How Our Pickup and Delivery Process Works

Step 1 — The estimate

Send us photos and rough measurements, or schedule a free in-person look. We give a written estimate covering labor, fabric, and any frame or spring repair we recommend. No work begins without your approval. Photo estimates are usually answered the same business day; in-person estimates are scheduled within the week for the Lenoir / Hickory / Morganton corridor and within two weeks for the Charlotte and Lake Wylie routes.

What helps us estimate accurately: front, back, and arm shots of the piece; the underside; any visible damage close-up; a quick measurement of length, depth, and height; and a note about what fabric direction you are leaning (vinyl, performance fabric, leather, traditional fabric). The more specific your answers, the tighter the estimate range we can quote.

Step 2 — Pickup

We use an enclosed trailer with moving blankets and straps. Pieces ride dust-free and protected. Most pickups in the Lenoir / Hickory / Morganton / Charlotte / Lake Wylie area are free with the job. We confirm pickup the day before with a 2-hour window. The driver takes photos of the piece in your home before loading — protection for both of us if anything is questioned later.

Two-person pickup is standard for sofas, sectionals, and heavier pieces. Tight stairwells, narrow doorways, and elevators we plan ahead for. If the piece can't come out the way it went in, we figure that out before the truck shows up.

Free estimate, scheduled pickup with an enclosed trailer, in-shop rebuild over 2–4 weeks, and white-glove delivery. Pickup and delivery are free across most of western NC and the Charlotte metro.

Step 3 — The rebuild

In the shop, every piece is stripped down, inspected, and rebuilt from the frame out: new webbing if needed, spring re-tying, frame repair, new high-density foam, Dacron wrap, then the new fabric is patterned, cut, sewn, and fitted. Photos are sent throughout if you want them. Rebuild times by piece type:

• Single chair or recliner: 1–2 weeks
• Sofa or loveseat: 2–4 weeks
• Sectional: 3–6 weeks
• Antique with frame work: 4–8 weeks
• Custom-built piece: 4–10 weeks

If a fabric is on backorder we tell you up front. We hold pieces in our climate-controlled shop until materials arrive — no surprise delays sitting in your living room.

Step 4 — Delivery

We bring the piece back, place it where it belongs, and check fit. Any final adjustments happen on site. Walk-around inspection together — and the job's done. Delivery is included with the rebuild for our standard service area.

For larger jobs (sectionals, custom built-ins, multi-piece sets) we coordinate delivery in stages so the room can be re-arranged as pieces come back. Customers in Charlotte and the Lake Wylie communities typically see delivery on the same day each week — Tuesday or Thursday on most routes.

Service-area routes

Routes run weekly or bi-weekly:

• Foothills route: Lenoir, Granite Falls, Hudson, Sawmills, Hickory, Newton, Morganton, Valdese — same week.
• Charlotte metro: Charlotte, Concord, Kannapolis, Indian Trail, Monroe, Waxhaw — weekly.
• Lake route: Mooresville, Cornelius, Huntersville, Davidson, Fort Mill SC, Tega Cay SC, Rock Hill SC, Lake Wylie SC — weekly.
• Mountain route: Boone, Blowing Rock, Collettsville, Patterson — by appointment.

What about pieces outside the standard area?

We have delivered as far as Asheville, Raleigh, and Greensboro on bigger commercial jobs. Outside the standard zone we charge a flat trip fee that we quote up front. For one-off residential pieces outside the area, the cleanest path is usually a meeting halfway — we have customers who meet us in Statesville, Asheville, or Charlotte for handoff.

Insurance, claims, and damage protection

We carry full commercial insurance covering both transit and in-shop damage. The piece is covered from the moment it leaves your home to the moment we set it back down. If anything is questioned, the pickup photos and shop photos resolve it quickly. We have not lost a piece or had an insurance claim in over a decade of operation.

What happens before the first call

Most customers reach out after they have already started looking at new furniture. The trigger is usually one of three things: a cushion that finally collapsed, a fabric that finally tore, or a kid or pet doing damage that crossed a visible threshold. By the time the photos come in, the customer has usually decided whether they want to keep or replace the piece — and we are confirming or pushing back on that.

What helps us help you faster: send the photos before deciding. We can usually tell you in a 30-second look whether the piece is worth rebuilding. If it is not, we will tell you that, and you can move on with the new-furniture decision without paying for an in-person visit.

For commercial customers, the trigger is usually inspection failure, brand refresh, or a property manager rolling through the building. The same logic applies — photos first, estimate within a business day, on-site visit only if needed.

Specialty pieces — antique, custom, oversized

Three categories that need extra logistics planning:

Antique pieces: Fragile frames, brittle finish, possibly insect-damaged stuffing. We use extra padding in transit, sometimes wrap in muslin before moving, and disassemble where possible to protect joinery. Antique restoration work usually requires a longer in-shop window.

Custom and oversized pieces: Sectional sleeper sofas with motorized recliners, custom-built lounge sets, oversized banquettes that can't be assembled inside the room they live in. We measure exits, stairwells, and elevator dimensions before pickup. Some pieces need partial disassembly — feet off, legs off, sometimes back panels separated — to make it through the door.

Built-ins: Window seats, banquettes, and benches that are part of the architecture. We measure on-site, build cushions in shop, and deliver finished. The piece itself stays put.

For all three, the estimate visit is more important than usual. We catch logistics issues before pickup day rather than at your front door.

Frequently confused: pickup vs delivery vs trip fee

Three terms that mean different things and customers sometimes mix up:

• Pickup: We come get the piece from your address. Free with most reupholstery jobs in our standard service area.
• Delivery: We bring the rebuilt piece back to your address. Free with most reupholstery jobs in our standard service area.
• Trip fee: A flat charge that covers fuel and time when the address is outside our standard area. Quoted up front before any work begins.
• Mobile / on-site service: When we do the work at your location instead of in our shop — common for medical, restaurant, and church work. Quoted as a separate line item.

For Lenoir, Hickory, Morganton, Charlotte, Mooresville, Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Rock Hill SC, Fort Mill SC, Lake Wylie SC, and the standard foothills towns, pickup and delivery are bundled into the rebuild quote with no surprises at the end.

Service area at a glance — every town we serve

Our standard service area covers western North Carolina, the Charlotte metro, and the Lake Wylie / Rock Hill side of South Carolina. Specifically:

• Caldwell County (Foothills): Lenoir, Granite Falls, Hudson, Sawmills, Gamewell, Cajah's Mountain, Rhodhiss.
• Catawba County: Hickory, Newton, Long View, Bethlehem, Conover, Maiden.
• Burke County: Morganton, Valdese, Rutherford College, Drexel.
• Mountain communities: Boone, Blowing Rock, Collettsville, Patterson, Globe.
• Charlotte metro: Charlotte, Matthews, Mint Hill, Concord, Kannapolis, Indian Trail, Monroe, Waxhaw.
• Lake Norman: Mooresville, Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Lake Norman.
• South Carolina: Fort Mill SC, Tega Cay SC, Rock Hill SC, Lake Wylie SC.

If your address isn't listed, ask anyway. We have delivered to Asheville, Greensboro, Statesville, and parts of Raleigh on commercial projects, and we have customers in mountain communities who meet us halfway for handoff.

How to start a project with Renew Upholstery

Three ways to start, all of them free:

1. Send photos and a few measurements through the contact page. We respond inside a business day with a written estimate range.
2. Call the shop at (828) 455-3635. We answer during shop hours, Monday through Friday 8 AM – 7 PM.
3. Schedule a free in-person estimate. Free across our standard service area; usually within the same week for the foothills and within 1–2 weeks for the Charlotte and Lake routes.

What helps us help you faster: the front, back, and arm shots of the piece; a photo of the underside if you can flip it; rough measurements (length × depth × height); and a note about what fabric direction you are leaning. The more specific you are, the tighter the initial estimate range we can quote.

Estimates are written, no-obligation, and put numbers on paper so you can compare against any new-furniture or competing-shop quote sitting on your kitchen table. We don't push timelines, run sales follow-up calls, or pressure decisions. Family-owned in Lenoir, NC since 2012; pickup and delivery free across most of the western NC and Charlotte metro service area.

Why customers across western NC and the Charlotte metro choose Renew

The work speaks for itself; what customers tell us also matters. The recurring themes from customer reviews across western NC, the Charlotte metro, and the Lake Wylie communities:

• Honest estimates. If a piece isn't worth rebuilding we say so. We have walked away from work on pieces that didn't justify the rebuild cost.
• Timeline reliability. When we quote 2–4 weeks, the piece comes back in 2–4 weeks. Backorders are communicated immediately, not at the end of the project.
• Materials transparency. The fabric we put on, the foam density we install, and the thread we sew with are all documented on the invoice. Future repair or refresh is straightforward.
• Local presence. Workshop in Lenoir, NC, family-owned since 2012, weekly pickup routes through Hickory, Morganton, Charlotte, Mooresville, and Lake Wylie. We are not a regional broker; we are the shop doing the work.
• Range of capability. Residential, commercial, marine, healthcare, antique, automotive — under one roof, with the same standards across categories.

For the full breakdown of services we offer, see the services overview. For the full geography we cover, see the service area page. Both are kept current as we add capabilities and routes.

Related services across the Renew Upholstery catalog

Our work spans every category of upholstery. If you arrived through this article and need a different service, the most-requested categories are:

• Furniture upholstery: Sofa upholstery, sectional upholstery, chair upholstery, recliner upholstery, dining chair upholstery, antique furniture restoration.
• Residential: window seat cushions, built-in seating, outdoor patio cushions, slipcovers, headboards.
• Commercial: restaurant booths, medical and dental office, church pews, theater seating, hotel furniture, bar stools.
• Marine: boat upholstery, pontoon boat, marine vinyl, marine canvas and covers.
• Automotive: car seat upholstery, classic car upholstery, leather seat repair, headliner repair.
• Repair and restoration: foam replacement, spring repair, frame repair, pet damage repair, water damage, fire damage.
• Custom: custom cushions, leather, vinyl, tufting and decorative, fabric selection consulting.

For the complete service list with pricing ranges and turnaround times, see the services index. For frequently asked questions across categories, see the FAQ page.