Detailing & Car Wash
Headliner repair near you
Headliner repair that re-covers a sagging or stained roof lining in new foam-backed fabric, so it sits flat and the cabin ceiling looks clean again.
- Time at the shop
- 4 h
- about
- Mobile service
- Available
- at your address
- Shops in Canada
- Joining soon
- doing this work
- Your price
- You set it
- shops bid on it
You set the budget
Shops near you send their bids
Free to post, no obligation
Detailing & Car Wash
What headliner repair is
The headliner is a shaped board covered in fabric that lines the roof. Between the board and the fabric is a thin layer of foam, and with heat and age that foam turns to crumbs, so the fabric lets go and droops. Spray glue rarely holds, because it sticks the fabric to foam that has already crumbled away from the board.
The lasting repair is to remove the board, scrape off the old fabric and foam dust, and glue new foam-backed headliner fabric on with a high-temperature adhesive. Visors, handles, lights and pillar trim come out and go back in, and vehicles with roof airbags or a sunroof need extra care. Most cars take three to five hours. Water stains mean a leak, and the source has to be fixed first.
- For cars, EVs, vans and trucks
- Takes about 4 h
- Can be done at your address
What does headliner repair cost?
It depends on your vehicle and the shop. Post a job with your budget and compare the bids shops near you send.
Get bids
Name your budget. Shops near you bid.
Shops across Canada that do headliner repair see your request.
What to expect
Headliner repair, step by step
What the job normally covers, what to mention in your request, and the signs that it is time. Every shop says what its bid includes.
The job
What’s included
- Visors, grab handles, lights and pillar trim removed, with roof airbags and the sunroof handled to the maker’s steps
- Headliner board taken out through a door or the hatch without bending or creasing it
- Old fabric and crumbled foam stripped, and the board cleaned and sanded smooth
- New foam-backed headliner fabric glued on with a high-temperature adhesive
- Cut-outs trimmed for lights, visors, handles and the sunroof
- Board refitted with every trim piece, light and handle put back
- Cabin wiped clean of foam dust and the roof checked for stains
- Sunroof drains and seals looked at where water stains show
Checklist
Before you post
- 01Ask whether the estimate replaces the fabric or only re-glues it; a re-glue rarely lasts once the foam has broken down
- 02See fabric samples and ask for the closest match to your colour and grain; choices vary by vehicle
- 03Ask how roof airbags and a sunroof are handled, and whether the battery is disconnected before the trim comes off
- 04With water stains, ask the shop to check the sunroof drains, roof seams and windshield seal before new fabric goes on
- 05Ask whether the job happens at your address or the board goes to a trim shop
- 06Ask what warranty covers the adhesive and the fabric; a weak bond droops again in the next hot summer
Signs
When you need it
- Fabric drooping onto the seats or blocking the rear view
- Bubbles or blisters in the roof lining when the cabin warms up
- Crumbly yellow-orange foam dust on the seats or your shoulders
- Fabric coming away at the edges by the windshield, pillars or sunroof
- Stains or a sticky feel from a past leak or a failed spray-glue repair
Sound familiar?Tell shops near you what you need and what you want to spend.
Get bidsHow it works
Get headliner repair done in four steps
You set the budget and choose the shop. Posting is free, and you pay the shop you hire once the work is 100% done.
- 01
Post your job
Choose the service, describe the job and your vehicle, and set your budget. It takes two minutes and costs nothing.
- 02
Shops compete
Nearby shops that do the work see your request and send their best offer: price, when they can start, what is included.
- 03
Accept the best offer
Compare bids, ratings and distance, then hire one shop. The others are told, politely.
- 04
Talk and get it done
Your conversation with the shop opens right away to agree on the day. You pay only after the job is complete.
Keep exploring
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Car detailing with hand wash, clay bar and wax or sealant outside and a deep vacuum and surface clean inside, for cars, SUVs, vans and trailers.
Questions
Questions about headliner repair
General answers for drivers in Canada. The shop you hire confirms the details for your vehicle.
Why is my headliner sagging?
The fabric is glued to the board by a thin layer of foam, and that foam breaks down with age, heat and humidity. It turns to yellow-orange dust, so the fabric loses its backing and falls. Vehicles that spend summers parked in the sun sag sooner, and it is common on vehicles ten years old or more.
Can a sagging headliner be fixed with spray glue or pins?
Only as a stopgap. Twist pins can hold a small area for a while and suit an older vehicle. Spray glue rarely works, since it sticks the fabric to foam that has already crumbled, and it can bleed through and stain. The reliable fix replaces the fabric and the foam.
How long does a headliner replacement take?
Three to five hours for most cars. SUVs and minivans have a large board that must come out without bending, and a sunroof adds fiddly frame work, so those can take most of a day. If the shop has to order a specific fabric, add a few days of waiting before the appointment.
Can a headliner be replaced on a car with a sunroof or airbags?
Yes. The technician removes the sunroof trim and frame parts as the model requires, and follows the maker’s airbag procedure, which normally starts with disconnecting the battery, before working near the curtain airbags that run along the roof rails. It takes longer and costs more than a plain roof, and a shop that does it often is a sensible choice for a panoramic glass roof.
Will a new headliner match my original colour?
Usually close. Suppliers offer foam-backed fabrics in the common grey, beige and black shades, and the shop picks the nearest match to the rest of the interior. An exact match to a factory pattern can be harder on older or rarer models. Ask to see a sample against your pillar trim, and look at it in daylight.
Something else to ask? Once you hire a shop, you talk to it directly in your request’s conversation.
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