Alteration Cost Estimator

Tick the jobs you need, then adjust for lining and for where you live. These are typical independent shop prices in the United States, gathered from published price lists; the ranges behind them are explained in what alterations cost. A quote inside the range is normal. A quote well outside it is worth a second opinion, in either direction.

What the multipliers do

Lining adds roughly a third, because every alteration on a lined garment means opening the lining, doing the work and closing it again by hand. Location moves prices more than anything else: the same hem is genuinely half the price in a small town that it is in a city centre. Rush work commonly carries a 25 to 50 percent surcharge, and shops are usually upfront about it if you ask.

Before you agree

Ask what exactly will be done, how many fittings are included, and what happens if it comes back wrong. Our guide to finding an alterations tailor covers the rest, and the directory lists shops by state and city.