CostGuide

Home & Repair

Tailor / Alterations cost in the US

Nationally, Tailor / Alterations runs about $40 per item. In the lowest-cost cities in this guide it is closer to $31, and in the highest-cost cities about $57.

Typical cost

Most people pay about

$40

per item

Fair price range: $15 to $120

On the low end
$15
On the high end
$120

Estimated from national price data. Not a quote.

How prices have moved

Up 6.3%past year

Up 47.5%over five years

How prices for clothing alterations, shoe repair and watch and jewelry repair have moved nationally, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (Apparel services other than laundry and dry cleaning, CUUR0000SEGD04), through August 2026. It tracks price change, not the dollar prices on this page.

What moves the price

  1. Garment type
  2. Complexity
  3. Designer labels
  4. Rush
  5. Bridal

Ways to pay less

  1. Hem pants in batches
  2. Skip rush
  3. Bring shoes for hems
  4. Ask for student/weekday rates
  5. Keep original hems when possible

Lowest-cost cities for Tailor / Alterations

PlaceTypicalRange
National typical$40
$15 to $120
Brownsville, TX$31
$12 to $94
Jackson, MS$32
$12 to $96
Laredo, TX$32
$12 to $96
McAllen, TX$32
$12 to $96
Shreveport, LA$32
$12 to $96
Amarillo, TX$33
$13 to $99
El Paso, TX$33
$13 to $99
Lubbock, TX$33
$13 to $99

Highest-cost cities for Tailor / Alterations

PlaceTypicalRange
National typical$40
$15 to $120
Honolulu, HI$57
$22 to $170
San Francisco, CA$52
$20 to $155
New York, NY$56
$21 to $168
San Jose, CA$56
$21 to $168
Sunnyvale, CA$56
$21 to $167
Santa Barbara, CA$54
$20 to $161
Cambridge, MA$51
$19 to $153
Fremont, CA$50
$19 to $151

Tailor / Alterations in every city

Typical estimate for each city. Open one for the full range.

District of Columbia
Mississippi
New Hampshire
North Dakota
Rhode Island
South Dakota

Questions people ask

Tailor / Alterations: what does it cost?

Across the US, Tailor / Alterations typically costs about $40 per item, with most prices between $15 and $120.

Where is Tailor / Alterations cheapest?

Among the 250 cities in this guide, the lowest estimates are in Brownsville, TX, Jackson, MS, Laredo, TX, at about $31.

Is this a quote?

No. These figures are estimates built from national price data and each city's cost of living. A local pro will price your actual job.