Who is responsible if COM fabric fails?

You and the mill that wove it — not the furniture manufacturer. A COM frame is warranted as a frame. If the fabric pills, fades or splits, the maker's position is that it did not sell you that fabric, which is why fabric approval and cleaning codes are worth documenting before the order goes out.

How much extra fabric should I order for a repeat?

Ask the manufacturer for the yardage requirement at your specific repeat rather than applying a rule of thumb — they cut the frame and they will tell you. Order the whole quantity from one dye lot in a single cut, because a second cut months later will not match.

Does COM ever save money?

Often, on higher grades — but the saving is against the graded-in price, not against the COM price by itself. Add the fabric, the yardage overage and the freight to the factory before you compare.

DefinitionUpdated July 31, 20262 min read

COM: what customer's own material means when you order upholstery

COM means customer's own material: you supply the fabric, the manufacturer builds the frame. What it changes about pricing, yardage, warranty and the way you have to ship the goods.

By Idan Mann, founder of NYA

The short answer

COM stands for customer's own material. You buy the fabric separately and send it to the furniture manufacturer, who builds the frame and upholsters it in your material. The quoted COM price covers the frame and labour only — the fabric, its freight, and any failure of that fabric are yours.

Almost every upholstery line publishes a COM price alongside its graded-in fabrics, and it is usually the cheapest number on the page. That is not a discount. It is a price with the fabric removed, and everything the fabric brings with it — yardage, freight, timing risk and warranty — has been removed too.

What you take on when you specify COM

Yardage. The manufacturer states a yardage requirement for the frame. A patterned fabric with a large repeat, or one that cannot be railroaded, needs more than the stated figure — ask before you buy, not after.
Approval. Most makers want the fabric approved for the application: weight, rub count, backing, cleaning code. A drapery-weight silk on a family sofa will be refused, or accepted with the warranty voided.
Delivery to the factory. The fabric ships to the plant with a sidemark matching your order, and the frame does not enter production until it lands. Fabric that arrives unmarked sits in a warehouse belonging to someone who does not know it is yours.
The clock. The manufacturer's lead time starts when the COM arrives — not when you placed the order.

COM, COL and graded-in fabric

Term	Who supplies the material	What the quoted price includes
Graded-in	The manufacturer, from its own book	Frame, labour and fabric, at a letter or number grade
COM	You	Frame and labour only
COL	You — leather specifically	Frame and labour; leather is measured in square feet, not yards

Compare a graded-in price against COM plus the fabric, its freight and the yardage you actually need. Once a fabric is over roughly the mid-grades, COM usually wins; below that, graded-in often costs less and carries a single warranty instead of two.

Common questions

Who is responsible if COM fabric fails?: You and the mill that wove it — not the furniture manufacturer. A COM frame is warranted as a frame. If the fabric pills, fades or splits, the maker's position is that it did not sell you that fabric, which is why fabric approval and cleaning codes are worth documenting before the order goes out.
How much extra fabric should I order for a repeat?: Ask the manufacturer for the yardage requirement at your specific repeat rather than applying a rule of thumb — they cut the frame and they will tell you. Order the whole quantity from one dye lot in a single cut, because a second cut months later will not match.
Does COM ever save money?: Often, on higher grades — but the saving is against the graded-in price, not against the COM price by itself. Add the fabric, the yardage overage and the freight to the factory before you compare.

Keep reading

COM: what customer's own material means when you order upholstery

COM means customer's own material: you supply the fabric, the manufacturer builds the frame. What it changes about pricing, yardage, warranty and the way you have to ship the goods.

By Idan Mann, founder of NYA

The short answer

What you take on when you specify COM

Yardage. The manufacturer states a yardage requirement for the frame. A patterned fabric with a large repeat, or one that cannot be railroaded, needs more than the stated figure — ask before you buy, not after.

Approval. Most makers want the fabric approved for the application: weight, rub count, backing, cleaning code. A drapery-weight silk on a family sofa will be refused, or accepted with the warranty voided.

Delivery to the factory. The fabric ships to the plant with a sidemark matching your order, and the frame does not enter production until it lands. Fabric that arrives unmarked sits in a warehouse belonging to someone who does not know it is yours.

The clock. The manufacturer's lead time starts when the COM arrives — not when you placed the order.

COM, COL and graded-in fabric

Term	Who supplies the material	What the quoted price includes
Graded-in	The manufacturer, from its own book	Frame, labour and fabric, at a letter or number grade
COM	You	Frame and labour only
COL	You — leather specifically	Frame and labour; leather is measured in square feet, not yards

Common questions

Who is responsible if COM fabric fails?: You and the mill that wove it — not the furniture manufacturer. A COM frame is warranted as a frame. If the fabric pills, fades or splits, the maker's position is that it did not sell you that fabric, which is why fabric approval and cleaning codes are worth documenting before the order goes out.
How much extra fabric should I order for a repeat?: Ask the manufacturer for the yardage requirement at your specific repeat rather than applying a rule of thumb — they cut the frame and they will tell you. Order the whole quantity from one dye lot in a single cut, because a second cut months later will not match.
Does COM ever save money?: Often, on higher grades — but the saving is against the graded-in price, not against the COM price by itself. Add the fabric, the yardage overage and the freight to the factory before you compare.