Carpet Cost Calculator
What the room costs, including the carpet the roll width makes you buy and not use.
Estimated installed cost
$1,175.52
- Room area
- 192 sq ft
- Strips off the roll
- 1
- Seams
- 0
- Carpet purchased
- 202 sq ft
- In square yards
- 22.4 sq yd
- Offcut you pay for
- 10 sq ft (5%)
- Carpet
- $645.12
- Padding
- $172.80
- Installation
- $211.20
- Old carpet removal
- $96.00
- Tack strip
- $50.40
- Furniture moving
- $0.00
- Cost per sq ft of room
- $6.12/sq ft
Padding and labor are priced on the room. Carpet is priced on what comes off the roll, which is more.
Comparing against hard flooring? Use the tile calculator →
How this is calculated
strips = ceil(shorter side ÷ roll width) linear ft = strips × longer side purchased = linear ft × roll width × (1 + extra waste%) sq yd = purchased ÷ 9 offcut = purchased − room area carpet = purchased × $/sq ft padding = room × $/sq ft labor = room × $/sq ft tack strip = perimeter × $/ft
Most carpet calculators quietly apply a flat waste percentage. This one models the roll instead, because the waste is not a percentage — it is whatever a fixed 12 foot width leaves over in your particular room, and it can be zero or it can be half the order.
What each room really consumes
Off a 12 ft roll, with no extra waste. Every row runs through the same function as the calculator above — note how the 12 ft dimensions waste nothing and 14 ft wastes the most.
| Room | Room area | Purchased | Offcut | Seams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 bedroom | 100 sq ft | 120 sq ft | 20 sq ft | 0 |
| 10 × 12 bedroom | 120 sq ft | 144 sq ft | 24 sq ft | 0 |
| 12 × 12 living room | 144 sq ft | 144 sq ft | 0 sq ft | 0 |
| 12 × 16 living room | 192 sq ft | 192 sq ft | 0 sq ft | 0 |
| 14 × 20 great room | 280 sq ft | 480 sq ft | 200 sq ft | 1 |
| 20 × 25 basement | 500 sq ft | 600 sq ft | 100 sq ft | 1 |
Installed carpet prices
| Item | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Carpet, builder grade | $1.00-$2.00/sq ft | Thin, short warranty |
| Carpet, mid-range | $2.00-$4.00/sq ft | What most homes get |
| Carpet, high end | $5.00-$12.00/sq ft | Wool, patterned, dense |
| Padding | $0.50-$1.75/sq ft | 8 lb density and up lasts longer |
| Installation | $0.50-$1.50/sq ft | Higher for stairs and patterns |
| Old carpet removal | $0.25-$0.75/sq ft | Plus disposal fees |
| All in, typical | $2.00-$8.00/sq ft | Carpet, pad and labor together |
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to carpet a 10 × 12 room?
About $350 to $1,000 installed with mid-range carpet, padding and labor. The room is 120 square feet, but a 12 foot roll forces you to buy a 12 by 12 piece, so you pay for 144 — one of the reasons carpet quotes come in above what people expect from the room size alone.
Why do I pay for more carpet than my room measures?
Broadloom carpet comes off a roll 12 feet wide, and it is cut by the linear foot. Any room narrower than 12 feet still consumes the full width, and any room wider than 12 feet needs a second strip and a seam. This calculator shows the offcut explicitly rather than burying it in a percentage.
How much does carpet cost per square foot?
Material alone runs $1 to $12 per square foot, with mid-range residential carpet at $2 to $4. Installed with padding and labor, most homeowners land between $2 and $8 per square foot, and a full national range including luxury goods stretches from $3.50 past $11.
Do I need new padding?
Almost always, and installers usually require it for the warranty. Padding runs $0.50 to $1.75 per square foot and is what determines how the floor feels underfoot. A denser pad, 8 pound and up, costs more but can extend the carpet's life substantially — it is the cheapest upgrade in the job.
Is carpet sold by the yard or the foot?
The trade still prices broadloom by the square yard, which is 9 square feet, while retail increasingly quotes square feet. A price that looks three times higher is usually just the other unit — this calculator shows both so the two quotes can be compared honestly.
What adds cost beyond the carpet itself?
Tearing out and hauling away the old carpet, moving furniture, new tack strip, transitions at doorways, and stairs. Stairs are the expensive surprise: they are priced per step rather than by area, and a single flight can cost as much as a small bedroom.
Estimates only. Carpet pricing varies with fiber, density and region, and stairs are priced per step rather than by area — this calculator does not model them. Get written quotes.