Guide
What Alterations Cost in the United States
Alteration pricing is local, and it varies more than almost any other service you buy. A hem that costs 12 dollars in a small town strip mall costs 45 in a downtown high rise. The ranges below are what independent alteration shops across the United States typically charge, and they are useful mainly as a way to tell a normal quote from an outlier.
Typical price ranges
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hem trousers, plain | $12 to $25 | Cheapest job in the shop |
| Hem trousers, original hem retained | $25 to $45 | Needed on jeans and any topstitched hem |
| Hem lined skirt | $20 to $40 | Lining hemmed separately |
| Hem lined dress | $25 to $60 | Depends on circumference and layers |
| Take in waist, trousers | $20 to $35 | Centre back seam is standard |
| Taper trouser legs | $25 to $45 | Both legs, seam to hem |
| Take in shirt sides | $20 to $35 | Darts are cheaper than side seams |
| Shorten shirt sleeves with cuffs | $25 to $45 | Cuff and placket must be reset |
| Shorten jacket sleeves, no buttons | $25 to $45 | |
| Shorten jacket sleeves, working buttonholes | $50 to $110 | Sleeve shortened from the shoulder instead |
| Take in jacket at the waist | $35 to $70 | Lining must be opened and closed |
| Replace trouser zipper | $20 to $40 | |
| Replace jacket or coat zipper | $40 to $90 | Lining, length and zipper type drive the price |
| Replace dress zipper, invisible | $30 to $60 | |
| Patch or darn a knee | $15 to $35 | |
| Reweave a moth hole | $40 to $150+ | Specialist work, priced per hole |
| Resize a suit jacket, full | $80 to $200 | Several operations bundled |
| Wedding dress, hem and bustle | $150 to $450 | Bustle alone is often $75 to $150 |
| Wedding dress, full fitting package | $300 to $900 | Multiple fittings, beading, corsetry |
| Leather jacket alterations | $60 to $250 | Not every shop takes leather |
Price a specific list of jobs with the alteration cost estimator, which adjusts these ranges for garment type, lining and market size.
What actually moves the price
- Lining. Any alteration on a lined garment means opening the lining, doing the work, and closing the lining by hand. That is often more labour than the alteration itself.
- Topstitching. A visible row of stitching must be reproduced in matching thread at matching spacing. Jeans hems are the classic case, which is why the "original hem" method exists.
- Where the seams are. Taking a shirt in at the side seams is straightforward. Taking it in when the side seam carries a pocket, a placket or a print match is not.
- Fabric. Chiffon, silk charmeuse, sequinned fabric, leather and anything that shows needle holes permanently all raise the price, because the work is slower and there is no second chance.
- Structure. Suit jackets carry canvas, padding and tape. Anything touching the shoulder is skilled work and is priced accordingly.
- Turnaround. Rush work commonly carries a 25 to 50 percent surcharge. Ask before you agree to a date.
When an alteration is not worth paying for
Three honest guidelines:
- Shoulders. On a tailored jacket, the shoulder is the one measurement that should already fit. Narrowing shoulders is possible and expensive, and it is rarely worth it on a garment that was not expensive to begin with.
- More than two sizes. Taking a garment down more than about two sizes moves the seams away from where the design intended them, and the result reads as altered no matter how well it is sewn.
- The cost is more than half the replacement price. Sentimental value overrides this happily. Nothing else does.
Comparing two quotes fairly
Ask each shop the same three questions: what exactly will you do, how many fittings are included, and what happens if it is not right. A 30 dollar quote with one fitting and a 45 dollar quote with two fittings and a free adjustment are not the same product. Get the ticket in writing with the pickup date on it, and keep it.
Our guide on finding an alterations tailor covers vetting a shop before you hand over something you care about. To find shops near you, browse the directory by state and city.
Tipping and etiquette
Tipping is not expected at alteration shops the way it is in a salon. Repeat business, paying on time, and bringing the correct shoes to a trouser fitting are worth far more to a tailor than a few dollars. If you are delighted with the work, a review that names the shop is the most useful thing you can give them.
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