Interested in getting a ballpark estimate for carpet installation right now? Contact Johnson’s Flooring today and we will be more than happy to help!
Factors That Impact The Cost of Installing Carpet
1. Carpet
The type of carpet that you choose is the biggest determining factor within your control that will determine the cost of your carpet installation. Carpet is either priced per square yard or square foot. Carpet material prices can range from as low as under $10/yard ($1.11/square foot) to above $60/yard ($6.67/square foot). Carpets with fiber made from polyester are normally less expensive than carpets made from nylon or wool.
Check out our article on the Different Types of Carpet for more details.
2. Pad
Pad is an important aspect of the carpet installation process. The correct pad will prolong the life of the carpet and will make the carpet feel softer and more comfortable underfoot.
3. Size of Room(s)
This one might go without saying but the larger the room, the more carpet you will need and the higher the installation charge will be. The large majority of carpet is made in 12 feet wide rolls. This means that if your rooms are wider than 12 feet, it is likely that seams will be necessary.
Carpet seaming is when two pieces of carpet are put together using hot melt seaming. A seaming tape is heated and attached to the back of the two pieces of carpet to bring them together. The seam is then rolled to ensure that the adhesive attaches to the back of the carpet adequately.
Something to keep in mind - many installation companies have minimum installation charges no matter the size of the room and might add additional charges for smaller areas such as hallways.
4. Installation Company
Installation charges will vary from company to company. You will want to do your due diligence before choosing an installation company. One word of caution is to not let price completely affect your decision. The cheapest company may not have the highest quality, potentially causing issues down the road that will cost you more money and may require carpet replacement sooner than normal.
Here are a few tips to help you choose the flooring installation company that is right for you:
- Lifetime Guarantee: ask the installation company how long they stand behind their work. Some companies will not come back and fix issues unless more money is provided. Other companies back their service for a short period of time. A small handful of companies offer a lifetime guarantee or warranty. Although it is unlikely you will need to take advantage of the warranty, a company offering to stand behind their work for a prolonged period of time shows the confidence that they have in the quality of their carpet installation.
- Google Reviews: A company’s Google Business Profile is a good resource to learn about the experiences of a company's past customers. Pay attention to how the company has responded to any negative reviews and whether it appears they did what they could to resolve a customer’s concerns. Make sure to note any trends that you see in the reviews because that is more telling of a company’s performance than a one-off review, either positive or negative.
- Years In Business: With age comes wisdom, right? Although being in business longer doesn’t guarantee high quality of work, businesses that have been around for decades must be doing something right. See this as another tool at your disposal when picking a carpet installation company.
5. Removal of Old Flooring
If you are replacing existing flooring, most companies charge a fee for the removal and disposal of that flooring. Charges will likely vary based on flooring type since some floors are easier to remove than others. For example, old carpet will take less time and effort to remove than ceramic tile so the prices will vary between the two.
6. Stairs
There are many different options when carpeting stairs. You can do classic waterfall installation, which is the most affordable. The more time intensive installation options like rolled stairs, runners, and upholstered have higher installation charges.
7. Metals/Trims
Many times, carpet is installed up to other types of flooring (i.e. hardwood, luxury vinyl, laminate, sheet vinyl, ceramic) and metals are used to provide a finished look. Some carpet installation companies also offer finish trim services. If you need your baseboard replaced or would like new baseboard, there is a chance that the flooring company will be able to help you with that for an additional charge.
8. Floor Prep
Although rare, there are instances when the condition of the subfloor is such that floor preparation is required. This is much more common when installing hard surface floors such as luxury vinyl, laminate, or hardwood because a flat floor is necessary. However, some subfloors can be in a condition that flattening of high spots or raising up low spots is required for adequate carpet installation. This takes additional time and material so additional charges are normally applied.
How Much Should I Expect to Spend on Carpet Installation?
As mentioned above, there are a lot of factors involved in determining the cost of new carpet installation. Those factors include carpet selection, pad, installation charges, room sizes, removal of old flooring, stairs, metals/trims, and any necessary floor preparation.
Here are some numbers to give you a ballpark idea of how much you should expect to spend for complete carpet installation that includes furniture moving, removal of existing carpet, new pad, new mid-range carpet, carpet installation, and tax.
- Bedroom (12x15) = Approximately $1,250
- Living Room (12x18) & Hall = Approximately $2,000
- Living Room (12x18), Hall, 3 Bedrooms (12x12) = Approximately $4,500
REMINDER: You will only be able to get an accurate quote from a flooring company after an in-home measurement. Also a reminder that this does not reflect Johnson's Flooring's charges, just a ballpark estimate. Contact Johnson's Flooring today to get the carpet installation process started.
Calculating A Ballpark Carpet Installation Estimate
Are you wanting to get an idea of how much your new carpet installation will cost? Follow the steps below to get a ballpark estimate for you carpet installation. Carpet can be a bit more difficult to estimate than hard surface flooring because, as mentioned above, many carpet installations require seams due to the size of the rooms. We would suggest adding 15% to your square footage measurements so there is additional carpet to account for potential seams. Note that it could be higher or lower than 15% additional material based on the layout of your rooms. This process will only give you a ballpark estimate.
Here are the steps to calculate a ballpark estimate for carpet installation:
Step 1 - Measure Your Room(s)
Use a tape measure to determine the length and width of each of your rooms. For rooms that are oddly shaped or have different sections, try to square off the areas as much as possible. Take the measurements of each squared off section and combine them to get the room’s total measurement. This is just a ballpark estimate so don’t worry too much about getting exact measurements.
Step 2 - Determine Square Footage
Once you have the measurements of each room, multiply the length by the width to get square footage. For example, if the room is 12 feet long by 12 feet wide, the total square footage will be 144.
Step 3 - Add 15% To Square Footage
As mentioned above, add 15% to the square footage for potential seams in the ballpark estimate. This is just an estimate and during the in-home measurement, exact measurements by the flooring company will determine the amount of carpet needed. In the example above, the square footage with 15% added is 166.
Step 4 - Determine Charges
Determine the price per square foot for the following: carpet, pad, removing existing flooring, and installation.
If you have already received estimated material and installation costs from a company, this step won’t be too difficult. If you haven’t received any estimate costs, use $6.00/square foot as a starting point. This will give you an initial idea but we suggest contacting a professional installation company prior to making any budgeting decisions.
REMINDER: All of the factors we discussed above can change the price from the estimate of $6.00/square foot, sometimes substantially. Also a reminder that this does not reflect Johnson's Flooring's charges, just a ballpark estimate.
Step 5 - Determine The Total Price
Multiply the total square footage in Step 3 by the charges in Step 4 to get the total price.
Next Steps
Here are some helpful resources from Johnson's Flooring that may be helpful as you continue your search for new carpet!
- Top 5 Benefits of Carpet
- Carpet Catalog
- How The Carpet Installation Process Works
Johnson's Flooring
Here at Johnson’s Flooring, we know that choosing new carpet for your home can seem daunting but we are here to help transform your home with new carpet. We have two showrooms in Clayton, Ohio (near Brookville, Englewood, and Vandalia) and Springboro, Ohio (near Miamisburg, Lebanon, and Franklin) with hundreds of carpet styles and colors on display. Our samples are available to take home so you can see what the carpet looks like in your space.
We offer professional carpet installation that is backed by a lifetime guarantee. Our installers have decades of combined carpet installation experience and will treat your home with the respect that it deserves.
Visit or contact us to get started with your new carpet installation!
