COM vs Maker-Supplied Fabric for Hotel Seating

1 November 2026 · Bravo Furniture

Short answer

COM means customer's own material and COL customer's own leather: you buy the cover and the maker applies it. You get a free choice of cover, but published maker terms usually leave its performance, quantity and fire compliance with you, and production may wait until it arrives. Maker-supplied fabric removes that step, within the maker's range. Settle who holds each risk in the contract.

The two routes

The terms below come from three US contract makers, read as examples [1][2][3]. A maker in any country can set different terms, so read your own contract. The maker-supplied column is our general reading.

Point	COM or COL	Maker-supplied
Choice	Any cover the maker accepts	The maker's range or sourced grades
Who buys	Owner, designer or purchasing agent	The maker
Durability	Usually the customer's risk	Ask; depends on the maker and mill
Quantity	Customer supplies enough, including extra for pattern	The maker works it out and orders
Fire evidence	Customer's responsibility in the terms read	Ask for the report for that cover and filling
Schedule	Production can wait for arrival	Depends on the fabric's stock or mill time
Extra charges	Possible for stripes, patterns, leather	Priced by grade

Who carries the risk

CF Group says COM is applied "totally at customer's own risk" and takes no responsibility for wearability [1]. Indiana Furniture can inspect, approve or reject COM and COL, then does not take responsibility for its durability or tailoring once approved [2]. Haworth says the COM provider answers for quality, performance and colour consistency, that COM performance is not under warranty, and that it can reverse an approval [3].

Quantity

Yardage tables often assume plain fabric with a 54-inch usable width, about 1,370 mm [1][2]. Indiana Furniture will not accept anything narrower [2]. Pattern adds fabric. Its chart adds 10% for a repeat of up to about 356 mm, 25% for about 381-686 mm, and 30% for about 711-914 mm [2]. It also says not to order until it has checked the yardage [2].

Leather is harder to estimate. Indiana Furniture multiplies COM yardage by 18 to get square feet of usable leather, based on hides of 45-50 square feet (about 4.2-4.6 m²), and may ask for more once the hides arrive [2]. CF Group says its leather estimates are not guaranteed [1].

CF Group adds 20% for striped, patterned or non-stretch COM, and 20% over COM prices for leather [1].

Performance

Haworth accepts only textiles that meet Association for Contract Textiles (ACT) guidelines [3]. Intertek's table of those voluntary guidelines lists 15,000 Wyzenbeek double rubs or 20,000 Martindale rubs for low-traffic, private spaces, and 30,000 or 40,000 for high-traffic, public ones. It also lists grade 4 lightfastness, and crocking of grade 4 dry and grade 3 wet [4]. Ask the mill for these results.

Cleaning and sun can damage covers. CF Group warns that many flame-retardant treatments are salt solutions that ring when cleaned with water, and that sunlight can fade or weaken textiles [1]. Test your cleaning products on a sample.

Fire

CF Group takes no responsibility for the flame retardancy of COM and makes the customer solely responsible for meeting local rules [1]. It warns that many COMs need extra treatment [1]. Indiana Furniture asks for the fabric supplier's written TB 117-2013 confirmation [2].

An EN 1021 test specimen is made of filling, an optional inner liner and a cover fabric [6]. In the UK, BS 7176 puts hotel bedrooms at medium hazard and expects retesting when the specification or supplier changes [5]. So a report on a maker's standard fabric may not cover yours. Ask your fire consultant which test applies in your market.

Fire standards for hotel furniture, by market

Schedule and paperwork

CF Group does not start production scheduling until COM arrives, and assigns no shipping date until it is logged into stock [1]. Indiana Furniture will not schedule the order until the upholstery arrives [2]. Haworth warns of longer lead times depending on COM availability [3]. A fabric change after cutting has begun typically costs 4-8 weeks, according to Zigaflow, a software vendor [7].

Makers ask for a sample with the order (about 152 mm at Indiana Furniture, 305 x 305 mm at CF Group), the direction marked, and the material tagged with the buyer's name and order number [1][2]. If the maker is abroad, agree who imports the fabric and who pays any duty.

What sets hotel FF&E lead times

What to ask a supplier

Get these answers before anyone orders fabric.

Do you accept COM and COL on these models? What do you refuse?
What width, repeat and yardage per model do you assume, and will you confirm the total in writing?
How much spare do you want for faults and future repairs?
Do you need the fabric tested or backed first, and who pays?
Which fire report covers this cover with this filling? If none, who tests, and when?
When must the fabric reach you, and what happens to the date if it is late?
Who inspects on arrival, and who pays for flaws or a short delivery?
Who imports it, and what happens to any left over?
What does your warranty say about this fabric?
For maker-supplied fabric: which mill, what test results, and how long is stock held for repairs?

Customer's own fabric or maker-supplied: COM and COL for hotel seating