Upholstery Cleaning Pricing Guide: By Fabric Type or Per Piece?

Upholstery cleaning pricing is far more complex than carpet cleaning. In carpet cleaning the basic unit is m²; in upholstery cleaning, the word "sofa" covers dozens of different products that cannot be directly compared: from a 2-seat mini corner sofa to a 10-piece large corner sofa, from an elegant single bergère to an office chair, from domestic linen fabric to imported buffalo leather. Each requires different labor, chemicals, and time. This guide aims to help you build a pricing structure that is both fair and profitable.

Two Basic Pricing Models

Model 1: Fixed Price Per Piece

The most common and easiest model for customers to understand. A fixed price is set for each sofa type:

| Sofa Type | Example Price Range |

|---|---|

| Single sofa | 250 - 450 TRY |

| Double (2-seat) sofa | 400 - 700 TRY |

| Triple (3-seat) sofa | 550 - 900 TRY |

| L sofa (2+3 or 3+3) | 900 - 1,500 TRY |

| Corner sofa (4+ pieces) | 1,200 - 2,500 TRY |

| Bergère | 300 - 500 TRY |

| Dining room chair | 100 - 200 TRY (each) |

| Office chair | 200 - 400 TRY |

Note: These figures vary by region and market conditions. You will need to calculate your costs to set your own prices.

Advantage: The customer learns the price instantly, leaving less room for negotiation.

Disadvantage: If you price leather and velvet sofas the same, one may be profitable while the other operates at a loss.

Model 2: Per Piece + Fabric Surcharge

A more sustainable and profitable model is to apply an additional charge on top of the base price according to fabric type. This structure both covers your real costs and makes it easier for you to explain to customers why there is an additional charge.

Logic of Fabric Type Surcharges

Leather Sofa: Percentage-Based Surcharge

Leather sofas require special leather care solution and a final coat of leather cream rather than water-based washing. Chemical cost and processing time are noticeably higher compared to normal fabric.

Recommendation: Applying a 25-35% surcharge on the base price covers this cost and is understandable to customers.

Example: If the base price for a single leather sofa is 350 TRY, the leather surcharge adds 90-120 TRY.

Velvet Sofa: Labor Surcharge

Velvet cleaning is laborious: special brushing against pile direction, drying at low temperature, and a final smoothing process take extra time. Especially on dark velvet sofas, if marks become visible, customer complaints follow.

Recommendation: Applying a flat (fixed) labor surcharge for velvet provides a simpler communication.

Microfiber: Chemical Surcharge

Using a water-based cleaner on microfiber fabrics creates ring stains. Solvent-based chemicals are mandatory. This chemical is more expensive compared to standard products.

Recommendation: Adding a small chemical surcharge for microfiber balances the cost.

Foreign and Boutique Fabrics

Imported buffalo leather, boucle, velour, fabrics requiring antique restoration — these are processed not with standard treatment but with special expertise and materials. Pricing custom for each order and informing the customer in advance is the safest approach in this category.

Door-to-Door Pickup and Delivery Fee

Businesses that go to the customer's home to pick up sofas and return them after washing should charge separately for this service. Not including or hiding this fee leads to customer complaints.

You can present these items with a tiered tariff based on distance:

| Distance | Pickup Fee |

|---|---|

| 0-5 km | 150 - 250 TRY |

| 5-15 km | 300 - 450 TRY |

| 15+ km | By negotiation |

Note: For multi-piece orders (like corner sofas), the pickup fee may remain fixed; for single pieces, the rate stays higher.

Express Service Surcharge

For workshops with a standard delivery time of 2-4 days, an express price is essential for customers who request "same day" or "next day" delivery. Express service:

For this reason, express pricing is generally set 40-60% above the standard price.

Reflecting Pricing in the System

The more complex the pricing model on a paper notebook or verbal agreement, the greater the likelihood of error. A system where sofa type, fabric type, and additional services are selected at order entry and the price is automatically calculated:

1. Eliminates the risk of the cashier writing the wrong price

2. Shows the price breakdown on the receipt sent to the customer

3. Shows which service earned the most at month-end reports

Price List Update Frequency

As chemical costs, vehicle fuel, and staff wages change, the price list needs updating. Doing a price revision at least twice a year (January and July) protects your profitability against inflation.

Notifying customers of price changes in advance is good practice: a message like "You can get quotes based on the new price list effective from January 1" creates a transparency perception and prevents disputes.

Pricing Management with Cleandy

In Cleandy's upholstery cleaning module, price lists based on sofa type and fabric type are defined. When types are selected at order entry, the price is automatically calculated; staff don't need to do math. Additional services (express, leather care, door-to-door pickup) are added as separate line items and reflected on the receipt.

→ [Explore the Cleandy Upholstery Cleaning Program](https://cleandysoft.com/en/koltuk-yikama-programi)

Frequently Asked Questions

The cost of leather care solution and leather cream can be 3-4 times the standard chemical cost. Additionally, the processing time is longer. Businesses that don't apply an additional charge are eroding their profit margins on every leather sofa.

It is sufficient to explain that you apply special leather care solution and a final coat of leather cream rather than water-based treatment to leather sofas, and that these products are both expensive and require expert application. Most customers accept this.

Both approaches work. Per-piece pricing allows the customer to select only the sections they want cleaned (for example, just the cushions, not the corner sofa frame). Set pricing speeds up the customer conversation and reduces negotiation attempts.

Chemical and fuel costs can change at least 2-3 times per year. Two revisions per year (January and July) is a good rhythm to start with. During sudden cost increases, not waiting and announcing to customers that you've updated the list protects your profitability.