What a Professional Headboard Upholstery Contract Should Include You have chosen the fabric, agreed on the design and received a price. Before your headboard leaves the bedroom, there is one more thing to settle: what exactly has the upholsterer agreed to deliver? “Reupholster one king - size headboard” leaves plenty open to interpretation. Does the price include new foam? Will the back be covered? Who removes the wall brackets and reinstalls them afterwards? A professional headboard upholstery contract should answer those questions in plain language. It should record the agreed work, materials, price, schedule and arrangements for handling problems. The details below are practical points to agree with your uph olsterer, rather than a universal legal template. A clear description of your headboard The agreement should identify the business carrying out the work, your contact details and the collection or installation address. Include the quotation reference and the date of approval so everyone knows which version applies. Then describe the headboard itself. Record its measurements, shape, number of panels and whether it attaches to the wall, bed frame or separate legs. A headboard described only as “queen - size” still leaves its actual dimensions uncertain. Attach photographs showing the front, edges, back and existing damage. Mark any loose fittings, scratches or areas where the fabric has split. These create a useful record of the condition before collection. For fitted headboards, confirm who checks the measurements on site. An estimate based on a photograph should be identified as provisional if a physical inspection is still needed. The work included — and the parts being retained Headboard reupholstery can involve anything from replacing the outer fabric to rebuilding the padding and repairing the supporting frame. Your agreement should distinguish between them. Ask for a description of what will be removed, replaced and reused. That might include stripping the existing covering, removing worn padding, fitting new foam and batting, covering the rear surface and replacing decorative buttons. If the existing foam will stay, have that recorded. The same applies to timber supports, mounting brackets and other fittings. Keeping sound components may suit the project, but the decision should be understood before work begins. Pay attention to exclusions. Wall repairs, electrical work around bedside sockets, bed dismantling and disposal of old materials should each have a clear place in the agreement if relevant. A vague promise to “supply and install” leaves too much room for a ssumptions. Exact fabric and padding specifications A colour name alone is not enough to identify your chosen fabric. “Warm grey” could describe several different products. Record the supplier or brand, collection, product code and colour reference. Keep an approved swatch or a photograph of its label with the project documents. If you are supplying the fabric yourself, establish the required quantity and who checks its suita bility before cutting. Pattern placement deserves attention, particularly across multiple panels. Agree on the direction of stripes, the position of a large motif and any visible seams. Fabric width and pattern orientation can affect whether a wide surface can be covered without a join, so discuss these details before cutting begins. For replacement padding, ask the upholsterer to specify the foam type, thickness and agreed firmness. “Premium foam” offers little information about what you will receive. The contract should also explain what happens if the chosen material becomes unavailable. Any proposed substitute should come back to you for approval, with changes to cost or timing explained. Design details you can approve before production A reference photograph may communicate the overall look while leaving important details undecided. Button spacing, border width and edge shape can all change the finished appearance. For a straightforward recover, annotated photographs may be sufficient. A redesigned headboard may need a drawing with dimensions, panel divisions, seam positions and decorative details. Specify which surfaces will be covered. If the headboard stands away from the wall, the back and lower edges may remain visible. Confirm the finish for those areas instead of leaving it to assumption. Also establish how much the finished thickness or height may change. Additional padding can affect the relationship between the headboard, mattress, bedside tables and existing wall fittings. An itemised price and payment schedule A useful quotation separates materials, labour, repairs, transport and installation. It should show the total payable, including applicable taxes, and distinguish fixed charges from estimates. When comparing headboard upholstery services , check that each quotation covers the same work. A lower price may exclude replacement foam, installation or transport. Those differences need to be clear before you choose a provider. Check practical extras. Stair access, parking, difficult dismantling or a second delivery visit may affect the price. Establish how those charges will be calculated. The payment schedule should state the deposit, any intermediate payment and when the balance becomes due. Define the milestone behind each payment. “On completion” could mean finished at the workshop or delivered and installed in your bedroom; the agreemen t should make that distinction clear. What happens when hidden damage appears Some problems may only become visible after the old covering is removed. A photograph cannot confirm the condition of every part beneath the upholstery. Agree on a process for discoveries such as damaged backing boards, loose joints or deteriorated padding. The upholsterer should document the issue, explain the proposed repair and provide the additional price before proceeding. Any effect on the delivery date should be included in that update. You should then have an opportunity to approve the revised work in writing. Avoid an open - ended allowance for “all necessary repairs” without a spending limit or approval process. If you want the workshop to handle minor repairs without contacting you, agree on a specific allowance and the work it covers. Collection, installation and a realistic completion date The schedule should identify when the headboard will be collected, when work is expected to finish and when installation will take place. Clarify what starts the production period. It might begin after the deposit clears, the fabric arrives or the final design is approved. Those are different dates. Ask how delays will be communicated and who will provide updates. If fabric delivery is delayed or additional repairs are approved, agree on a revised completion date in writing. For wall - mounted headboards, record who removes and reinstalls the fittings. Confirm responsibility for protecting floors, walls and nearby furniture during handling, along with the process for reporting any damage. Inspection, defects and warranty terms Before paying the final balance, you need a clear opportunity to inspect the finished work under the agreed payment terms. Check the fabric, seams, buttons, edges and mounting. Compare the result with the approved specification and record any concerns with photographs. The contract should explain how defects are reported, who assesses them and how an agreed correction will be arranged. Include responsibility for transport if the headboard needs to return to the workshop. Read the warranty wording closely. Ask what it covers, how long it lasts and when the period begins. Separate workmanship cover from any fabric or foam warranty, and request care instructions for the actual material supplied. Cancellation terms and the final sign - off Custom work involves decisions that become harder to reverse once fabric has been ordered or cut. Cancellation terms should explain which costs may be retained at each stage and how any refund will be calculated. Include a named contact for concerns and an agreed way to record changes. Keep the final quotation, drawings, material references and approved amendments together. Before signing, read the documents as though you were seeing the project for the first time. Could you identify the fabric, understand the finished design and calculate what you owe? Could the upholsterer complete the job without relying on a half - remember ed conversation? If something important is still missing, ask for it to be written into the agreement before paying the deposit.