I would say 18 yards. It has been years since I had my shop, but that was about what we allowed for the large sofa. If you are doing it all in one color, and if you are making throw pillows to go on it, you could make your welt cord a different color to match the pillows. One of the nicest ones we did was for a lady with kids, so we did it in denim and trimmed it with red bandanna and made pillows to match the trim. She paid for the sofa and chair and we made the pillows free because we knew she didn't have a lot of money. But you would be surprised how that little thing can make a big difference.
Another tip is the fabric "pattern" you choose. If it's plaid, you'll require more to match each seating section and the skirting and back and sides if you want the sofa to look professional. Years ago I had a love seat reupholstered and used a plaid print. and found out this way.
Well, that's actually not enough information. The best source for figuring out your final fabric needs would be a book on making slip covers or upholstering from your local library. It will show you how and what to measure, and how to figure out different amounts for different width fabric. It's quite a lot, but stores like Joann and Fabric Depot have great upholstery rolls that are nice and wide, so if you can sew a straight line and are able to handle frustration and be patient, you can do it, for sure. If you are not a very experienced sewer, I would not do a pattern with piping. I hate piping, have never mastered it, and on heavy fabric, I think it would be like being condemned to sewing purgatory: never done or taking an eternity.
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