The average cost of hemming pants sits at roughly 15 to 25 dollars in the United States, or 10 to 18 pounds in the United Kingdom, for a plain hem on an ordinary pair of trousers.
That is the base rate. Almost everything about a specific pair can push it upward, and one common request can nearly double it. Here is what drives the number, and how to decide whether to pay it.
Typical prices
Figures below are indicative ranges as of 2026 and vary a good deal by city. A tailor in central London or New York will sit at the top of each band, a suburban alterations shop near the bottom.
| Job | United States | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Plain hem, cotton or wool trousers | 15 to 25 dollars | 10 to 18 pounds |
| Lined or cuffed dress trousers | 20 to 35 dollars | 15 to 25 pounds |
| Jeans, standard hem | 15 to 25 dollars | 10 to 20 pounds |
| Jeans, original hem kept | 25 to 45 dollars | 20 to 35 pounds |
| Hem plus tapering the leg | 30 to 60 dollars | 25 to 45 pounds |
Most shops charge per pair rather than per hour, and many will discount a batch. Taking three pairs at once is usually cheaper per pair than three separate visits.
What pushes the price up
- Lining. A lined trouser is effectively two hems, and the lining has to be shortened to match.
- Cuffs. Turn-ups have to be unpicked, the leg shortened, and the cuff rebuilt at the new length.
- Vents or zips at the ankle. Anything structural at the hem has to be removed and reset.
- Heavy or slippery cloth. Thick denim and fine silky linings both slow the machine work down.
- Turnaround. Same-day or next-day work commonly carries a rush charge of a third or more.
Why jeans cost more
A standard jeans hem is no harder than any other. The expensive version is the one people usually want.
Denim hems fade differently to the rest of the leg, and that worn edge is part of why a pair looks like it has been lived in. Cutting it off leaves a clean line that reads as new against a faded leg. Keeping the original hem means removing the excess from higher up the leg and reattaching the untouched edge, which is fiddly, slow, and priced accordingly.
It is worth paying for on a pair with real fading. On dark rinse denim with no contrast at the hem, it is money spent on a difference nobody will see.
Tailor, dry cleaner, or chain
A dry cleaner offering alterations is usually the cheapest and the fastest, and for a plain hem on a plain trouser the result is generally fine.
An independent tailor costs more and is worth it for anything with structure, for jeans where you want the original hem, or when you also want the leg narrowed. They will also tell you honestly when a garment is not worth the work, which a counter service often will not.
Ask what the hem allowance is before you commit. A trouser with only 2 cm of spare fabric inside the hem cannot be lengthened later, so a hem is a one-way decision.
The hems that cannot simply be shortened
Not every trouser takes a conventional hem, and this catches people out with modern cuts.
A ribbed cuff, like the one on the Quick-Dry Cargo Joggers, is a separate knitted piece. Cutting the leg means detaching the cuff, shortening above it and stitching it back on, which is closer to a rebuild than a hem. Drawstring and elasticated ankles work the same way.
A wide-leg cut raises a different problem. Shortening it moves the hem up to a wider point on the leg, so the trouser reads shorter and heavier than the tape suggests. Take a few centimetres less than you think you need.
Is it worth it?
A rough rule: if the alteration costs more than about a third of what the garment cost, think twice.
On a well-made trouser that fits everywhere except the length, hemming is among the best money in clothing. On an inexpensive pair, the same 20 dollars is a meaningful share of a replacement that would fit properly out of the bag.
The better move is to avoid the problem. Measure a pair you already own and like, then match that figure against the size chart before ordering.
Measure before you go
Turn up with the shoes you intend to wear. Hem height is measured on the body, and a 3 cm difference in heel changes where the break sits.
Knowing your own figures also helps you shop. Charts differ on what they publish, so read length versus inseam first, then where the inseam is on pants for the measurement itself. Our how we measure page explains what each column on a size chart describes.
Where to go next
For measuring the outside of the leg, see how to measure the outseam on pants. If length is the only thing standing between you and a pair that works, the size charts across pants list a total length for every size we stock.