Here to get an estimate on what carpet will cost you? You’re in the right place. I’ll cover everything from a simple 2-question carpet price estimate to a detailed breakdown.
Here’s what you’ll find on this page:
- why a DIY estimate is important even when you’re paying an installer
- carpet cost calculator: answer 2 questions and get a surprisingly accurate estimate
- the average cost of carpet installed by room and house size
- the most important factor in carpet cost
- carpet prices based on durability
- estimated padding and installation costs
- cost to carpet stairs
- further reading: tips to know before buying carpet
Carpet Calculator
See Costs in Your Area!
Start Here - Enter your zip
Let’s start with the fun part: A simple 2-step calculator that gives you a good carpet estimate. This estimate includes everything: carpet, installation labor, extra fees, and pad.
Step 1: Enter room size
Step 2: Click “Calculate” button
Why a good DIY price estimate is important (even when you’re hiring an installer)
Many people come to this page because they want an idea on what to budget for new flooring. This page should give you an excellent idea of what you’ll spend.
But this is an even more important reason:
The #1 way people overpay for carpet is being overcharged, and it might not be so obvious. You may get a great deal on the carpet, but then there are a bunch of random fees thrown into the final bill. Or you might get free padding and installation, but the carpet cost is double what you should pay.
Let me give an example:
Let’s say you just pay $0.25 over on the carpet, pad, installation, and misc fees. You’re carpeting an average-size home. You’d overpay by $1,000. It adds up fast!
So it’s easy to save hundreds by being informed on what you should pay.
Further resources:
- If you want a more detailed calculator based on your square footage or to compare to other floor types (laminate, hardwood, etc), check out my flooring cost calculator
- If you want a good installer to estimate for you, check out HomeAdvisor’s pre-qualified installers in your zip code by clicking here (note: I get a small commission but believe this is a helpful service)
Cost of carpet installed (by room size and house size)
The estimates below tell you how much I expect it to cost you to put new carpet in your room or house.
It’s great for a ballpark estimate of what you might spend if you choose to get new carpet. This can help with planning and budgeting. If you know you already know you’re getting new carpet, skip this section–below you’ll find how to make a more detailed estimate (which is important to make sure you’re not getting ripped off).
Here are the Captain’s “rules of thumb” of total estimated costs to carpet your room or home:
- One small 10 x12 or 120 square foot room (eg. kids bedroom): $480
- One larger room (living room or master bedroom): $1,120
- Ranch house (living room, 3 bedrooms, hallway): $4,200
- 2-story house (ranch + stairs + extra or larger rooms): $7,600
Keep in mind, these estimates make a lot of assumptions: I had to take an “average” guess at your room or home size, the type of carpet you would buy, how much installation costs in your area, and the pad you go with. All of these can make a big change in the cost of carpet.
This was the equivalent of someone asking you, “How much does a large pizza cost?” You could say $15 but you’d be making a lot of assumptions.
If you want a better estimate, I suggest you keep reading. I’ll dive into the cost of carpet depending on your situation, and we’ll use this to build a detailed “invoice” for what carpet will cost in your home.
The #1 factor in carpet prices
If you want a better estimate (than the room size estimates above), you need to look at exactly what you’re buying with your carpet, padding, and installation.
I’ve seen carpet costs vary from $250 to $5,000 for the same size room.A big part of this difference was the material. So deciding what carpet material you want is the first important decision you’ll make in determining your overall price.
(if you don’t know what material you want yet, check out ‘carpet cost based on durability and living situation’ below)
So how much should you pay per square foot (and square yard) for the 5 most popular carpet materials? Here’s a good estimate:
- Wool Carpet: $10 sq.ft. ($90 sq.yd.)
- Nylon Carpet: $5 sq.ft. ($45 sq.yd.)
- Smartstrand Carpet: $4 sq.ft. ($36 sq.yd.)
- Polyester Carpet: $2.50 sq.ft. ($23 sq.yd.)
- Olefin Carpet: $1.00 sq.ft. ($9 sq.yd.)
Note: I did not include padding and installation in these prices. It’s easy to add in and I’ll give you a rule of thumb for installation and pad below.
Captain’s warning on how prices are listed! You’ll find carpet prices listed in both square feet and square yards. This can throw off carpet shoppers because there are 3 feet in a yard, but you need to divide the square yard price by 9 to get the equivalent price per square foot. For example, one store is charging $18 sqyd. You go to another store and they say they have the same carpet for only $2 square foot. Don’t let the salesman fool you–these are actually the same price (18 divided by 9 = 2)!
If you’re looking for a high-quality carpet with a cheap price from $3 to $7 per sq.ft, check out our latest review on the brand Milliken!
Carpet cost based on durability and living situation
Maybe you don’t know what carpet material you’re going to buy yet. If that’s the case, you still know where the carpet will be installed and what you need out of it. Here are estimates on carpet prices based on different situations:
- Apartment or rental: $1.00 sq.ft. ($9 sq.yd.)
- Low-grade home: $1.50 sq.ft. ($14 sq.yd.)
- Durable home: $4.50 sq.ft. ($40 sq.yd.)
- Luxury home: $10 sq.ft. ($90 sq.yd.)
These prices don’t include padding and installation, but we’ll cover that in the next section.
I could dedicate an article to each “situation” above, but it would bore you. Let’s cover a few highlights and assumptions on each situation:
- ‘Apartments and rentals’ typically will go with an inexpensive carpet for two reasons: it allows them to replace the carpet more often for new tenants, and it makes it less of a risk if a tenant damages the carpet.
- ‘Apartment and rentals’ can get their square footage price closer to $0.50 per square foot with bulk orders and negotiating power.
- ‘Low-grade home’ carpet is great for temporary situations, tight budgets, or rooms that aren’t used often. In high traffic areas, it will only last a couple of years. But if it’s a guest bedroom, it will last a long time since foot traffic is what destroys carpet.
- ‘Durable home’ carpet is for the typical homeowner. They want a carpet that keeps its new appearance as long as possible. You can spend up to $10 sq. ft. here, but when you start going above $6-7 sq.ft., you start paying a lot for little improvement in durability.
- ‘Luxury home’ is when you want a carpet that stands out. These carpets are often made of natural materials like wool.
Cost of padding and installation
So far, you’ve determined what you’ll carpet will cost.
Next, you need to determine what your padding and installation will cost. Here are my simple estimates that usually come pretty close:
- Carpet pad cost: $0.30 to $0.60 sq.ft.
- Carpet installation cost: $0.50 sq.ft.
For budgeting purposes, add $1.00 per square foot for padding and installation to get a good ballpark estimate.
Just like carpet, the cost of padding and installation vary. Installation varies most based on where you live (everything–including floor installation–is more expensive in New York than it is in Kentucky). Padding varies most by the quality you select. Rebond is great for most people, but if you go with a memory foam pad, you’ll pay a little more. Check out my popular article on how to choose the best carpet pad.
What about free installation? Too good to be true? Yes and no. Stores honor it when they say free installation, but it’s a marketing tactic. They’re charging you somewhere else to make up for it and pay their installer. Installers are critical to your carpet performing how you want, so make sure to check out my red flag you hired a lousy installer article.
How much carpet do I need?
Determining how much carpet you need isn’t too difficult, but it also may not be as straightforward as you think.
Here is how to determine how much carpet you need:
- Determine the rooms which you want to carpet.
- Measure and record the length and which of each room.
- Multiply the length and width of each room—this is the room square footage.
- Add all the room square footages together—this is your total square feet.
- Multiply your total square feet by 1.10—this is your amount of carpet needed.
Not too difficult, but this gives you a basic estimate.
For a little more explanation, a little more accuracy, and how to deal with other areas like stairs, check out our page on how to calculate how much carpet you need.
How much does it cost to carpet stairs?
Let’s start with a few things in mind:
- homes average 13-15 stair steps
- a typical stair step is 7 inches in height, 42 inches wide, and has a 12-inch depth or platform
- stairs take more of a “beating” and may require a slightly more expensive carpet than average
With this in mind, the average cost to carpet stairs including installation is $500.The range is approximately $200-$1200 depending on the type of carpet and complexity of the installation.
Installation is more expensive on stairs, and this was included in the estimate above (it usually runs around $5 per step). It helps to have a good installer–Home Advisor can help do the homework on installers for you. Click here for a free estimate.
Captain’s tips on what to do next:
I hope you enjoyed the Carpet Estimator.
(okay… crunching numbers isn’t that fun). But at least it’s out of the way. Now let’s move on to how to get the best deal on your carpet purchase.
Here’s what I recommend you do next in your carpet buying journey:
- If you want a more detailed carpet estimate (or want to compare other types of flooring), check out my flooring cost estimator
- If you want a step-by-step walkthrough of what’s important when buying carpet, check out my unbiased carpet buying guide.
- If you want help finding a pre-qualified installer, HomeAdvisor takes the stress out of finding a good installer in your area. Click here to enter your zip code and get connected with 3 installers in your area.
Anything I didn’t cover, or have any questions? Let me know in the comments below.
What about prep? Moving furniture, taking up old carpet, how much of an extra to have installers do that?
I’m looking to replace the carpet and carpet pad in one small room that is 14X16 I know I can’t get an exact estimate but I’m looking to see how much a room that size would typically be?
Hi Hailey, so this is like asking how much a large pizza costs 😉
But here are the Captain’s “rules of thumb” of total estimated costs to carpet your room or home:
One small 10 x12 or 120 square foot room (eg. kids bedroom): $480
You’ll have a hard time getting away with anything below $500! You can read more above under the header “Cost of carpet installed (by room size and house size)”.
im want to replace 1 foot of carpet in my bedroom cus it got a hole in how much would it cost to do
Hi, according to HomeAdvisor, carpet repair costs can range from $129 to $271, or approximately $1.85 per square foot. That price can vary depending on the nature of the repair. We suggest contacting the retailer or manufacturer to get a better idea of rates. Good luck!
I’m doing some major renovation to my bedroom & is replacing the existing baseboard. Should I wait for the carpet to be installed before new baseboards are attached to the walls
It can be done both ways, but most people I’ve seen who do both install the baseboard first. Some carpet installers like the baseboards installed last because it makes their job easier (don’t have to worry about damaging the baseboard, and it’s out of the way when tacking down the carpet). On the other hand, nailing in the baseboard after the carpet is installed is more difficult–this can be a bigger headache.
Help! I have been unable to locate any place that sells or installs dense rubber carpet pad. It seems to be the most highly recommended choice for radiant heating, but I can’t find either a local carpet place or an internet place.
It is more difficult to find. I don’t know of an online source, so, unfortunately, you’d just have to shop locally 🙁 As an alternative, you might go with a fiber pad.
I’m renting, I knew rugs were old 60s-70s but they are AWFUL. I have to pay if I replace. Low budget, I have a cat big apartment. Everytime I vacuum TONS OF POWDERED stuff in canister Suggestions ?
Apologies name and email had to be for a reason but any reply appreciate anonymous email to I do hope for reply
It’s hard to say but most likely the backing of the carpet degrading, which means it probably doesn’t have much life left.
What about moving furniture? Is that factored in to installation? Since it’s a condo, it would need to be moved from one side of room to the other
Many installers will want everything cleared out because they don’t want the risk of moving stuff in your home. They’ll often move it for you but charge.
Your site is very helpful and is probably as detailed as it can be, but I am also wondering about installation fees, if that is strictly for once a new piece(s) of carpet has been brought into the room, maybe one seam if there’s a closet, stretching it, trimming it and tucking it in? Is removing the old carpet and pad and at least taking it outside part of it? Also, how often do you update your estimates for the various costs of different things? Thanks!
All good questions. Some installers will break down there charge and others will lump it into one fee–the one fee is what I try to represent here. I try to include all of these things, but it varies so much by local area, the specific job, and the specific installer that it’s impossible. The hope is to give the best ballpark estimate, so you have a good idea what to plan for and a decent comparison (so if things are way off you can ask “why?”)
Thank you!! Very helpful., I believe that my living room and kids’ room has wool carpet, BUT the insurance adjuster is only looking at $3 Sq foot for reimbursement/new carpet. I dont know yet about the padding and installation. THe carpet is old—probably installed around 1993, but was likely top of the line back then. Shouldnt that make a difference in determining replacement value/
Wool carpet is definitely going to run well over $3squft installed. The question is whether your insurance contract is paying for the depreciated value or the replacement value. Depreciated is probably correct… that’s old carpet! But if it’s replacement value it seems like you’d be owed an explanation on why you’re not receiving more. I’d push them on it in that case.
As a retired interior designer who hasn’t selected carpeting for a client for years, this is great information. I worked in a flooring/design store and knew a lot about flooring – a few things have changed. This information for the consumer is great. We all have to know so many details of any purchase we want to make that your willingness to keep us up to date is really valuable. Thank you!
Glad you liked it Libby! Interior design is my weakness 🙂 If you ever want to contribute to the site in this fashion (no pun intended), feel free to contact me.
Cool Bannanas!
We are moving and replacing the carpet in a very visible and large livingroom area. The home is very large and in a great school district in Pittsburgh. What is the least amount I could pay for a carpet that shows well? TY!
Have to make a lot of assumptions (your living room size, durability you want in carpet, etc), but I’d say you’re going to spend at least $2k. That said, you could go much cheaper if you wanted. All carpets (even the cheapest) show well at first.
We are carpeting a room that is 16’ by 15’3”. There is a closet that is 5’9” by 6’ 3” . The carpet does not have a repeat pattern. The company is saying that we need 44 sq yds of carpet and 36 sq yds of pad. 8 sq yds of waste seems like a lot to me. Also I am being charged for 44 sq yds of install. Is it normal to be charged for install of the waste?
So basically 33% waste which is high, but you’re also dealing with small areas which can add significantly to waste. For instance, if you were just carpeting your 6×6 room and had a 12ft roll of carpet you’re going to have 50% waste with seamless installation. It may be reasonable. You’ve got a point on the installation. They’re technically not installing 44 squ yds, but I think that’s fairly common to charge that way. The reason being, the more carpet they’re working with likely the more challenging the installation. You could always get a 2nd opinion but I don’t think this one is too far off base.
I already have the carpet and padding I just need the installation any idea what that would cost
I would estimate around a couple of bucks a square foot if you already have materials. You can get free estimates with this link from HomeAdvisor (I get a small commission but think it’s a good service)
Thank you for writing this article! I feel armed with more knowledge.
That’s the goal–thanks!
Excellent information…..thank you…! But I must say that we used Home Advisor and found a contractor with high reviews…..he was so incompetent we got all of our money back and the Attorney General went after him. They don’t do their homework like they say they do…….
Thanks for the compliments! And sorry for the experience! Unfortunately, bad eggs can still get through the cracks. The good news with HomeAdvisor is even if they do, they have all of their information and have ensured they have the proper insurance to cover you in these cases. I know too many cases like yours except the person didn’t get their money back because they were given fake information, the person left town, or there was no insurance/way to get money back. Hope you have better luck with your next installers; wherever you decide to find them!
Does the calculator take into account additional costs, like carpet removal and installation? Additionally, most carpet pads we have seen are significantly more than $0.60 sq.ft. Are these higher end versions of carpet pad just a trick to get you to spend more money, or can they really make a difference in how comfortable the carpet is over time?
It includes everything: carpet, pad, installation, misc fees. Premium pads are in more lately. Some will be more comfortable I think the verdicts still out on performance. I’ve written a lot in comments and the article on the carpet pad page about this.
What is a good brand of carpet for a rental apartment?
I don’t know of any apartment rental brands, but I like polyester fiber. The reason is polyester is great with stain resistance and is cheap. The reason I don’t recommend it for most homeowners is it’s not very durable. This usually doesn’t matter in a carpet because you want to replace it about every 3 years anyway.
I am remodeling my entire home and I removed most carpet and am putting down waterproof vinyl. I have lots of pets.
I want to keep carpet in the basement and basement steps because the concrete under the carpet is cold.
There are lots of pet stains all over the carpet. It’s time to go.
I have been looking at reviews for pet proof carpet and waterproof plush padding and the reviews aren’t good.
Can you recommend a good pet proof carpet and padding?
“Pet proof” is difficult to find, but I do have some recommendations. I’d look at Smartstrand for the carpet fiber. It has excellent stain resistance. For the pad, moisture barriers to block urine are a hot topic. They have to be installed perfectly and not get any cracks or they can be worse than normal pad. I’ve written about it a lot–check out the carpet padding page (especially the comments) and also the moisture barrier pad page.
Hello- Great site! Now I feel comfortable going to shop for carpet. Just curious as to an approximate price for furniture moving and old carpet removal and disposal. It is a master bedroom. 485 square feet with typical furniture. Thank you!
I’ve seen these prices be all over the place. It’s really the “total package” of prices that matters because one store might charge you way more for furniture moving and removal, while another might make it free but charge you a lot more for the installation itself. That said, for your job I would say a very rough ballpark might be $125.
Looking for a rough estimate. Need to replace my basement carpet. We already removed the old and it would be a install of just padding and middle of the line carpet. 3 rooms and a small hallway. I’m being quoted at 6400 and that seems a bit high! Thoughts price range I should be looking for?
Do you know the square footage? I’ve got a floor cost calculator that will give you a pretty accurate estimate by just answering three questions. Should walk you through it and be pretty easy.
You don’t mention it in the installation section, what about cleaning the floor from the old pad before laying the new pad and carpet. This is usually an additional fee. Your thoughts?
I’d think that would just be included in removal of the old pad, especially since not much cleaning needs to be done to put down new pad. But appreciate you bringing it up because any fee that’s out there is good for people to keep in mind.
Is Prosource a cheaper grade of Carpet?
I’m not super familiar with Prosource, but a quick look at their site and they seem to sell flooring but a few I saw had branded carpet fibers and listed their specifications. You could use the carpet guide, and it should help you pick out a good carpet if they do sell some higher and some lower quality.
Thanks for the info. I am currently looking to replace the carpet in my second story (4 bedrooms, stairs and hallway). I have shopped around a bit and then home some samples. Both vendors have me the same brand polyester carpet, but one appears to have private labels and I can’t find the babes on the dealer site while the other I do find on the dealer site. Should I be concerned that the dealer is using private labels and I do not have access to details?
Private labels can be a pain but fairly common. I don’t think a retailer using a private label is a problem. However, if they private label and don’t give you access to the specs, that is a problem. I’d ask for a spec sheet including everything on this page.
Thank you for your advice…. looking at ordering a Berber…at measuring they said 658 sq ft removed and need to order 768 to replace….the repeat is about a half inch Berber stripe….what do you think?
Assuming the measurement for removal is correct, I think the additional square footage is reasonable. It’s roughly 16% which falls in the typical 10-20% range.
We had carpet in stalled in 1995 for roughly $3.00 a square foot in today’s market I would think that would be considered more like $ 5.00 a square foot . Having it replaced due to accident and I sure ace is only wanting to pay 2.00 a squAre foot
Yeah, I’ve never (actually maybe one time) heard of an insurance company giving someone a satisfying payout. $2square foot won’t get your great carpet. Sometimes homeowners insurances gives you the replacement value, and sometimes it gives you the depreciated value. I’m not an expert there, but if they’re giving you replacement value, I’d tell them the type of carpet you had and show what comparable prices are.
I seen 1,200 sq ft for .39c a sq ft about how much would that be and is that a low grade
That’s dirt cheap and be $468 total for the 1,200 sqft. This doesn’t guarantee the carpet is low grade (just like anything, sometimes quality carpet is priced on sale), but at that low of a price, I’d be surprised if it’s considered a durable carpet. Still, depending on your needs, it could work for you. Check out our carpet buying guide and carpet specifications pages and you’ll be able to determine how durable the carpet is.
I am a landlord for my sins. Problem:is, noise goes through upper floor to apartment below.
Cunning plan of contractor: Over wood subfloor: 3 mil plastic sheet. Then cork, which nobody sees because over the cork is padding. Then Antron 6.6 carpet on top. Antron comes in 1295 and 895 denier
Will padding over cork affect its impact value?
Will higher denier Antron –1295 vs. 895 — last longer?.
Should I get a very low pile?
Should I get 8 pound pad?
The impact noise resistance should improve with more material (cork under pad). Plus, corks a good sound insulator. For durability, I’d give 1295 the edge. Lower pile tends to be more durable. This page should give you everything you need on carpet padding.
Hello. Super informative website. So glad I came across this! Was recently given a ballpark estimate of around $9000 to carpet 2000 sq. ft. on the lower level with a “good/high quality carpet:” all costs included with the exception of furniture moving. According to your guidelines this would correlate to a lower end carpet. Should I be wary of this?
You’re paying $4.50 a square foot which would be on the lower-end of durable, but could just mean you’re getting a good deal. It’s not uncommon to get good carpet for about $4.50 and then add a dollar or two for padding and installation–you aren’t too far off this. That said, I’d make sure to read through the carpet buying guide. It will help you be confident you’re getting good carpet, pad, and installation. If that all checks out, you’re just lucky on the good deal.
Hi there, we were just quoted $1900 installed for 41.67SY of Shaw Devon Classic ii. This seems high to me, but I’d love to know your thoughts.
Prices can always be shocking, but this doesn’t sound too bad. Basically, you’re paying $45 sqyd or $5 sqft (there’s 9sqft per sqyd) for carpet, pad, and installation. That falls right in line with typical numbers; of course, whether it’s truly fair depends on carpet specs, pad types/specs, and installation quality. Going through the carpet guide should give you a good feel for each of those.
This whole tutorial is great, providing me with excellent, easy-to-follow and retain information for the carpet layman. Organized, prioritized and presented well. It is a benefit to me in planning for my flooring project.
Thanks for the detailed compliment Bill! Glad it helped!
This has been most interesting and very helpful. Naturally a person is prone to think the higher price means better quality but that’s not necessarily true. I need new carpet now and the info you supplied will definitely help a lot. Thank you
No problem… good luck with your carpet purchase!
Hello, I wished I found you earlier. I just paid in full yesterday for an upcoming carpeting installation on June 14th for all of our upstairs, including one staircase. The amount of total square feet was 1,212, but we were charged for 1,458 sq. ft. of carpeting, and I just realized that same amount of padding. Does that seem like an excessive extra amount for waste ? I realize that there is normally extra carpeting ordered to allow for creating seams in the right places. Just wondering if that’s overkill, and wish I’d realized that was the same amount ordered for padding before I paid for it,…or I would have made more effort to negotiate the price down further. We’re getting 60 oz. BCF polyester carpeting, for $2.09/sq. ft.. We’re planning to move out of our home in about a year. I did, by the way, already get them down $400 from our original quote that had incorrect information on it about moving different types of furniture. We agreed to disassemble bed frames and headboards and that saved money. Home Depot is doing the installation and we also bought the carpet from them. Despite having already paid them in full, I”m curious regarding my above question. Thanks for your help in advance.
Wish you would have found it too! As for the measurement, I get the typical square footage with waste to be around 1350sqft. BUT this is a very rough estimate having not seen your home layout or carpet design. You’re getting about 20% waste which is typically on the high-end. I think it’s reasonable to ask why so much is needed/if you could do with any less.
Hi! I’m getting ready to buy carpet for my new home. We have 4 large bedrooms, approx 3100 sq ft all together and 2 staircase. We have 3 young kids but I doubt they’ll be hanging out in their bedrooms all day, or maybe once they’re older, they will (maybe medium traffic). I’m looking for a good carpet which will look good even after a few years. Which brand and type of carpet do I need to stick to and how much can I expect to pay? I don’t even know anything about pads but I’m thinking medium to thick padding.
The carpet fiber you pick will be important: https://www.carpetcaptain.com/carpet-buying-guide/carpet-fibers/. You can find good carpets in multiple brands, but more on that here: https://www.carpetcaptain.com/carpet-buying-guide/branded-vs-unbranded-nylon/ . And here’s more on padding (it’s not best to judge on thickness) https://www.carpetcaptain.com/carpet-buying-guide/padding/ . I’d recommend checking out the carpet buying guide that you can find in the navigation. It should walk you through everything you need to know for new carpet for the family. Good luck!
Just had Empire quote us. Orig cost $14k but with all the discounts comes down to $5.1k. He measures 1589sq ft. We chose an 8lb pad and Beldon carpet 100% BCF PET polyester material. We were told that was good and durable for stains. Is this a good deal? We plan to get another quote. Looking for carpet soft to the touch.
Hi Miriam – the price is pretty good (assuming that’s installed and no add-on fees later which may be a big assumption). PET isn’t my favorite for durability. I’d recommend going through the carpet buying guide, or at a minimum checking out this page and this one.
Is it typical for carpet installation company to charge you extra sq ft. for installation waste? We have four bedrooms at 824 ft.² and the contractor is charging me an extra hundred square feet. Does that sound right?
Yeah, it’s actually not too far off. Usually, they need around 10% extra for waste. That would be 82sqft extra, so maybe a little high but I’ve seen as high as 20%. It depends on the size of your rooms versus the roll size of the carpet and possibly pattern matching. You could ask the installer to clarify why he needs that amount. Also, this article might help you understand how roll size factors in: https://www.carpetcaptain.com/carpet-buying-guide/choosing-carpet-roll-size/
Captain, please advise. I need to carpet 3 bedrooms, 2 small and a master, one small hallway and two flights of stairs. I have 3 kids (6, 12, and 15) and a Golden Retriever who occasionally has diarrhea and a leak or two. Stairs and landings get a ton of use and abuse. Figure occupancy for 4 – 5 years, but I will need to sell townhome with the carpet in good shape. What are your recommendations for type of carpet and brand and the kind and quality of padding? Thanks.
Zach
With 3 and kids and dog, even if you just need it to hold up 4-5 years, you’ll probably want something pretty durable to have it looking good. I think if you go through the carpet buying guide (https://www.carpetcaptain.com/carpet-buying-guide/) you’ll be able to find what you need for your home. I’d either consider a nylon with a good stain protection, Smarstrand, and then good durability ratings (https://www.carpetcaptain.com/carpet-buying-guide/carpet-construction/). You’ll have options in pad and this will help: https://www.carpetcaptain.com/carpet-buying-guide/padding/ Best of luck
Need your help captain. The carpet I am looking at is 55 oz, 1/2″ thick, 100 percent triexta. The installer (carpet one) will install it for $2100 with 8lb rebond pad with spill guard (825 sqft with weird stairs). The twist is that the carpet may not come with any warranty other than 2 year install warranty. Should I go for it? I know you said carpet warranties are hard to collect on so what do you think?
Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. I think triexta is a pretty good fiber–definitely better than traditional polyester (https://www.carpetcaptain.com/carpet-buying-guide/smartstrand-carpet/). Face weight seems pretty good with an average height carpet. And you know my opinion on warranties 🙂
Thank you very much for your website and advice. This has helped me alot.
I paid 5 thousand for carpet and installation 8 years ago in basment. Water pipe busted flooded basement. Need old carpet removed and new carpet installed. How much appoximate cost including labor
Big basement or expensive carpet! I’d need your square footage and an idea of what type of carpet you’d want to come up with an estimate. I don’t think carpet and labor went up much since 2010, but it’s hard to know if you overpaid back then, got the right carpet for your needs, or are looking for something different.
I am looking at Shaw dazzle me twist (pewter)… I need something semi durable that wont stain easily. This carpet would be within my budget of $1800. Is this a good carpet to go with? Also what carpet pad should I get. The shaw premium crush resistor is .55 cents a sqft or just standard 8lb rebond .29 cents per sqft. We do have 2 cats and one likes to throw up quite a bit. Thanks for the help
It looks like that’s a polyester with about a 35oz face weight–not my favorite, but you don’t seem like durability is a huge priority so may get you by. This article will help you with materials (https://www.carpetcaptain.com/carpet-buying-guide/carpet-fibers/) and this with other durability ratings (https://www.carpetcaptain.com/carpet-buying-guide/carpet-construction/). I think the standard 8lb rebond should work well in your case.
Thank you for the reply. The carpet is going upstairs where traffic is going to be minimal. I want something durable but don’t want to go over budget. I did get a quote for mohawk essenstial 40 oz. carpet thats 25 percent triexta and rest is poly for 2200 dollars. Do you think that would be better.
It’d definitely up the quality a little, but with 25% triexta, I doubt too much. It’s costing you over 20% more, so I’d probably stick with the original.
Thank you for all the help. One last question… I can get 100% triexta carpet with 8lb moisture barrier pad for $2100 installed (800sqft with stairs). I don’t know the actual weight of the carpet but it feels quite a bit softer than the other 2 carpets I have mentioned. Does this seem reasonable price?
If the face weights the same, I’d take this one. Sounds like a great deal (but face weight is important, so that could potentially change the opinion)
The installer (carpet one) said he will have all the information about the carpet for me on monday. I have a 60 oz carpet sample and it seems just as dense but quite a bit softer. It comes with 25 years warranty on everything except staining is lifetime.
HEllo, I would like to know the cost from the manufacture, how much does it cost to produce say a tile of carpet, each tile? Thanks
That’s one I don’t think I could answer–are you saying the cost for the manufacturer to produce the carpet? There’d be the obvious cost (pure materials) but also more difficult to calculate costs that would be divided over all carpet produced at the plant: labor cost, machine costs, cost of running the machine, other overhead business costs. Probably only the manufacturer’s accountant knows this answer. Or if you’re saying how much the retail stores purchase the flooring for, that might be a little easier. It’s going to vary a lot store to store and type of flooring but I’d expect they pay roughly 70% of the retail price, but that’s a guess.
What about indoor/outdoor carpet no pad just glued down? 32’x30′ room . What can I expect too pay just for installation?
I’d expect it to be about the same as normal carpet: $0.50 sqft (for your job about $400). Indoor/outdoor requires many of the same skills. The exception is if it’s a room you don’t care much how the carpet looks (eg. you just want something “put down” in an indoor outdoor patio and don’t care about wrinkles or possible gaps or pattern matching), you may get lower because you don’t need as qualified as an installer. But also keep in mind, carpet installation can also go much higher $2+ sqft with other fees like disposal, moving furniture, or a poor subfloor. Installation prices can vary more than carpet itself based on area and the job.
Thank you for making this simple and logical. Especially the math,I usually give up. I feel like now when I do go in to look at carpet I won’t just be dismissed although I’m sure I will get one ‘your to pretty yo worry about things like this,where’s your boyfriend. lol It’s the south so…. Now I can carry on with a semi well informed conversation about what I want and expect! Thanks Captain!
What I’m getting out of this is I’m now your boyfriend lol Good luck with the carpet purchase!
Hi! Great informative website. I’m currently about to buy Home Depots carpet and padding for our average sized master bedroom. My question is regarding the padding – middle priced pad vs. highest price “memory foam 7/16” pad. They pushed the memory foam as only 10 cents more than the mid grade. (I know I don’t want the cheapest.) We are planning to buy a Berber carpet again as our last one held up for YEARS! They don’t have carpet called “Berber” – it’s called “Loop” and is very similar. Anyway, from what you say I think their Memory Foam would be too thick – and frankly, unnecessary? Do you think we should save a few bucks and go with whatever their middle priced padding is? Thanks for your time and insight.
Cindy
Hard to say for sure not knowing the specs on the middle pad, but my guess would be yes. Many loops require a fiber pad (thin and firm). My verdict is still out on memory foam pad because the purpose of pad is support, and memory foams comfort benefit is because it’s squishy. And just a side note: berber is technically defined by a specific loop weave (https://www.carpetcaptain.com/carpet-buying-guide/berber-carpet/)
This was very informative, thank you. I am trying to purchase some commercial carpet for work and want to know how much difference therer is between 24 oz & 26 oz carpet. My salesman told me I should have 26 oz or above. I do want this to last a long time. Any thoughts?
I’d agree and may even go higher on the face weight (assuming that’s what the ounces are). The price shouldn’t be much different between 24 and 26oz but performance won’t be much different either since they’re so close. Here’s a reference on face weights: https://www.carpetcaptain.com/carpet-buying-guide/carpet-construction/ Sometimes you can get by with lower if your carpet is looped or has a very high twist rate.
Very helpful for a ballpark figure, which is the stage I am at now having just started the process. Thanks, Captain.
Anytime… Didn’t have that part when I originally wrote the article–later realized usually when I’m doing a project, I just want a general idea of what I’m getting into cost wise.
This was so informative, thank you. I have a habit of spotting spelling errors and if you’re interested I’ll go back through and let you know where those were. It’s a bad habit that comes from proofreading.
Thanks… I’m glad you got use out of it! And yes, if you ever find any proofreading errors, I always appreciate the feedback. Feel free to reach out by email: https://www.carpetcaptain.com/contact/
The calculating link is still not working.
Debra – it works on my end. After you select your two choices and hit the “calculate!” button, it should show a paragraph with the price below the button. It’s a little sloppy. I plan on updating this page sometime hopefully in the near future. Let me know if it still doesn’t work for you.
The link to calculating how much carpet you need is dead.
Update: I added the calculator to this page. Let me know if anyone has issues with it (it’s been added for a while now, but I just re-added comments to the site.)