How Much Does Carpet Cost?
As a homeowner, it’s normal to want your home to look and feel its best. You want your family to be comfortable and guests to feel welcome. One of the ways you can do that is by updating the flooring in your home or purchasing new carpet.
As you start to do your research about the cost of new floors, you may find yourself feeling discouraged. You can’t find enough about pricing online. In an attempt to find the transparency of pricing, you may be left with feelings of frustration, knowing this can push your carpet project back even further.
Why doesn’t every company talk about their prices more clearly?
We want to take a closer look at the carpet cost so you have all the factors that can affect the price. We understand the significant investment in carpet, and new flooring. If you’re considering buying new carpet for your home, you’ll have helpful tips and information to make the process a little less daunting. It all depends on a few factors, such as: what kind of carpet + pad you want, where you will install it, and if you have any floor prep work to be done before installation.
But most importantly, we want you to know that the cost of new carpet flooring is an investment in the comfort and beauty of your home and is worth considering.
What is the Average Price Range For Carpet?
The average price range for carpet material is between $4-$6 per square foot.
So, how much does it cost to get a massive living room in your home carpeted? Let’s look at some square footage numbers to make this math easier! The average living room is about 400 square feet. Around 400 square feet of carpet may cost you between $1600-$2400 for the material.
plush carpet
4 Main Factors that Determine the Cost of Your Carpet Project
Type of Carpet
- Nylon
Nylon colors typically offer more vibrant colors than other carpet types. They are known to last longer than other carpet types. A good example to use is your seatbelt. You want your seatbelt to protect you the most, without caring too much if it’s stain-resistant.
2. Polyester
The most durable carpet when it comes to being stain-resistant. A popular Shaw Flooring polyester line of carpet is called Pet Protect. Pet protection carpet is wonderful for busy households with animals and accidental spills.
3. Wool
Wool carpet offers one of the most comfortable textures underfoot. It is also naturally resistant to stains, odors, and dust mites. This feature does typically increase the price of the carpet.
Type of Carpet Padding
The average price range for new carpet padding is between $.45-$1.00 per square foot.
1. Six-pound padding
This is most commonly used in rental properties or if you are getting ready to sell your home & need to replace carpet on a tighter budget. This padding does not protect as well against everyday wear and tear.
2. 8-pound padding
Allows for more comfort and resistance to moisture and spills. It is still a more budget-friendly option but used by many homeowners.
3. Foam padding
This padding has a top and bottom moisture barrier and a foam cushion that gives optimal walking comfort.
The average Flooring Solutions of Memphis customer is most likely to select the foam padding. Like most homeowners, they want to be protected from everyday life.
Your Vendor or Brand Choice
There are dozens of carpet manufacturers, but Flooring Solutions works primarily with the top three.
- Shaw Carpet
Shaw carpets are considered budget-friendly, offering a wide range of colors, textures, and patterns. Though they have luxury options, their average carpet price ranges from $4 to $5 per square foot.
- Masland Carpet
Masland carpets are known for having unique patterns and textures. If you’re looking for fun patterns, rugs, or very thick carpets, this brand might for work you. Masland’s average carpet price ranges from $5 to $6 per square foot.
- Stanton Carpet
Stanton is considered more of a luxury brand in the Mid-South. Price is definitely one reason why, but their carpet reflects that. Usually made of wool, one of the most expensive products, its carpets are uniquely soft and hold up extremely well over time. Stanton’s average carpet price ranges from $6 to $8 per square foot.
New Carpet Installation and Removal Fees
Removing your carpet and padding before installation is a way to save additional money. Carpet is one of the easier flooring types to remove, so there’s less expertise needed and less work overall. But don’t let those rolls of carpet fool you; they’re heavier than you think! While we sometimes encourage removing your carpet, we don’t encourage you to install it.
Carpet Removal Fees:
If you are removing and installing new carpet, you can use the same tac-strip long as it’s in good condition. If you’re going back in with laminate or maybe vinyl plank, you will remove the tac-strip and begin any floor prep needed for your new floors.
Removing carpet ranges from $.50 to $1.50 per square foot. Larger areas and more complex projects cost more. This means that the total cost of removing carpet from a standard room can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, depending on the size and any additional steps needed.
Carpet Installation Fees:
Installation of carpet and pad ranges from $1.25-$1.50 per square foot. Similarly to removal, install can increase or decrease depending on the complexity of the project.
Flooring Solutions always includes a light sweeping or vacuuming in our installation package price to rid the subfloor of any dust.
Additional Factors That Impact The Cost Of New Carpet Flooring
The quality of your carpet itself, and the carpet cushion, probably play the largest role in the cost range for new carpet flooring. But there are a few other factors to consider.
1. Location of installation
If you live on the 65th floor of your condo, imagine how tough it would be to haul heavy carpet, padding, and material up and down. What if you forget something and have to make additional trips? Are you exhausted just thinking about it? Me too!
2. Pile height of carpet:
If you select a very thick carpet, you probably do so because it feels so nice to walk on. I don’t blame ya! But it can be tougher to stretch, install, and heavier, adding to the cost of new carpet.
3. Furniture moving:
Most flooring companies offer to move furniture for you. This is an important question to ask your flooring provider before you purchase your carpet or any flooring. There are levels of furniture moving that will increase the cost with the amount.
Why Are You Buying More Carpet Than You Need?
If you’ve bought carpet in the past, this might not “sticker shock” you. If it’s your first carpet project, however, seeing that you’re purchasing quite a bit more square footage than you need can send alarm bells to your brain. We get it!
Carpet waste contributes to the extra carpet (or flooring) needed to be purchased to ensure you can seam two pieces together.
There are a few reasons why you need additional carpet.
Reason #1: Manufacturers make the carpet in 12-foot or 15-foot rolls:
Sometimes, it works out perfectly when your room is smaller than those dimensions, and you don’t need to order extra.
When you purchase new carpet – it can only be bought by the linear foot, and is then multiplied by the width of your room to come up with the square footage total. I know what you’re thinking, “All this math is going to get complicated”… So let’s do a simple 10×10 room to make it easier!
A 10×10 room is 100 square feet.. You will have to order a 12-foot wide roll (remember, that’s the smallest width carpet comes in) by 11 feet long. Why can’t you order a 12×10, since it’s only 10 feet long? Carpet has to be “stretched in.” It’s easier to show than tell, so we’ve included a video that shows you the stretch-in method.
Reason #2 Patterned Carpet:
If you choose a patterned carpet, it will have much more waste than a traditional one. Patterned carpet is unique and creates a beautiful, sophisticated look. These carpet types have what is called a “pattern repeat.” Your carpet will have the same pattern every few feet, and your installation crew has to know precisely where those patterns are, so your carpet seams will line up perfectly with your pattern’s specific design.
This is also why professionals should always measure and install carpets to ensure the carpet seam is as inconspicuous as possible. Carpet can be a challenging flooring type to measure and install. You want to get it right!
What Does It Cost To Install Carpet On Stairs?
If you are already installing carpet in other areas of your home, sometimes a staircase can be considered an “add-on,” and you can get a promotion or discount. We suggest asking your flooring provider if they offer something like this.
It’s not uncommon for flooring companies to have a “labor minimum” or, simply, a minimum price they will want to work for. This can be tricky because it costs more if you only update small areas. Flooring Solutions gives our clients the options to only update small areas or stairs with labor minimum charges. You could expect to pay $600-700 in installation labor. That would include the demo of the old carpet and the carpet installation. The purchase of your carpet is typically separate from this cost.
Is Carpet Worth The Price For Your Home?
Before you gain insight and transparency into carpets costs, the price likely feels daunting. This may be your first time purchasing carpet for your home, or any flooring for that matter, taking you out of your comfort zone. Combine that with anxiety about price, and it could push your flooring project behind for years.
Our goal in being transparent with costs of not only carpet, but the cost to remove and install it, is so that you can have more confidence. Confidence in the budgeting phase, and confidence in the purchasing stage. When you know the costs associated with your flooring project, you no longer have to wait to get started. So now that you know what our prices are, the next question you might ask yourself is…
“How do I know which vendor is right for me?”
While carpet is an investment, it can definitely be a worthwhile one. Investing in good quality carpet, even if the price feels steep at first, can pay off in the long run. When chosen wisely, you can enjoy the benefits of a beautiful and comfortable carpet for years to come.
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