How much leather can I get from a hide?

For leather, the amount of yield you can expect is primarily based on the size of the hide and its condition. The industry standard for a 45-50 sq ft upholstery hide is a minimum of 3 cuts or panels of 27” x 27” (see photos). While panels can often be combined for much larger cuts, this is not guaranteed and if larger cuts are needed, please contact us before purchasing. A panel can have subtle natural markings including finished brands but no holes, gauges, or breaks in the finish.

The yields we guarantee in each hide size are listed at the bottom of the page. Please note for small hides (34-39 sq ft) we use a 25” x 25” panel size. Also, we occasionally sell quality hides that do not meet our yield requirements. In such cases, specific details on yield will be found in the Notes section of the hide and price reduced accordingly.

Remember, the industry standard typically leaves behind approx. 25% of the hide as “waste,” so projects that include smaller cuts will likely see higher yields than listed. See cut area diagram at bottom of page.

Leather Hide Sizes and Yields

Less than 18 sq ft (leather remnants)

Leather remnants or partial hides are sold as is but we attempt to show the presence of any blemishes in our pictures. This leather is a great value and very popular!

18-32 sq ft (half hides)

Hide yield no less than 2 clean cuts of 27” x 27”

34-39 sq ft Leather hide

Hide yield no less than 3 clean cuts of 25” x 25”

40-49 sq ft Leather hide

Hide yield no less than 3 clean cuts of 27” x 27”

50-59 sq ft Leather hide

Hide yield no less than 4 clean cuts of 27” x 27”

60+ sq ft Leather hide

Hide yield no less than 4 clean cuts of 27” x 27” plus additional cuts of similar size likely

Cut Area

The cut area is usually 4-10 inches in from all sides of the hide where clean symmetrical cuts can be had. Leather material outside the cut area is considered “waste.” Waste is just unused leather and can be reduced when smaller cuts are needed from the hide.