How Much Does It Cost to Hem Pants? Prices From 19 Price Lists

A plain hem on a pair of trousers costs about $25 in the US. Across 19 published price lists from tailors and dry cleaners, the median was $24.50 and half the shops charged between $19.50 and $28.50. Cuffs add about $9, a lining about $10, and keeping the original hem on jeans about $10.

Prices vary a lot by city and by shop. The cheapest plain hem we found was $15 in Castle Rock, Colorado; the most expensive was $50 and up in central Miami. Ask for the price before you leave the trousers.

How much it costs to hem pants

We collected the published alteration price lists of 19 US tailors, dry cleaners and denim repair shops in 14 states, all seen on November 13, 2026. Where a shop gave a range, we used the midpoint; where it gave a starting price ("$20 and up"), we used that, so real bills can run a little higher. Not every shop lists every hem, so the second column says how many lists each row is based on.

Comparing each shop with itself is more useful than comparing shops, because it removes the city. In shops that list both, cuffs cost a median $9 more than a plain hem, an original hem on jeans $10 more, and a lining $10 more.

The price lists

A blank cell means the shop does not list that hem.

How much does it cost to hem jeans

A regular jeans hem, where the tailor cuts the leg and sews a new folded hem, costs about the same as a plain trouser hem: a median $24.50 across 10 lists. An original hem, also called a Euro hem, costs a median $35. The tailor cuts off the factory hem and sews it back on higher up, so the factory stitching and the faded fold stay as they were.

In the Tailor It Yourself original hem video, tailor Danny Trester explains why it takes longer: the tailor marks the new length, measures up from it by the width of the old hem (usually about 1.3 cm, or half an inch, on jeans), cuts, finishes the raw edges and top-stitches the seam so the extra layers lie flat. Ask for it on jeans whose hem has fading or contrast stitching you want to keep. If there is nothing to keep, a regular hem costs less.

What changes the price

• Cuffs. A cuffed hem needs extra length folded inside and two pressed folds. Median $30, and a median $9 more than the same shop's plain hem.
• Lining. Lined trousers are hemmed twice: once for the outer fabric and once for the lining. Median $35.
• Original hem. On jeans, a median $10 more than the same shop's plain hem.
• Wide legs. More hem to sew. Imperial Alterations charges $18 for trousers, $25 for wide trousers and $45 to $65 for extra-wide ones. Neighborhood Alterations lists palazzo and bell-bottom hems at $25 to $35.
• A taper at the same time. Narrowing the leg is a second job, but some shops price the pair. The Cleaning Club charges $25 for a hem and $45 to shorten and taper together; Lansdowne Cleaners charges $45 for the taper plus the hem.
• Rush. Imperial adds 20% for rush and 30% for same day, Mulberrys adds 30%, and Williamsburg Garment adds $10 for next day or $20 while you wait.
• Leather. Tailor Studio charges $40 for a leather hem against $15 for regular trousers.

How long it takes to hem pants

Shops that publish a time quote about one to two weeks for a plain hem. The sewing itself is short, which is why Suitsupply can quote 30 minutes to 3 days for its in-store alterations; at most shops the wait is the queue. What the shops in our list say:

Need them this week? Call first and ask for a pickup date before you drop them off.

How to pin the length before you go

A hem is only as good as the pinning. The tailor will usually pin it for you, but knowing what to ask for saves a second visit.

1. Wash them first if they are cotton and not pre-shrunk. Chinos can lose 1 to 3 cm (half an inch to an inch) in a hot wash.
2. Wear the shoes you will wear most with them. Heel height changes everything: a pair hemmed for 6 cm (2.5 inch) heels will drag in flats by about that much. If you switch between the two, choose one or buy two pairs.
3. Stand straight on a hard floor, weight on both feet, and do not look down; bending forward lifts the hem.
4. Fold the excess under at the front until the hem rests where you want it. For dress trousers and chinos, that is usually no break (the hem just touches the shoe) or a slight break (one soft fold). Pin it.
5. Check the back. On dress trousers the back hem should reach the top of the heel, about 2.5 to 3 cm (1 inch) off the floor in normal shoes. Ask for the back to be slightly longer than the front.
6. Pin both legs. Legs are not always the same length, even from the store: home sewer Thimble Storm found one leg of a new pair longer than the other in her hemming video.
7. Sit down and walk a few steps before you agree. Socks should not show when you stand.

For jeans you plan to wear with sneakers, leave them a little longer than looks right while you stand still: The Little Green Bean, who hems her own jeans, does the same in her step-by-step video, because shoes and sitting both lift the hem. The fit guides for dress pants, women's dress pants and jeans give the right length for each cut.

When retailers hem for free

Some stores hem what you buy from them for free or for a few dollars. These are the terms on the retailers' own sites:

• Nordstrom. "For new, full-price Nordstrom purchases, we offer plain hems for free." Sale items, Nordstrom Rack purchases and clothes you already own may cost extra. A hem in about an hour costs extra too. (Nordstrom denim alterations)
• Levi's. A free standard hem for Red Tab members (the free loyalty program), at a Levi's Tailor Shop inside a US Levi's store, on jeans bought at that store the same day. Not valid on outlet or levi.com purchases. (Levi's Red Tab benefits)
• Suitsupply. Not free, but it lists "Shorten/lengthen pants $7.5" on its own purchases, done in store "within 30 minutes to 3 days". (Suitsupply alterations)

If you are buying new trousers anyway and the store offers this, have them hemmed before you leave.

How to hem pants without sewing

Iron-on hem tape is a strip of heat-activated glue. You fold the hem up, slip the tape inside the fold and iron it, and the glue holds the fold in place. HGTV's no-sew hem video puts it at about ten minutes and under $5.

1. Pin the length with your shoes on, as above.
2. Take the trousers off, press the fold with the iron, and turn them inside out.
3. If there is a lot of excess, cut some off, leaving enough to cover the tape. Pinking shears stop the cut edge fraying.
4. Lay the tape inside the fold, fully covered by fabric, so the glue never touches the iron.
5. Press section by section for the time on the packet, with a thin cloth between iron and fabric.
6. Let it cool flat before you move it.

The limits. One tape maker's instructions say the fabric must be washed first, without fabric softener, because the finish on new fabric stops the glue sticking; wait at least 24 hours before washing; then wash cold and dry on low or no heat. It also points stretch fabrics to a separate stretch product, because ordinary tape is rigid. That gives you the rules:

• It does not work on fabric you cannot iron hot. Check the care label first.
• It does not keep an original jeans hem, and it cannot lengthen anything.
• From now on the trousers are cold wash and low-heat dry, whatever the care label allows.
• It is hard to undo cleanly, so pin carefully before you press.

Hem tape is fine for casual cotton trousers, work uniforms, children's trousers they will grow out of, and anything you are not sure about yet. For wool dress trousers, lined trousers and jeans you wear every week, pay for the stitched hem.

When it is not worth paying

• The hem costs more than the trousers. At a $25 median, a $20 pair of casual trousers is a candidate for tape or a home sewing machine.
• You only need a centimeter or two. A slight break hides that much, and casual trousers can be rolled once.
• They are too short, not too long. Lengthening only works if there is 3 to 4 cm (about 1.5 inches) folded inside, and a line can show where the old hem was.
• The hem is not the real problem. If the seat pulls or the rise is too short, hemming will not save them. The can a tailor fix it tool and what a tailor can fix cover what is worth altering.

FAQ

How much should I pay to get my pants hemmed? About $20 to $30 for a plain hem at most shops, with a median of $24.50 across 19 US price lists. Expect around $30 for cuffs, $35 for lined trousers or an original jeans hem, and more at some city-center shops: $50 and up for a plain hem in central Miami.

Can a dry cleaner hem pants? Yes. Four of the 19 lists we compared were from dry cleaners, and their plain-hem prices ($20 to $25) sat in the same range as tailors.

How long does it take to hem pants? Usually one to two weeks at a tailor or dry cleaner. Several shops in our list offer rush or same-day service for 20 to 30% more.

Is hem tape permanent? It is sold as washable, on conditions: wash the fabric before you apply it, wait 24 hours, then wash cold and dry on low or no heat. It cannot be adjusted later without peeling it apart, so for trousers you wear every week a stitched hem is the safer choice.

Should I hem pants with or without shoes? With the shoes you will wear most with them. Heel height changes where the hem should fall by several centimeters, which is why the same trousers hemmed for heels look too long in flats.