The Going Rate to Hem Pants

To get an idea of the going rate to hem a pair of pants, we randomly surveyed four Sherman Oaks tailors.

At the aptly named Tailors of Sherman Oaks on Van Nuys Boulevard near Ventura Boulevard, tailor Joe Termelkonyan has been sewing up hems for nearly 40 years. He started as a 13-year-old. Termelkonyan said he will hem an ordinary pair of slacks for $12 by machine or for $15 by hand. The benefit of hemming by hand is that you will not see the stitch, Termelkonyan said.

As for jeans, Termelkonyan charges $10 to hem regular jeans and $12 to hem wide-leg jeans. If you wish to keep the original hemline on your jeans, that will cost you $20. 

Several tailors said that customers like to have tailors cut off the original hem and then replace it once the jeans are shortened. This maintains the jeans' unique style.

Tailors of Sherman Oaks does not charge extra for rush orders, Termelkonyan said. 

Tailors of Sherman Oaks, 818-995-6868. 

At Karen’s Tailoring on Ventura Boulevard near Hazeltine Avenue, tailors will hand-stitch slacks for $15, according to employee Tatyana, who declined to give her last name. Slacks with a lining cost $18 to hem, she said.   

Tatyana hems regular jeans for $15. Her shop charges $20 to replace your jeans’ original hem design.

Tatyana credits her skills to the “old world” training she received in Russia.

Karen’s Tailoring, 818-986-0145.

At Christine’s Tailoring Alterations, on Ventura Boulevard near Beverly Glen Boulevard, owner Christine Kim delights in speaking about the art of alternation. She is skilled in many types of tailoring, she said. For pants, Kim charges $10 to hand-sew a pair of slacks and adds just $1 extra if your pants have a lining.

She will hem jeans for $10. She charges $18 for the jeans' original hem. Because of the thickness of denim, she sews jeans by machine.

Christine’s Tailoring Alterations, 818-784-5220.

Many local cleaners have a tailor on hand. That’s the case at Fazio’s Cleaners on Ventura Boulevard near Kester Avenue.

Fazio’s manager, Brian Drapkin, told Sherman Oaks Patch that the shop charges $16 to hem a regular pair of pants. They add a dollar or two for pants with a lining, depending on the style. Customers can get coupons worth up to 25 percent off on the company’s website, Drapkin added.

For jeans, an original hem costs $25. A regular jeans hem is $15. 

They also handle rush jobs at no extra charge.

As usual, Sherman Oaks Patch does not endorse any particular business. We just aim to give you a good idea of the rates around town. You might want to get recommendations from friends, take a look at some review sites or, for expensive services, ask business owners for recommendations from their customers.