How quoting works
What a dock visit reupholstery quote includes
Most owners have never watched an upholsterer look at a boat, so the number at the end can feel like a guess. It is not. Here is what Gulfport Boat Upholstery does at your slip and what each line on the written quote means.
Call (228) 206-7732Before we come: the photo range
The first number you get is a same-day range from the published price table, based on the photos you send and the boat make and length. That range is honest but wide. A single seat or bench re-cover is $200 to $550, and the spread exists because the foam underneath cannot be judged from a photo. A seat with sound foam lands at the bottom of its range. A seat with waterlogged foam lands at the top. The dock visit is how the range becomes a fixed number.
Dock visits inside Harrison, Hancock and Jackson County are included in the published ranges. Pascagoula and Diamondhead trips are batched, so the first visit there can take up to a week to schedule. Trailer boats are welcome at the shop in Gulfport too, and that comes in a little under the range because we skip the trip.
What happens at the slip
You or someone who can open the boat meets us at the slip, lift or driveway. Then we go piece by piece through everything you asked about and anything else that looks close to failing.
- The squeeze test. Every cushion gets pressed hard by hand. Foam that springs back is sound and stays. Foam that squishes, holds water or crumbles gets cut new, and that shows up as its own line at $50 to $150 per cushion.
- The fold test. Vinyl that still bends without cracking can sometimes be restitched instead of replaced. Vinyl that cracks, chalks or splits on the fold needs a full re-cover. This is the difference between a small repair line and a full seat line.
- What is under the cushion. Plywood seat bases, rotocast pontoon bases, helm swivels and hinges all get checked. A cracked rotocast base has to be replaced before vinyl goes on, and a rotted plywood base will not hold a staple. We tell you before it becomes a surprise.
- Snaps, zippers and hardware. Corroded snaps get counted for stainless replacements. Zippers on canvas get run to see if they still close. Bimini bows and T-top frames get checked for fit so the new canvas is patterned to the frame you actually have.
- Vinyl grade and color. We bring swatches to the boat. Matching an existing piece close enough that it does not stand out next to the originals is usually possible, and you see the match in daylight, not on a screen.
- Patterning. Pieces that are coming off get patterned from the original vinyl so pleats, piping lines and snap positions land where the factory put them. Canvas gets patterned on the frame.
A single seat takes about twenty minutes. A full bowrider interior or a pontoon set takes closer to an hour. Covered slips are the best place on the coast to do this because there is no glare and no rain.
What the written quote lists
You get the quote in writing, usually the same day, itemized by piece. Each line names the piece, the vinyl or fabric grade and color, whether foam is being replaced, and the price. Thread, stainless snaps and the dock visit are in the number, not added later. The quote also states the turnaround, which during the season is under two weeks for a single seat and three to five weeks for a full interior. A rush inside two weeks on a larger job adds 15 percent and is written on the quote as its own line so nothing is hidden.
| Line on the quote | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Piece and job type | Re-cover, restitch or foam only, matched to a row on the published table |
| Material and color | Marine vinyl grade or Sunbrella versus polyester, with the swatch name |
| Foam | Kept, or replaced with closed-cell at the per cushion price |
| Hardware | Snap count, zipper replacements, anything on the frame we flagged |
| Turnaround | Weeks from pickup to install, with the rush surcharge shown if you asked for it |
| Not included | Base or frame replacement we spotted but did not price, so you can decide |
How to read it against the price table
Every line should sit inside the range for that job on the published price table. A helm or captain chair rebuild is $450 to $1,200. A bow cushion set is $600 to $1,500. A full bowrider or runabout interior is $2,000 to $6,000. If a line is at the top of its range, the quote says why: new foam, a premium vinyl, a flip-up bolster, a swivel base. If a line is at the bottom, the foam passed and the piece is a straight re-cover. When something you did not ask about gets flagged, it goes in the not included section with a note, and you choose whether to add it.
The quote is good for the pieces on it. The only thing that changes a number after the visit is something we could not see at the dock, like rot under a base that felt solid. When that happens we stop and call before doing anything that is not on the quote.
After you say yes
The pieces in the batch come off the boat and go to the shop. A helm chair unbolts in ten minutes, a bench lifts out, canvas unzips. The boat stays usable with whatever is not in the batch. When the work is done we come back to the same slip to install, and you do not need to be there. Many owners give us the slip number and the harbor office knows we are coming. We text photos of the finished install.
If you want to see what happens on the boat before the quote, the at your slip page covers turnaround by job and where we go. To get a photo range started today, send the form below with a few clear shots of each piece.
Quote questions
- How long does the dock visit take?
- Twenty minutes for a single seat or a bimini. About an hour for a full interior or a pontoon set, because every cushion gets squeezed and every snap gets checked.
- Is the quote binding?
- Yes, for the pieces on it. The only thing that changes a number after the visit is something we could not see at the dock, like a rotted plywood seat base under a cushion that felt fine. We stop and call before doing anything not on the quote.
- Do I pay anything for the visit?
- Not inside Harrison, Hancock or Jackson County. The published ranges include the trip. If you would rather drop pieces at the shop in Gulfport, the quote comes in a little under the range because we skip the trip.
- Can I get a number without a visit?
- A same-day photo quote from the published ranges, yes. Send clear photos of each piece with the boat make and length. The visit turns that range into a fixed number by checking the foam, which a photo cannot show.