In short: Reupholstering a sofa cost two public offices Q950 and Q1,285.60 in 2025. A 3-1-1 living-room set with new upholstery, foam and reinforced springs cost Q4,600, and a set reupholstered with its wood varnished Q6,500. Secretarial and administrative-area chairs came to Q200-400 each (the higher figure includes repair). These are purchases published on Guatecompras, the state procurement system; the records name the job and the price but not the fabric, so use them as a reference and get a written quote.
USD figures in the table are approximate and use the day’s Banguat reference rate. See today’s exchange rate.
What public offices paid for upholstery work (2025)
Public bodies publish their purchases on Guatecompras. Each of the eight records below names the furniture, the work done and the price. Six were bought as low-value purchases (compra de baja cuantía, Art. 43(a) of the procurement law); IRTRA’s two were bought under procedures regulated by Art. 54 of the same law.
| Buyer (publication date) | Job, as described in the record | Price | USD (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Labour, Sacatepéquez office (20 Aug 2025) | Reupholster one sofa | Q950 | ~$124 USD |
| University of San Carlos, finance directorate (6 Nov 2025) | Reupholster a waiting-room sofa | Q1,285.60 | ~$168 USD |
| National Tennis Federation (2 Jun 2025) | 3-1-1 living-room set: new upholstery, new foam, reinforced springs | Q4,600 | ~$602 USD |
| University of San Carlos, Faculty of Dentistry dean’s office (24 Sep 2025) | Reupholster a living-room set and varnish its wood | Q6,500 | ~$851 USD |
| Presidency’s executive coordination secretariat, Chiquimula (9 Dec 2025) | Upholstery of one four-seat waiting bench | Q750 | ~$98 USD |
| IRTRA (30 Jan 2025) | Reupholster 3 secretarial chairs | Q600 (Q200 each) | ~$79 USD |
| IRTRA (25 Jul 2025) | Reupholster secretarial chairs: new foam, fabric and a general clean (number of chairs not stated) | Q800 | ~$105 USD |
| National Handball Federation (28 Aug 2025) | Repair and reupholster 6 chairs used in its administrative areas | Q2,400 (Q400 each) | ~$314 USD |
Per-chair figures are the total divided by the number of chairs (our calculation). None of the records states the fabric, the size of the pieces or whether pick-up and delivery were included, and the prices are from 2025.
What drives an upholstery quote
The records show three separate pieces of work that an upholsterer may price together or apart:
- New fabric (retapizado) for each piece.
- New foam (esponja): included in the Tennis Federation’s set and IRTRA’s July chairs.
- Structure work: the Tennis Federation’s job included reinforced springs, and the Dentistry faculty’s included varnishing the wood.
Ask for each of these as a separate line so you can compare quotes.
What to ask the upholsterer (tapicero)
- Is the fabric included, and which fabric? Ask to see a sample, and ask whether you can supply your own.
- Is new foam included, and what density?
- Will the frame, springs or webbing be repaired, and is that in the price?
- Pick-up and delivery: is it in the price?
- How long will it take, and what warranty is given on the work?
- Will I get a factura? Keep it; DIACO asks for proof of purchase if you file a consumer complaint.
If the fabric is sound and only dirty, compare with cleaning: three Guatemalan cleaning companies list sofa and upholstery cleaning at Q200-425 (see sofa and upholstery cleaning prices), against Q950 and Q1,285.60 for the two sofa reupholstery jobs above.
Related pages
Sources
Guatecompras purchase records (NPG numbers), each read on 26 September 2026 through sociedad.info, which republishes Guatecompras records (the Guatecompras record pages ask for a browser check): E567597210, E572208960, E562770860, E569598346, E574540709, E555660486, E566009935, E568117840. USD conversion: Banguat reference exchange rate.
These are what public buyers paid in 2025 for their own furniture; prices for your pieces depend on size, fabric and condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to reupholster a sofa in Guatemala?
Two public offices published what they paid in 2025: the Ministry of Labour paid Q950 to reupholster one sofa in Sacatepéquez (August 2025), and the University of San Carlos paid Q1,285.60 to reupholster a waiting-room sofa (November 2025). The records do not say the sofa size or the fabric used.
How much does it cost to reupholster a living-room set in Guatemala?
The National Tennis Federation paid Q4,600 in June 2025 for a 3-1-1 living-room set, including new upholstery, new foam and reinforced springs. The University of San Carlos paid Q6,500 in September 2025 to reupholster a living-room set and varnish its wood.
How much does it cost to reupholster a work chair?
IRTRA paid Q600 to reupholster three secretarial chairs in January 2025 (Q200 each, our division), and the National Handball Federation paid Q2,400 to repair and reupholster six chairs used in its administrative areas in August 2025 (Q400 each, repair included). A four-seat waiting bench cost the Presidency’s coordination secretariat Q750 in December 2025.
