine?](#8-can-i-see-work-like-mine) 9. [Ready to ask us?](#ready-to-ask-us) Handing over your couch is an act of trust. It leaves your house on the back of a bakkie and you won’t see it again for days. Rene Viljoen described it simply: “Kwanele collected them and I left my trust in him.” Most of our 300+ Google reviews are good. Some aren’t, and reading both kinds tells you which questions matter. Ask these 8 of anyone you’re thinking of using, us included. ## 1\. Is the fabric I’m choosing in stock? A sample on a card doesn’t mean there’s enough fabric on a roll for your couch. If it has to be ordered, your couch can sit waiting. Senzi Zikhali “received confirmation of the availability of the fabric I chose before the team left”. That’s the standard to ask for. ## 2\. Are you replacing the foam, and with what? New fabric over tired foam looks good for a month. Ask whether the quote includes new seat foam, and what kind. Ask how long they’d expect it to hold its shape. Senamile Sithole wrote about the “number of years they estimated for the material I chose”. Get that estimate for the foam as well. ## 3\. What happens if you find damage under the fabric? Broken rails and loose joints only show once the cover’s off. Ask how they’ll tell you and whether it changes the price. When Amava Bello’s couch was collected with a broken leg, it was replaced with one “just like the originals”. ## 4\. What’s the lead time, in writing? Get a date, on the invoice. Senzi Zikhali’s invoice gave 18 days and the couch came back in 7. A written date protects you when a job runs late, and it tells you the upholsterer has thought about it. See [how long couch reupholstery takes](/blog/how-long-does-couch-reupholstery-take/) for 18 real turnaround times. ## 5\. Will you send me updates while it’s in the workshop? A good workshop sends progress photos without being chased. Dani mlambo got pictures “when they were busy stripping them apart”. Zethu Nyezi wrote that Kwanele “constantly keeps you updated throughout the entire process”. Ask up front how you’ll hear from them. ## 6\. Is collection and delivery included? Some quotes cover the upholstery only. Ask whether the price includes fetching and returning the couch, and whether they’ll carry it back into place. See [what happens on collection day](/blog/what-happens-on-collection-day/). ## 7\. What happens if I’m not happy with something? Ask this before you pay. Eileen Curry wrote about something small being sorted “immediately, the same day”. Yonela Tsibolane’s couches had a hiccup on delivery, and “they took them back and corrected the error”. Find out how an upholsterer handles a problem, and who you call. ## 8\. Can I see work like mine? Ask for before-and-after photos of the same kind of piece: a chesterfield if you’ve got a chesterfield, leather if you’ve got leather. Reneilwe Diseko booked us after seeing our work “on pictures from Instagram”. Our own before-and-afters are on the [home page](/), on [chesterfield reupholstery](/services/chesterfield-reupholstery/) and on [leather couch repair](/services/leather-couch-repair/). ## Ready to ask us? WhatsApp 074 019 9297 with a photo of the couch and ask us all 8. For what goes into the number, read [what it costs to reupholster a couch](/blog/couch-reupholstery-cost-johannesburg/). ## Questions we get asked ### Should I get more than one quote? If you're unsure, yes. Compare what each quote includes, such as foam, frame repairs, collection and delivery, and not just the total. ### What should be written on the invoice? The fabric you chose, what's being replaced, the price and the lead time. Senzi Zikhali's invoice "specified lead time of 18days". Get a price WhatsApp a photo of the piece and Kwanele will quote you. [WhatsApp 074 019 9297](https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=27740199297&text&type=phone_number&app_absent=0) Read next - [What does it cost to reupholster a couch in Johannesburg?](/blog/couch-reupholstery-cost-johannesburg/) - [What happens on couch collection day, and how to get ready](/blog/what-happens-on-collection-day/) - [How long does couch reupholstery take? What 18 customers told Google](/blog/how-long-does-couch-reupholstery-take/) - [Couch reupholstery in Johannesburg and Soweto](/services/couch-reupholstery/) - [Couch foam replacement and cushion restuffing](/services/foam-replacement/) ![A couch we reupholstered](/_astro/contact-bg.CUHl57HH_Q8twa.webp) Contact us ## Tell us about your couch Send us the details and a photo, and Kwanele will get back to you with a price. Not sure what it needs? That's fine. We'll look at it and tell you. Workshop [Vundla Street, Jabavu, Soweto, 1818](https://maps.google.com/?cid=15645396653824375776) Call or WhatsApp [074 019 9297](tel:+27740199297) Email [info@trysoficprojects.co.za](mailto:info@trysoficprojects.co.za)