Benchmarking Your Alteration Prices Against Typical UK Rates

To benchmark your alteration prices, compare each job with typical UK labour ranges and see where you sit above or below them. Small gaps are normal, but you should be able to explain any large one.

Why should you benchmark your prices?

Prices drift. A hem that cost £12 a few years ago may still cost £12 today, even though your thread, rent and time have all gone up. Other tailors go the opposite way and price so high that customers leave without asking.

Benchmarking gives you a calm, factual starting point. It is not about copying anyone. It is about knowing the market you work in.

What are typical UK labour ranges?

These are typical labour ranges for common jobs:

• Trouser hem: £10-£20
• Shorten plain jacket sleeves: £20-£35
• Jacket sleeves with working buttonholes: £40-£80
• Take in jacket sides: £30-£50
• Jacket shoulders: £60-£160+
• Re-line a coat: £80-£150
• Coat zip: £25-£50
• Dress hem: £15-£35 (lined or layered: £30-£60)
• Take in dress sides: £20-£45

London is usually 15-30% higher. If you work in the capital, adjust the range upwards before you compare.

How do you compare your own price list?

Write your current prices beside the ranges above. Mark each job as below, within or above.

Then look at the pattern, not single items. If your complex jobs sit at the bottom of the range, you may be undervaluing your skill. If everything sits at the top, check that your customers still say yes.

It also helps to time a few jobs. Divide the price by the hours you actually spent. A job that looks fairly priced can turn out to be poor value once you count pressing, unpicking and fitting.

When is it fair to charge above the range?

Ranges are a guide, not a ceiling. Delicate fabrics, heavy lining, tight deadlines and specialist skill can all justify a higher price. Jacket shoulders show this well, because the range is wide and the work is demanding.

Say why when you quote. A short line such as "this coat is fully lined, so the hem takes longer" makes a higher price feel reasonable. Customers rarely object to a price they understand.

When might you charge below the range?

Sometimes a job is quicker than average, or you want to build a regular customer. That is your choice. Just make sure it is deliberate, and that it does not become a habit across your whole list.

Where can you check wider rates?

A second source is useful. This guide to typical UK alteration prices lets you see how a job is usually costed. The UK alterations price guide covers more garments and is handy for jobs you rarely quote.

Myflaxs is a UK marketplace of vetted tailors, where tailors set their own prices. Customers choose a tailor, post the garment with a prepaid tracked label, and payment is held until they approve the work. That tells you customers are comparing, so it pays to know your position.

How do you keep your prices up to date?

Review your list once or twice a year. Keep a simple record of each job, its price and the time it took. A tailor CRM such as the one described on how ZeDaq.ai works can hold clients, orders, deposits and invoices in one place, which makes that review much easier.

When you change a price, tell regular customers first. A brief, friendly note is usually enough.

FAQs

Should I match the middle of each range?

Not necessarily. Use the middle as a reference point, then adjust for your skill, your costs and your location. Many good tailors sit comfortably in the upper half.

How often should I raise my alteration prices?

A yearly review is a sensible habit. Small, regular increases are easier for customers to accept than a large jump after several years.

Do these ranges include materials?

They are labour ranges. Add zips, linings, thread or other materials separately, and show them clearly on the quote.