Does Jos. A. Bank do free alterations?
Fact-checked 2026-09-07 · every claim links to its source below
What Jos. A. Bank says
- The alterations page publishes a two-column price list: one price for garments bought at Jos. A. Bank and a higher "Outside Retailer" price, typically $10 more per seam. So they do alter garments bought elsewhere.1
- Re-alteration of a paid seam is free: "Once you have been charged for a seam, we will re-alter that seam within the constraints of the garment for FREE."1
- Pressing is free for life: "FREE lifetime pressings of any tailored garment purchased at Jos. A. Bank."1
- The only published turnaround signal is the rush fee: coats $25 for one day or $15 for three days; pants $25 for one day or $10 for three days; vests $10 within three days. A standard turnaround time is not published.1
- Whether an appointment is required is not published on the alterations page.1
- Jos. A. Bank and Men's Wearhouse are both Tailored Brands companies and publish an identical alteration price list, line for line and dollar for dollar.12
What an independent tailor charges
- A published New York shop list (Alterations.com, NY 10017) prices a suit-jacket sleeve shortening at $65, taking in jacket sides at $65, tapering arms at $65, reducing shoulders at $195 and shortening jacket length at $200; trousers are $30 for a hand-finished hem, $35 to take in or let out the waist and $65 to taper the legs. The shop states an average total suit alteration of $165.3
- A mid-market shop list (Sew Boise, Idaho, dated January 2022) prices a plain trouser hem at $18, tapering a coat or blazer at the sides or back at $40, shortening shirt sleeves at $18–$25, with a $10 minimum invoice, a $10 surcharge per seam set on lined garments, and rush fees of 30% (72 hours), 50% (24–72 hours) and 100% (under 24 hours).4
- Airtasker's US cost guide estimates a hem at $15–$35, a basic sleeve shortening or lengthening at $30–$70, waist work at $25–$50, a two-seam leg taper at $25–$45 and side seams at $45–$85. The page is titled for 2026 but its body is dated March 2022.5
- Thumbtack puts the national average cost of a tailoring job at $73–$232, with hemming or cuffing at $73–$107 and shortening or lengthening sleeves or pant legs at $82–$122. Those are whole jobs booked through its marketplace, not per-seam shop rates, which is why they sit above every shop list here.6
| Alteration | Bought at Jos. A. Bank | Bought elsewhere |
|---|---|---|
| Coat: shorten or lengthen sleeves | $35 1 | $45 1 |
| Coat: taper both sleeves | $40 1 | $50 1 |
| Coat: take in both sides | $35 1 | $45 1 |
| Coat: both sides through blades | $45 1 | $55 1 |
| Coat: center seam | $20 1 | $30 1 |
| Coat: shorten coat | $60 1 | $70 1 |
| Coat: change all buttons | $15 1 | $25 1 |
| Pant: hem, plain or cuff | $20 1 | $30 1 |
| Pant: waist and seat | $25 1 | $35 1 |
| Pant: waist, seat and crotch | $35 1 | $45 1 |
| Pant: taper leg | $32 1 | $42 1 |
| Pant: extreme taper leg | $37 1 | $47 1 |
| Pant: lower waistband | $50 1 | $60 1 |
| Pant: re-cut pant | $110 1 | $130 1 |
| Pant: replace zipper | $30 1 | $40 1 |
| Vest: both sides | $20 1 | $30 1 |
| Vest: shape chest | $20 1 | $25 1 |
| Vest: add new back | $50 1 | $60 1 |
| Dress shirt: shorten sleeves | $25 1 | $35 1 |
| Dress shirt: taper sides through sleeves | $25 1 | $35 1 |
| Dress shirt: add darts | $20 1 | $30 1 |
“Ordered two suits and four shirts, remotely from the US. They fit great and are great quality! Was able to do everything over WhatsApp for measurements, etc. Will definitely visit if I ever make it to Hoi An. Highly recommend!”
“Being a short and stocky person, I could never truly get clothing that fitted properly. "Off the rack" was never an option... As I opened the small box, I got nervous and wondered if I made a big mistake and basically gambled away a fair amount of money. I ordered a 3 piece suit, 2 shirts and had a pair of leather dress shoes. Everything fitted nicely... the shirts were absolutely PERFECT.”
“Very satisfied; incredibly skillful to make clothes fit so perfectly. Beautiful fabric exactly as promised, very neat — would simply love to order from here again!”
“They did such an amazing job, my suit fits perfectly and the craftsmanship is superb! Linda was a great help and she knows exactly what she is doing. I can't recommend this place enough and I will be getting more suits from them in the future guaranteed!”
“Great place to get perfect suit, they send me to Poland with no problems.”
“WOW! Ordered a suit online with Linda. She contacted me by video call to go through the measuring process and once confirmed measurements again, around 4 weeks later a made to measure suit arrived in the UK. Fitted perfectly and I didn't even visit! Fantastic quality and customer service from Linda. Would definitely recommend!”
“Exceptional experience from start to finish. I ordered a fully custom two-piece double-breasted suit remotely from France, Linda and Jennifer guided me through every step with patience and professionalism. The suit arrived in under 3 weeks and the result is flawless: fabric, cut, lining, silhouette, everything is perfect. Nathan Tailors delivered exactly the vision I had in mind. I will absolutely be ordering again. Highly recommended.”
“This was my first time buying suits online so I was a bit apprehensive. However, the online order form was both easy to use and very thorough, and they did a video call with me to make sure of a couple of measurements that were out of the normal range. Two suits and a shirt arrived here in New Zealand in less than two weeks, are well-made, and fit perfectly. I'm thrilled with the service.”
Questions people ask
Will Jos. A. Bank alter a suit I bought somewhere else?
Yes. The published list has an "Outside Retailer" column, typically $10 more per seam than the price for a Jos. A. Bank garment: a pant hem is $30 instead of $20, jacket sleeves $45 instead of $35 1.
How long do Jos. A. Bank alterations take?
A standard turnaround is not published. The page lists only rush fees: $25 for one-day service on a coat or pants, $15 (coats) or $10 (pants) for three-day service 1.
Do I need an appointment for alterations at Jos. A. Bank?
The alterations page does not say either way; an appointment requirement is not published 1.
Sources
What Jos. A. Bank publishes
- Alterations — Jos. A. Bank, 2026-09-07brand-stated
- Men's Wearhouse Alteration Services Pricing — Men's Wearhouse, 2026-02-05brand-stated
What buyers and the press report
- Men's Alterations price list — Alterations.com Tailor Shop, New York, 2026-09-07third-party
- Alterations Price List 2022 (PDF) — Sew Boise, 2022-01-05third-party
- How much do suit alterations cost? — Airtasker US, 2022-03-08third-party
- How much does tailoring cost? — Thumbtack, 2026-09-07third-party
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