Looking at chairs for hire for a wedding, a funeral at the family home, a church service or a 21st in the yard? Most bookings come down to three questions: how many, which style and where they need to go. Hire firms carry plastic, Tiffany, folding, Wimbledon, cross back and ghost chairs, plus bar stools, and most deliver and collect. Tell us your head count, date and address once and we pass it to independent hire firms near you, who quote you directly. The request is free, with no obligation to accept any quote.
Chair hire: the main styles
Pick the chair to suit the event, the venue and how formal it feels:
- Plastic chairs: the everyday stacking chair for funerals, church, meetings and parties, often dressed with stretch covers
- Tiffany chairs: the slim spindle back wedding and matric farewell chair
- Wimbledon chairs and cross back chairs for garden and farm weddings
- Folding chairs, ghost chairs and bar stools for tight spaces, modern looks and bars
How many chairs to order
Start with the confirmed guest list, then add about 5% spare for late arrivals, the band, the photographer and the odd broken leg. For 200 guests that means roughly 210 chairs. If you seat guests at rounds, a 1.5 m round takes 8 to 10 chairs and a 1.8 m round 10 to 12, so order chairs and tables together. A ceremony followed by a reception in another spot may need two sets, unless the hire firm can move the chairs while guests have drinks.
Delivery, deposits and counting stock
Most firms charge a transport fee by distance or zone, plus extra for stairs, long carries, after-hours or same-day drops. Placing chairs in rows or round tables is often a separate set-up fee. A refundable damage deposit is common, and lost or broken chairs are charged. Count the chairs with the driver on delivery and again on collection, and sign the delivery note. Chairs usually arrive stacked and wrapped: stack them back the same way, and keep them under cover if a Highveld storm or Cape rain is coming.
What affects the price and what to ask
Hire is priced per chair per booking, usually a day, or a weekend with delivery on Friday and collection on Monday. Style, quantity, distance, set-up and the season all move the price; wedding season, matric farewells and the festive season book up first. Ask each firm:
- Is transport, set-up and VAT included, and is the deposit refundable?
- What is charged for a broken or missing chair?
- Can I add tables, covers or a tent to the same booking?
What to include in your request
- Number of guests, plus about 5% spare
- Chair style and colour you want
- Date, and day or weekend booking
- Delivery address, stairs or long carry
- Whether chairs must be set out for you
Chair Hire for different events
- Families and home celebrations: plastic or folding chairs for a 21st, a lobola, a braai or a family reunion
- Weddings and engagements: ceremony rows and reception chairs in Tiffany, cross back or Wimbledon styles
- Funerals, memorials and unveilings: white or black plastic chairs at the family home, delivered before the weekend
- Companies, conferences and functions: stacking chairs for a year-end function, a launch or an extra training room
- Churches and faith gatherings: hundreds of plastic chairs in rows for a revival, Easter service or tent crusade
- Schools, colleges and universities: rows of chairs for prize-givings, graduations and the matric farewell dinner
- Municipalities, clubs and communities: seating for an imbizo, a stokvel meeting, a sports day or a community event
- Venues, caterers, decorators and planners: extra chairs for caterers, decorators and venues when their own stock runs short
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find chairs for hire near me?
How far ahead should I book chair hire?
What happens if a chair breaks?
Do you supply the chairs yourselves?
Chair Hire by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg