How to Start a Clothing Alterations Business (UK 2026)

Most clothes don't fit right. This means clothing alterations always has work.

You can start from home with a sewing machine. Customers pay £10-80 per job. Many come back again and again.

This guide covers how to do the work. For pricing and finding customers, check our Ecommerce Academy.

Why This Works

People buy clothes that almost fit. Wedding dresses need fixing. People gain or lose weight. Work clothes must look perfect.

This work pays well. Wedding dress work costs £50-200. Basic hems cost £8-15. Taking in jackets costs £25-50. Making sleeves shorter costs £15-30.

Services You Can Offer

Basic work:

• Hem trousers: £8-15
• Make waists smaller: £15-35
• Make sleeves shorter: £15-25
• Fix dress straps: £10-20

Hard work:

• Wedding dress fixes: £50-200+
• Suit work: £30-80
• Fix zippers: £20-40
• Change old clothes: £25-60

Special work:

• Fix curtains: £15-30
• Fix uniforms: £20-50
• Fix leather: £25-75

What You Need

Must have:

• Sewing machine: £300-1500
• Overlocker: £200-600
• Iron and board: £100-400
• Good scissors: £20-80
• Tape measure: £5-15
• Seam ripper: £3-10

Work space:

• Cutting table: £100-300
• Big mirror: £30-100
• Good lights: £50-200
• Safe storage: £100-500

Total cost: £800-3000

UK Suppliers

Machines:

• John Lewis has good machines
• Sewing Machine Warehouse knows sewing
• Jaycotts has professional tools

Supplies:

• MacCulloch & Wallis has thread
• Minerva Crafts has supplies
• Local sewing shops help too

Skills You Need

Basic sewing: You need clean, straight lines. Practice on old clothes first.

Reading patterns: Know how clothes are made. This helps with hard jobs.

Fitting: Know where to change clothes without breaking the shape.

Hand sewing: Some fixes need hand work for clean results.

Pressing: Good work needs proper ironing at each step.

Work from Home

Work space: You need room for cutting, sewing, and pressing. A spare room works well.

Good lights: Natural light plus bright LEDs. You must see colors clearly.

Fresh air: Steam from pressing needs to go somewhere.

Safe storage: Customer clothes cost money. Safe storage protects from loss.

Insurance: Public liability covers you if things go wrong.

How to Price Work

Time method: Work out your hourly rate. Guess how long the job takes. Add material costs. Round to a nice price.

Market method: Check what others charge. Price a bit lower to start. Raise prices when you get busy.

Examples:

• Simple hem: £10-15
• Hard wedding dress: £100-200
• Fix zipper: £25-35

Find Your First Customers

Local ads:

• Facebook groups
• Local papers
• Notice boards
• Tell friends

Online:

• Google My Business
• Simple website
• Before and after photos

Network:

• Wedding shops
• Dry cleaners
• Uniform shops

Keep Customers Happy

Clear prices: Write quotes before starting work.

Real timelines: Give yourself extra time. Rush jobs look bad.

Try-ons: Hard jobs need the customer to try on clothes.

Care tips: Tell customers how to look after fixed clothes.

Be honest: Say what you can and can't do.

Common Jobs

Hem trousers:

• Customer tries on with shoes
• Mark new length with pins
• Cut extra fabric
• Press new hem
• Sew invisibly

Make dress smaller:

• Pin where extra fabric is
• Mark new seam lines
• Check both sides match
• Sew new seams
• Cut extra and finish edges

Make sleeves shorter:

• Measure from shoulder down
• Cut from the bottom
• Put cuff back on at new spot
• Press seams flat

Hard Jobs

Say no when:

• Clothes are falling apart
• Fixes cost more than new clothes
• Jobs are too hard for your skills
• Deadlines are impossible

Problem solving:

• Fabric that falls apart easily
• Finding the right thread color
• Working with delicate fabric
• Keeping original design

Get Repeat Business

Good work: Perfect sewing brings customers back.

Fair prices: Good value but not cheap. You have skills.

On time: Meet your deadlines. Talk to customers often.

Wardrobe care: Customers often need many items fixed.

Seasonal work: Wedding season. Back to school. Holiday parties.

Grow Your Business

Start part-time from home. Build customers. Put profits into better tools.

Pick a specialty:

• Wedding dresses only
• Work clothes
• Old clothes
• Plus-size clothes

Get help when busy. Train helpers for easy work while you do hard jobs.

The Business Side

Good sewing is just the start. You also need booking systems. Customer talk. Supply management. Pricing that makes profit. Marketing to find new customers.

The Ecommerce Academy covers running a service business. Learn how to price for profit and find customers online.

Start Today

Ready to turn sewing skills into money? Start here:

• Practice on your own clothes first
• Set up work space
• Buy basic tools
• Make simple price list
• Tell friends you're open for business

You don't need a website right away. But online presence helps customers find you.

With Astrocart, you can make a simple service website. Show before and after photos. List your services. Let customers book online.

The platform has everything you need. Website builder. Payment processing. Customer management. Email tools. It's free until you reach £2,500 monthly income.

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