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San Antonio · Austin · Texas
Leather tears and cracking. Sagging chair seats. Loose frames and joints. Torn seams. Pet damage. We fix what is broken on chairs and small upholstered pieces — without recovering what is not.
Upholstery and leather repair is what we do — not a full recover. We specialize in chairs, seats, and small upholstered pieces — not full sofas or sectionals. For larger pieces, we're glad to refer you to a dedicated sofa workroom. If your fabric still has life in it, repair runs 50% to 80% cheaper than recovering from scratch. Most repairs return in one to two weeks. Free written estimates.
Upholstery and leather repair is the targeted fix of a structural or surface problem on a chair or small upholstered piece you already own — frame and joint repair, seat re-tying and re-webbing, cushion rebuilds, hand-sewn seam mending, leather patching, and pet damage spot repair — without recovering the whole piece. Weathersby Guild handles these repairs across San Antonio and Austin for $75 to $800 on most pieces, roughly 50% to 80% cheaper than a full recover. Most spot repairs return in one to two weeks, and every job starts with a free written estimate.
San Antonio has plenty of full-service upholstery shops doing wholesale recovers. We took a different path. Our shop specializes in the narrower, harder, more honest work: repair on chairs, seats, and small upholstered pieces you already own and like. Frame and joint repair. Seat re-tying and re-webbing. Cushion rebuilds. Leather patches. Seam repair. Pet damage spot fixes. We specialize in chairs, seats, and small upholstered pieces — not full sofas or sectionals. For larger pieces, we're glad to refer you to a dedicated sofa workroom.
The truth most full-recover shops will not tell you: most upholstery problems do not need a full recover. If your fabric still looks fine but the seat sinks, the webbing sags, one seam has split, or one leg is broken, repair is the right call — and 50% to 80% cheaper. A typical spot repair runs $75 to $400. A seat re-tie or re-web runs $150 to $400. Recovering the same chair from scratch costs several times that and adds weeks of shop time.
When recover IS the right call, we do that too — see our full reupholstery service. But for everything else — and that is most of what people call us about — repair is faster, cheaper, and preserves the original character of the piece. Send photos to mark@weathersbyguild.com and we will tell you within an hour which path makes sense.
Decision — Repair or Reupholster
The pattern: repair when damage is localized and the fabric still has life in it. Recover when fabric is worn across multiple panels, faded badly, or you want a new look. We do both on chairs and small pieces — see our chair and seat reupholstery service when recover is the right answer.
Volume I — Structural Repairs
Cracked chair rails scarfed and re-glued, broken legs replicated in matching kiln-dried hardwood, loose mortise-and-tenon joints re-pegged, and split arm posts spliced on dining chairs, accent chairs, benches, and ottomans — all without disturbing existing upholstery.
Re-tied seat springs using traditional jute-twine knots, replaced broken coils and sinuous (zig-zag) clips, and new jute or polypropylene webbing on dining chairs, accent chairs, ottomans, and benches — bringing firm support back to a seat that has gone soft.
Foam cores replaced in 1.8 to 2.5 lb high-density foam, re-wrapped in Dacron polyester, and down-feather inserts rebuilt to bring shape and support back to sagging chair seats, bench tops, and ottoman cushions.
Hand-sewn seam mending with curved upholstery needles, color-matched waxed thread, and hidden stitching so the repair disappears into the original stitch line. Patch work on small fabric tears using matched reserves.
Color-matched leather patching for tears, cracked surface re-conditioning, restitched seams, and dye correction on aniline, semi-aniline, and pigmented hides. Conditioning treatments for dried-out leather.
Cat-scratched fabric panels swapped, claw tears patched, bite-mark repair on corners and arms, and pet-stained cushions re-covered — without recovering the entire piece. Honest assessment of what is salvageable.
Pricing — What to Expect
Most upholstery repairs are 50% to 80% cheaper than full reupholstery. Below are typical price ranges for the work we do day-to-day.
These ranges reflect typical jobs in 2026. Final quote depends on materials, size of the piece, and current shop workload. Every estimate is free and in writing — no verbal quotes, no surprise charges. When a piece needs a full recover instead of a repair, see our chair and seat reupholstery service.
Volume II — When Repair Wins
If any of these match your piece, repair is almost certainly the right answer.
The pattern, color, or texture is exactly what you want. Repair preserves the fabric you chose — reupholstery means picking new fabric all over again.
Your grandmother’s wingback, the dining chairs you inherited, the chair from your first apartment. Repair preserves the original upholstery and keeps the piece structurally sound for the next generation.
Mid-century, Victorian, Eastlake, or Spanish Colonial pieces lose value when re-covered. Conservation-grade repair maintains period-correct upholstery and original tack lines.
You can never replace what you cannot buy. We patch from cushion-bottom or hidden-panel reserves and color-match thread to make repairs invisible.
A single torn seam, one sagging cushion, one broken leg, one cat-scratched arm panel. Spot repair handles localized damage at a fraction of full-recover cost.
Broken springs, cracked frames, failed webbing — these problems live underneath the fabric and can be fixed without removing the visible upholstery on most pieces.
Repair runs $75 to $800 on most chairs and small pieces — a fraction of the cost of a full recover. Repair gets you another 5 to 10 years of life out of furniture you already own.
Spot repairs return in one to two weeks. Full reupholstery takes three to six weeks plus fabric lead time. If you need the piece back quickly, repair almost always wins.
Volume III — The Craft
Since 2013 our shop has repaired thousands of pieces — from a single torn dining chair seat to a frame-and-seat rebuild on a favorite accent chair. We approach every repair the same way: smallest intervention, traditional materials, and a written estimate before any work begins.
Most upholstery problems do not require full reupholstery. We start with the smallest intervention that solves the problem — saving you 50% to 80% versus a complete recover.
Where a chair or bench seat still uses a tied-coil system, we repair it the way it was built: jute twine, knotted by hand, anchored to a hardwood frame. No staples. No shortcuts.
Seat-cushion rebuilds use 1.8 to 2.5 lb high-density foam wrapped in Dacron polyester or down-feather blend, matched to the original feel and density of your piece.
Seam repairs are hand-stitched with curved upholstery needles and waxed thread. Glue is for shoes — not furniture you sit on every day.
When a frame rail cracks or a leg splinters, we splice in matching kiln-dried hardwood — never particle board, never plywood patches.
Sometimes the cost to repair approaches the cost to recover. We will tell you when reupholstery is the smarter choice and when a $200 spot repair will do.
Volume IV — Inquiries
Straight answers about cost, timing, and what we can fix.
Most upholstery repair jobs in San Antonio and Austin fall between $75 and $800, depending on what is broken. A torn seam or single sagging seat cushion is usually $75 to $300. Re-tying or re-webbing a chair seat runs $150 to $400. Leather patching lands around $150 to $400. Frame and joint repair on a chair runs $300 to $700. Multi-issue repair (frame plus seat plus cushion on the same piece) tops out around $800. Every job starts with a free written estimate so you know the cost before any work begins.
Repair is almost always cheaper than a full recover — typically 50% to 80% less. Re-webbing or re-tying a chair seat costs $150 to $400, while recovering a chair from scratch can run several times that. A leather patch is $150 to $400; a full leather recover runs into the thousands. If only one cushion is sagging, one seam is split, one panel is scratched, or one leg is broken, repair is the right call. Full reupholstery only makes sense when fabric is worn across multiple panels, badly stained, or you simply want a new look.
Repair when (1) you love the existing fabric, (2) only one area is damaged, (3) the problem is structural — springs, frame, webbing, cushions — and lives under the fabric, (4) the fabric pattern is discontinued, (5) it is a vintage piece where re-covering would hurt value, or (6) it is a family heirloom where preserving the original fabric matters. Reupholster when fabric is worn across multiple panels, faded badly, stained beyond cleaning, or when you simply want a new look. We do both — and we will tell you which one your piece actually needs.
Yes — sagging seats are one of the most common upholstery repairs we handle. The fix depends on the cause. If the foam is collapsed, we replace the core with high-density foam and re-wrap with Dacron for $80 to $150 per cushion. If the webbing or springs underneath have failed, we re-web or re-tie the seat. We diagnose the actual cause before quoting — sometimes the cushion is fine and the suspension is the real problem.
Yes. Cracked rails, broken legs, splintered arm posts, and loose joints are all repairable on hardwood-frame dining chairs, accent chairs, benches, and ottomans. We splice in matching kiln-dried hardwood, re-glue with structural adhesive, and reinforce with corner blocks where appropriate — typically without disturbing the existing upholstery. Particle board or staple-frame furniture (common in big-box brands) generally cannot be repaired and is better replaced.
Spot repairs — a torn seam, a single seat cushion, a leg re-glue — are usually returned in one to two weeks. Seat re-tying or frame and joint repair on a chair runs two to three weeks. Leather color-matching adds an extra week for dye testing. Every estimate includes a realistic timeline based on current shop workload and parts availability.
Yes. We repair cracked leather, color-matched patches for tears and pet damage, restitched seams, and conditioning treatments for dried-out hides. Aniline and semi-aniline leathers respond best — heavily protected (pigmented) leathers can usually be patched but show patch lines under close inspection. Color matching takes time — we mix dye in small batches and test against an inconspicuous area before applying to the visible repair zone. We will assess in-person and tell you exactly what result to expect.
Leather repair is dramatically cheaper than recover. A single tear patch is $150 to $400. Re-conditioning a cracked leather chair is $300 to $600. A full leather recover runs into the thousands plus hide cost. If your leather is structurally sound and the damage is localized, repair makes sense. If the leather is shedding, cracking across multiple panels, or has lost its surface coating widely, recover may be the better long-term choice.
Yes — seat re-tying and re-webbing is one of our most common repairs. On tied-coil seats, we cut the failed jute twine, replace any broken coils, and re-tie the springs with new jute anchored to the hardwood frame. On sinuous (zig-zag) and webbed seats, we replace failed spring clips or webbing and re-anchor them to the frame. Most dining chairs, accent chairs, and benches can be re-sprung or re-webbed for $150 to $400 — far cheaper than recovering the piece from scratch.
Structural repairs (seat springs, frames, webbing) typically last 10 to 20 years under normal household use — often as long as a brand-new piece would. Cushion rebuilds last 7 to 10 years before foam needs replacement again. Leather patches and seam repairs last as long as the surrounding fabric or hide. We back all structural repairs with a one-year guarantee against failure under normal use, and most pieces we repaired in 2014 are still in service today.
Antique upholstery repair is a specialty. Pre-1950 pieces typically have 8-way hand-tied springs, jute webbing, horsehair stuffing, and tack-built construction — all of which we still work with using period-correct materials. Conservation-grade methods preserve the original frame and any surviving period upholstery underneath modern coverings.
Usually, yes. Pet damage is one of the most common reasons people call us. For surface scratches on leather, we condition and re-color. For shredded fabric panels, we replace just the affected panel using matched or close-match fabric — full recover is rarely needed unless damage spans multiple sections. Send a photo and we will tell you within an hour whether spot repair or a full recover is the right call.
Yes — we serve Austin and the greater Austin metro including Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Lakeway, Bee Cave, Bastrop, Kyle, and Dripping Springs. Pickup and delivery are available from our San Antonio workshop, and most Austin upholstery repair jobs are scheduled within a few days of estimate approval.
Dining chairs, dining chair seats (drop-in and slip seats), accent and side chairs, ottomans, benches, and antique settees. Both fabric and leather, both modern and antique. We specialize in chairs, seats, and small upholstered pieces — not full sofas or sectionals. For larger pieces, we're glad to refer you to a dedicated sofa workroom. Particle-board flat-pack furniture is the main exception — we will tell you honestly when a piece is not worth the repair cost.
On most fabric repairs, no. Hand-sewn seam repair using matched thread disappears into the original stitch line. Cushion rebuilds are completely invisible since the foam is internal. Frame repairs are hidden beneath the existing upholstery. The exceptions are pigmented leather patches and large fabric tears where exact dye-lot matching is impossible — in those cases we explain expected visibility before any work begins.
Yes. All structural repairs (springs, frames, webbing) carry a one-year guarantee against repair failure under normal household use. Cushion rebuilds and fabric repairs are guaranteed against workmanship defects. Wear and tear from continued use is not covered, but anything that fails because of how we built it gets fixed at no charge.
Volume V — Begin
Send a few photos showing the damage — close-up plus full piece. We will review and send a detailed written estimate within one business day, and tell you honestly whether repair or full reupholstery is the right answer.
Request Estimate