Measure the furniture as your team will leave it at closing, then order the cover for that complete arrangement. A tabletop size leaves out the chair backs, arms and other parts the cover must enclose.
Decide whether one cover will go over a table and its chairs, or whether staff will cover individual pieces. That choice changes both the dimensions you send and the work someone has to do each evening.
Choose the arrangement staff will actually cover
Put the table and chairs in their intended overnight positions. If the routine includes pushing chairs under the table, check that the arms allow it. If chairs will be stacked elsewhere, measure that stack using the selected stack-cover maker's guide; it is a different shape from a dining group.
Try the proposed closing arrangement before taking dimensions. A cover sized around tightly tucked chairs is useful only if staff can return them to that position consistently. Include the actual end chairs and any taller chair backs rather than measuring one convenient pair and assuming the rest match.
For a whole-group cover, photograph the arrangement from more than one side. Identify parts that protrude and any accessories that will remain. Send those views with the dimensions so the cover maker can see the shape behind the numbers.
Measure beyond the tabletop
Covers & All's table-and-chair measuring diagram asks you to arrange the chairs before measuring width and depth. For height, it uses the table or chair, whichever is higher. The diagram requests exact edge-to-edge measurements and encourages a reference image.
Suppose a restaurant's table is 48 inches wide and 30 inches deep. In the intended covered arrangement, the outermost parts of the chairs extend 18 inches beyond each end and 12 inches beyond each side. The measured group is then 84 inches wide, from 48 + 18 + 18, and 54 inches deep, from 30 + 12 + 12. If the tallest chair is 34 inches high and the table is 30 inches high, the group height is 34 inches.
Those are hypothetical measurements of parked furniture. They don't prescribe how far occupied chairs need to sit from a dining table. For this order, the useful inputs are the complete 84-by-54-inch group and its height, accompanied by a photo showing the arrangement.
Use the maker's named axes when sending the dimensions. Keep width and depth consistent between the form, your marked photograph and any approval drawing, especially for a rectangular group.
Check who adds the fitting allowance
The same measuring guide says Covers & All adds 1 to 2 inches of leeway to the supplied width and depth, while leaving the height as supplied. Following that guide, send the exact furniture measurements rather than adding your own allowance first.
For the example above, that means entering 84 inches for width and 54 inches for depth. If you enter 86 and 56 after adding 2 inches yourself, the maker would be starting its adjustment from an already enlarged group. Ask for the resulting finished dimensions and confirm how the quoted allowance is applied.
Height needs its own discussion. Establish where the hem will finish and how that relates to the measured top of the furniture. Confirm any desired ground clearance with the maker before changing the height input. This guide doesn't add the horizontal allowance to height.
For a standard-size cover, ask whether the listed dimensions describe the furniture it accepts or the finished cover. Compare its complete shape and height against your group. A familiar table-size label isn't enough to approve the enclosure.
Select the opening and fastening together
If the umbrella stays through the table at closing, decide how staff will fit and remove the group cover around its mast. Covers & All offers a separate version with an umbrella hole. Send the mast's position and ask the maker to confirm the opening, access and closure details for your arrangement.
Read the umbrella's own closing instructions too. The patio umbrella buying guide explains why the quoted lift system and support matter when staff close it above a table. Include any required furniture movement in the arrangement you measure for the cover.
On its regular table-and-chair cover page, Covers & All lists several fastening options. Its questions section warns that selecting a split prevents some other tie-down options from being selected because the opening affects how they function. Have the maker identify which opening and fastenings can be supplied together.
Locate the fastenings on the actual furniture. Staff need to reach the intended attachments during fitting and release them before removal. Ask for an example of the quoted arrangement rather than choosing each feature independently from its name.
Confirm the fabric and daily handling
The same product page distinguishes fabric applications, including Ripstop for light commercial use and Cover Rite for heavy commercial use. Request confirmation of the selected fabric for your restaurant's exposure and handling. Keep the exact fabric name on the quote with its care instructions and applicable warranty terms.
Agree with the furniture supplier what can remain outdoors and how each material must be prepared before covering. Include cushions and other removable items in that discussion. Then obtain the cover maker's instructions for fitting, drying, cleaning and storage.
Choose one representative group for a fitting check before completing a larger order. Have staff place and remove the cover using the quoted fastenings, then confirm where it will be stored while the patio is open.
Add the covers to the furniture planner against their measured groups. Send the photographs, exact dimensions and closing arrangement with the inquiry. The response should identify a cover your team can put on the intended furniture, rather than leave you guessing from a tabletop label.