The Truth About Lead Times

If you’ve ordered a sofa lately and heard “12 to 16 weeks,” you’re not alone, and nobody’s sitting on your order. Eight weeks for something made to order used to be the long end. Now it’s on the short side. Here’s what’s really going on, in simple terms, and how to plan so you’re not sitting on a folding chair for Thanksgiving.

WHAT’S SLOWING THINGS DOWN || the supply chain, simplified

A sofa isn’t one thing. It’s a frame, foam, springs, fabric, legs, thread and someone skilled putting it all together. Those parts often come from different places, sometimes different countries. If any one piece runs late, the whole sofa waits.

• Materials: Fabric mills, foam makers and lumber suppliers are all juggling backorders. One late bolt of fabric can push your whole order.
• Hands: Good upholsterers and woodworkers are hard to find, and you can’t rush skilled work. When a workshop is booked, it’s booked.
• Shipping: Even after it’s made, your piece has to get across an ocean or a country, then to a warehouse, then to you. Every stop adds days.

THE TARIFF PART || let’s call it what it is

A tariff is a tax on goods coming into the country. And let’s be clear about who pays it: we do. The importer pays it at the port, and then it gets baked right into the price tag you see. It’s sold as a way to bring jobs home, but most of the pieces in your house have parts from all over the world, and we don’t have the mills, the foam, the frames or the hands here to just flip a switch and make it all domestically. Not this year. Probably not next year either.

Right now, imported upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities carry a 25% tariff (since October 2025). On January 1, 2027, upholstered furniture goes to 30%, and cabinets and vanities double to 50%. Those dates have already moved more than once, which is its own problem. Nobody can plan a business, or a kitchen remodel, around a moving target.

Here’s what that looks like on the ground:

• Prices go up. Period. Brands either eat the cost, and some small ones won’t survive that, or they pass it on to you.
• Brands scramble to move production. That takes years, not months, and lead times stretch while they figure it out.
• American workshops get slammed. Everybody’s trying to buy domestic, there aren’t enough skilled upholsterers to go around, and their wait times balloon too.
• Small makers get hit the hardest. The big guys can stockpile and negotiate. The small studio buying fabric from Italy can’t.

So when you hear a 16-week lead time on a price that jumped since last spring, don’t take it out on your designer or your maker. A lot of this was a policy choice, and we’re all paying for it at checkout.

IS IT IMPORTED? || how to tell before you buy

If you’re trying to dodge the tariff hit, or just want to know where your money’s going, here’s how to check:

• Read the product details. Most retailers list a “Made in” or “Country of origin” line in the specs or details dropdown. If it just says “Imported,” it came from outside the U.S.
• Check the tag. Imported goods are required to be marked with where they were made. Look under the cushions, on the underside of the frame, the back of a drawer or the law tag on upholstery.
• Watch the wording. “Designed in California” is not the same as “Made in California.” Neither is “Assembled in USA,” which can mean the parts came from somewhere else. A true “Made in USA” claim is supposed to mean all or virtually all of it was made here.
• Think about the parts. A sofa built in North Carolina can still have Italian fabric or imported foam, so it can still feel some of the price bump, just less of it.
• Just ask. A good maker or retailer will tell you where it’s made and whether the price is about to change. If they can’t, that tells you something too.

HOW TO PLAN || tips from the design side

From years of ordering for clients, here’s what I always tell people:

• Start earlier than you think. For anything custom, give yourself 3 to 4 months, and more around the holidays.
• Ask for the real date. Ask if the lead time includes shipping and delivery or just making it. They’re not the same.
• Order the slow stuff first. Upholstery, custom pieces and anything with a special fabric go first. Pillows, lamps and decor can come last.
• Buy before January 1, 2027 if it’s imported. If you’ve been eyeing an imported sofa or new cabinets, ordering before the increase could save you real money.
• Have a plan B piece. A vintage chair, a floor cushion or a borrowed bench can hold the spot while you wait.
• Lock in fabric early. Ask the brand to reserve your fabric, or pick a backup color in case it gets backordered.
• Get it in writing. Keep your order confirmation, the quoted lead time and the return or cancellation policy together.
• Buy what’s ready when timing matters. In-stock and small-batch pieces from makers can be faster than you think. Just ask.

THE GOOD NEWS || worth the wait

A longer wait often means something was made for you, not pulled off a warehouse shelf. Plan ahead, ask good questions, and the piece you’re waiting on will be in your home for years.

And if you can’t wait, you don’t have to. Here’s what that looks like for us:

READY TO SHIP || in your hands quick

A SHORT WAIT || about 1 to 2 weeks

A LITTLE LONGER || still sooner than most

Tariff rates and dates are current as of October 2026 and keep changing, so check with the brand when you order.