Hey guys -

Just picked up an 840ci. I need to have the headliner replaced. I have a few questions...
(1) Around how much should this cost for regular material or alacantra?
(2) Can anyone recommend someone in the LA area?

Thanks guys!

Well I "re-did" mine with an aftermarket material and was underwhelmed to say the least!

Alacantra is difficult and takes lots of patience.

I ended up gently washing my original and putting it back on.

I would recommend calling GAULT BMW and getting the 8er discount and just replacing the whole thing, the cloth comes attached to the new backerboard.
It's just over $300 with the 20% off, but if I were to do it again I would have done that option first.


But really its easy in our cars to remove it and replace it, the mirrors are a little tricky to put back in, but all in all you could do it in an hour! It took me less than 20 min to remove mine the first time.

Good Luck

I payed $600 for everything but I changed the color from grey to black and so I had to have the pillars front and rear changed to black and the mirrors as well. Overall it was a great upgrade I love it. I am in texas so I can't recommend anybody out there but if you have the sunroof redone make sure they don't make it too thick or the sunroof will not operate properly. Good luck.

I payed $600 for everything but I changed the color from grey to black and so I had to have the pillars front and rear changed to black and the mirrors as well. Overall it was a great upgrade I love it. I am in texas so I can't recommend anybody out there but if you have the sunroof redone make sure they don't make it too thick or the sunroof will not operate properly. Good luck.


i need to redo mine as well where did you get yours done im also in texas.

I don't remember the name but I could find out. It was a place on recommendation from my mechanic. I am sure there is a place in houston that could do it for you and do a good job.

im stationed in ft hood near killeen its alot closer to dallas

try Bon-A-Rue in Orange County near the Honda Center. I got a quote for $550 but I have not moved forward with it.

i have done mine in alcantara and it looks alright.
but i got to admit it's difficult to work with. gotta be patient and know what you're doing

86325i

I have someone in Round Rock who can do headliner. He helped me redo mine in alcantara/ultrasuede. PM me and I will send you his contact info

you know services like this one are better to kept local.
you have no idea how salty shipping on an item like this is

An FYI, I believe Gault has stopped shipping the OEM pieces because of damage in transit. Charlie told me that last year.

Westminster Auto Upholstery
1330 N Blue Gum St # B
Anaheim, CA 92806

(714) 632-5050‎

They do great work - don't remember the cost (+ they did a bunch of extra pieces for me) but they know their stuff and it's usually a good sign when your 850 almost looks like a rental car next to the other cars in the shop...

in ultrasuede like the M5s. I will probably have it professionally done. I spoke to this one guy at the upholstery shop (been in business for 40 years) and he showed me a range of materials and colors. The ultrasude material is about $54 dollars a yard was what he quoted. Mine is currently the grey color I am contemplating to redo it with the same color but in ultrasuede, same color and same material, so on and so forth.

-Chris

I love the ultrasuede on mine. There is a thread on it over at wuffer's forum with pictures.

Make sure that if you don't use OEM fabric that the upholsterer knows to use un-backed material on the sliding sunroof cover so that it doesn't bind.

Make sure that if you don't use OEM fabric that the upholsterer knows to use un-backed material on the sliding sunroof cover so that it doesn't bind.

Yes, I sure will remember that. Thanks for the top!

-Chris

I just had my headliner and pillars re-covered last week, changed from stock ugly gray to a nice bmw black and all said and done installed it was $290 out the door including recovering the sunroof and light switch surround. Don't let custom shops jerk you guys around just because its a BMW. It shouldn't be any more then $300-400 labor included.

That price does depend on two things - your location and the material used.
Not knocking the price you got by any means, but if you took that price with you and ran around SoCal with it, you wouldn't want to get that job done by the shops that would take the deal.
IIRK, I paid around $800 (ultrasuede) which also included the four pillars. When I mentioned the thinner material to cover the sliding SR cover the guy just looked at me as if to say "duh, we do this all the time and if we're as good as we say we are, we already know that". Worked perfectly and looks great...

That price does depend on two things - your location and the material used.
Not knocking the price you got by any means, but if you took that price with you and ran around SoCal with it, you wouldn't want to get that job done by the shops that would take the deal.
IIRK, I paid around $800 (ultrasuede) which also included the four pillars. When I mentioned the thinner material to cover the sliding SR cover the guy just looked at me as if to say "duh, we do this all the time and if we're as good as we say we are, we already know that". Worked perfectly and looks great...

Headliner material costs very little. I used to be the inventory control manager of a customs shop. Avg headliner of any type raw mats will not exceed $50-70, with the exception being ultrasuede. Ultrasuede is about $30 a yard, takes about 10 yards or less to cover any pass car headliner. Using that mat it should still be under $600. If you get charged more, as I said earlier, its because the shop is cashing in on their boutique status or on the emblems on your car.

Or, you happen to live in an area where supply and demand forces the prices upwards - if I'm a shop owner that has my bays full all the time with people paying my price, I'm not going to drop them just because it's cheaper somewhere else...

Not trying to bicker, just pointing out that prices are not constant and local conditions will vary. Sure there's always the "I know a guy who..." story-but that's a different situation. I can tell you that there a lot of folks doing marginal work down here for your $600. (In addition, I also had the four pillars and sliding sunroof done for my $800)

I will say that your figure is a good one for someone looking around who has no idea of what something like this should cost - always handy to have a ballpark before starting to shop around. :)

Or, you happen to live in an area where supply and demand forces the prices upwards - if I'm a shop owner that has my bays full all the time with people paying my price, I'm not going to drop them just because it's cheaper somewhere else...

Not trying to bicker, just pointing out that prices are not constant and local conditions will vary. Sure there's always the "I know a guy who..." story-but that's a different situation. I can tell you that there a lot of folks doing marginal work down here for your $600. (In addition, I also had the four pillars and sliding sunroof done for my $800)

I will say that your figure is a good one for someone looking around who has no idea of what something like this should cost - always handy to have a ballpark before starting to shop around. :)

Very much so, love to see pics of yours btw, ultrasuede always looks sexy. Eventually I want to fabricate some door panels and cover my interior in the stuff. Damn broken hand is really slowing down progress on all my machinations.