I think the labor and markup on same is the reason for the price differences, not stuffing.

I would use your cheap guy,and I would just tell him that your (son/DH/dog) has allergies so you want to select the fill.

Just ask him?

Or When he gives you a quote for his price, ask him what kind of filling that price includes.

ML

I agree - just ask him.

And if you are unsatisfied with the "sit", did you ask him if he replaced the foam? What type of foam he used? Did he use a dacron wrap on the cushion? Is it too soft? Too firm? You have left too many unanswered questions to give you a cogent reply.

If you want the filling replaced, of course you will have to pay more. Did you specify that?

I did upholstery from my home for years. I could make any type of foam cushion, from sink-in cushy soft to rock-hard firm, and while I contracted out inner-spring and spring-down cushions, they are relatively easily available.

I don't know of any upholsterer who would use "used" material in a cushion. But of course, they would recover your own cushion unless you specified a replacement fill.

Thanks all. And MTN, actually that's somewhat the case, so may do just that
Thanks again.. :)
Mary, if he is working on a shoestring, and had leftover down from another job, he might, I'm thinking.

Well, "leftover" is vastly different from "used". "Leftover" from a specific job is just stock on a shelf.

For example, I never bought a small piece of foam - I bought a slab, calculated how many cushions I could reasonably get from that slab, and charged based on that. I wouldn't dream of charging the customer for the whole slab, but it made no sense for me to buy small pieces. They're much more expensive per square foot. So I kept slabs of several grades of firmness on hand. If a customer wanted something I didn't have, I bought it, but I never charged the customer for the whole slab. It's the same with down - we buy in bulk.

Does the cushion stink or smell used? If it is foam, is the foam crumbly and yellowed?

What about the "sit" don't you like? Too soft? Ask him to add or change the fill. He probably wants you to be completely happy with the job. If he doesn't know if something is wrong, he doesn't even get a chance to fix it.

My very good friend is an upholsterer and she always has her customers select the cushion firmness they want. In fact she has a couch that she used 4 different foams in so you can test the sit. I think it's kind of strange he had never asked you what cushions you want.

Hi mary.
My chairs sit fine as they are seldom used accent chairs. My friend's sofa he made is ....well, I'm not sure. It just feels a bit wrong. I have no reason to think used fill is ever used, but recently , when my HH kicked in, realized it could be. Example: I once gave an upholster great quality old down I happened to have. Probably too much for the job. It could have been repurposed into someone else's piece. Who would know? Am now realizing how paranoid this sounds. I will chat with him about the cushion material. We'll see.
Thanks for your input.

Sorry, I can't help you with your HH paranoia. But most of us upholsterers aren't actually out to get you...we're generally a pretty nice group. We wash our hands and everything!

Though there was that one customer with the Texas longhorn-arm chair with the hooves put on backward...To be redone in crushed burgundy velvet...CREEPY. Dang I'm going to have nightmares again!

LOL!