Upholstery Shop Client Intake Form: What to Capture at Drop-Off

Shops with a signed intake form have zero successful damage disputes. The signature changes the burden of proof. When a client brings a piece with a pre-existing scratch and then claims the shop caused it, an unsigned condition record is your word against theirs. A signed intake form documenting that scratch is a document.

The intake form isn't just legal protection. It's also where you establish client expectations clearly at the moment of drop-off, before work begins. Fabric choice, timeline, deposit, and any special handling notes are all agreed upon and signed, so there's no "I thought it was going to be blue" conversation three weeks later.

Here are the 12 fields every upholstery intake form needs.

TL;DR

• A well-managed upholstery shop tracks every job from intake to delivery with documented status at each stage.
• Fabric management, including ordering, receiving, storing, and allocating by job, is operationally the most complex part of running an upholstery shop.
• Client communication (status updates, completion photos, delivery scheduling) reduces inbound calls and increases repeat business.
• Shops that document their workflow can train new employees faster and maintain consistent quality during growth periods.
• Measuring key metrics (jobs per week, average ticket, fabric waste rate) is the foundation of informed business decisions.
• Professional shop management tools pay for themselves through reduced errors and faster quoting, typically within the first quarter.

The 12 Essential Intake Form Fields

1. Client Name and Contact

Full name, phone number, and email. You need all three — phone for urgent communication, email for written records.

2. Piece Description

Type, style, and approximate dimensions. "3-cushion sofa, Lawson-back, approximately 84 inches." This confirms you and the client are talking about the same piece, which matters if they own multiple furniture pieces in need of work.

3. Pre-Existing Condition

A written description of the piece's condition at drop-off. Note every existing scratch, tear, structural issue, or repair you observe. Be specific: "Leg scratched on inside face, lower right front. Cushion zipper broken, left seat cushion. Frame joint gapped at left rear leg."

4. Intake Photos Reference

Note that photos were taken at intake and where they're stored (job number in your system, for example). The form doesn't contain the photos, but documents that they were taken.

5. Fabric Choice

Fabric name, supplier, colorway, and SKU if applicable. Don't let "the blue one from your samples" be the documentation. Get the actual name.

6. Yardage Confirmation

The estimated yardage required for the job. For COM fabric, add the yardage received and a note confirming it was measured at intake.

7. Special Instructions

Pattern centering requirements, COM handling notes, button placement, skirt height, trim choices, zipper type. Everything specific to this job that deviates from your standard process.

8. Timeline

The expected completion date you've committed to, and any conditions that would affect that date (fabric delivery, client-side delays, etc.).

9. Deposit Amount

The deposit paid at intake. Amount and payment method. This makes the payment record part of the job document rather than a separate transaction note.

10. Total Quote

The total quoted price for the job. Include any fabric costs that will be added at billing if they're variable.

11. Conditions Clause

A brief statement that the client acknowledges the noted pre-existing conditions, authorizes the work described, and agrees to the payment terms. This is the legally meaningful language that makes the signature valuable.

12. Client Signature and Date

The client's signature. This is what transforms the intake form from a note into a document.

How to Use the Intake Form in Practice

The intake form should be completed at drop-off, with the client present. Not from memory later in the day.

Walk through the piece together. Point out anything you're noting in the pre-existing condition field. This serves two purposes: it's more accurate (the client may notice things you don't from outside the shop), and it prevents the client from feeling like you're hiding something.

When you get to the signature, say: "I just need your signature here confirming the condition we've documented and the work we've discussed." Most clients sign without hesitation when you've walked through the form with them.

For COM fabric jobs specifically, also run through the upholstery shop intake process COM checks before completing this form — measure the fabric and note the yardage before the client leaves.

Digital vs Paper Intake Forms

Paper intake forms work well for shops that prefer physical records. They're simple, universally understood, and clients are accustomed to signing paper documents.

Digital intake forms, completed on a tablet or through your job management system, have the advantage of attaching directly to the job record and being harder to misplace. The upholstery shop workflow guide covers how to build your intake form into your digital job management process.

Whichever format you use, store a copy that you control. A paper form the client keeps but you don't is not a useful record.

What Happens When You Don't Have an Intake Form

Without a signed intake form, every damage dispute is decided on credibility rather than documentation. Without it, a claim about missing hardware (bolts, legs, decorative feet) has no record to compare against. Without it, a client who was told "2 weeks" can sincerely remember "1 week" and you have nothing in writing.

The intake form is 5-10 minutes of work per job. The disputes it prevents are hours.

FAQ

What should an upholstery intake form include?

An upholstery intake form needs 12 fields: client name and contact, piece description, pre-existing condition notes, reference to intake photos, fabric choice with name and SKU, yardage confirmation, special instructions for the job, the committed timeline, deposit amount, total quoted price, a conditions clause acknowledging the documented state of the piece, and the client's signature. The signature is what makes the form legally useful. A form without a signature is a note; a form with a signature is a document.

How do I document furniture at drop-off?

Walk through the piece with the client present and note every pre-existing condition in writing on the intake form: scratches, tears, structural issues, broken hardware, repair work. Photograph the full piece from multiple angles, including close-ups of any noted damage. Store the photos linked to the job record. Have the client sign the intake form acknowledging the conditions you've documented. The combination of photos and a signed written record is what resolves disputes. Photos without a signature, or a signature without photos, is weaker protection than both together.

Why should I have clients sign an intake form?

The signature changes who bears the burden of proof in a damage dispute. Without a signed form documenting the piece's condition at intake, any damage claim is your word against the client's. With a signed form showing that a scratch was already there, or that the fabric choice was exactly as specified, the documentation resolves the dispute immediately. Most damage disputes never become conflicts when clients have signed an intake form — the document answers the question before emotions enter the conversation.

How do I track multiple jobs at different stages simultaneously?

A job tracking system, whether paper-based or software-based, should give you a clear view of every active job's current stage at a glance. The minimum useful stages are: intake received, fabric ordered, fabric received, work in progress, quality check, ready for pickup/delivery, completed. Software that shows all active jobs on a single dashboard with current stage and due date eliminates the mental overhead of tracking multiple jobs manually.

Sources

• National Upholstery Association
• Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers (AMUSF)
• Upholstered Furniture Action Council (UFAC)
• Furniture Today (trade publication)

Get Started with StitchDesk

A well-run upholstery shop is built on consistent processes, accurate information, and clear client communication. StitchDesk gives you the tools to manage all three from intake to delivery, without the overhead of paper systems or generic software that does not understand the trade. Start a free trial and see how StitchDesk fits your workflow.