UPDATED: Aug 4, 2023
If you’re deciding what type of flooring is best for various rooms in your home, you might be considering carpeting. It’s attractive, keeps your feet warm, muffles noise and allows you to pretend you’re walking on soft grass indoors. It’s the sod of the indoors! If you love the look of hardwood flooring in your living spaces, carpeting can be a great addition to bedrooms, for the best of both worlds.
One factor to consider when thinking about carpeting is the cost of installation. Let’s go over what those costs are and what factors affect the prices.
The average price to install carpet ranges from about $700 to $2,800, with the national average at about $1,800. You can expect to pay about $3.50 to $11 per square foot, with more high-end types ranging up to $20 per square foot. For an accurate idea of how much it’ll cost to install carpet in your space, get an estimate.
It’s essential to remember that these are average prices. Actual prices may differ, and they’re often affected by outside factors such as labor shortages and supply issues.
Your carpet installation costs can vary widely due to a number of affecting factors. Let’s look at those.
Carpet installation costs vary depending on several factors: the square footage you’re covering, the type of carpeting you choose, the cost of padding underneath the carpet, and the labor expenses for the installation itself.
The square footage will be one of the biggest factors affecting the overall cost of carpet installation – the bigger your space, the more it’ll cost. Other aspects to consider are whether or not the area you’re looking to carpet is curved or otherwise oddly shaped. This means the carpet will need to be cut precisely to fit the area, which could incur a higher cost.
The type of carpeting you choose will affect the total installation cost. The material you select, or fiber, is important, as well as the pile. First, let’s look at the costs and benefits of seven main types of carpet fibers.
Type of fiber |
What it is |
Benefits |
Average cost per square foot |
Cotton |
A natural-fiber carpeting |
Very soft Contains lower amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which can have adverse effects on health when breathed in. |
$6 – $7 |
Nylon |
A sturdy indoor-outdoor synthetic carpeting |
Durable and easily cleaned Excellent for high-traffic areas |
$2 – $5 |
Polyester |
Durable synthetic carpeting |
Maintains its color without fading Mold-resistant and non-allergenic |
$1 – $3 |
Olefin |
Made of polypropylene, a plastic material |
Suitable for medium- to high-traffic areas Resistant to fading, staining and moisture |
$1 – $3 |
Sisal |
A natural carpeting woven from leaves of agave plants |
Strong and sturdy Provides a rough texture Suitable for high-traffic areas |
$5 – $15 |
Wool |
A natural-fiber carpeting |
Soft, luxurious feel Durable and stain-resistant |
$5 – $7, up to $26 |
Acrylic |
A synthetic carpeting |
Resembles wool Best for lower-traffic areas |
$3 – $7 |
Another factor that will affect your carpet costs is the pile, whether it’s cut or loop. This is how the fibers of your carpet are treated to create the surface.
Cut pile refers to carpet fibers that are sheared off at the top, creating a soft surface that’s easier to clean. These carpets come in different lengths and thicknesses. The sturdiness of this type of carpet is dependent on how tightly twisted each carpet fiber is. The more tightly each fiber is twisted, the more resistant to footprints and vacuum marks the carpet will be. The downside of cut-pile carpet is that it needs to be replaced more often than loop-pile carpets.
There are many styles of cut-pile carpeting that can affect the overall cost, depending on the pile and the overall carpet material:
Loop pile refers to the fibers being left uncut, in a loop. The length and density can vary:
There are also several styles of carpeting that feature both cut and loop piles, creating patterns in the carpeting.
Finally, an additional expense to consider is any stain-resisting treatments you may want to apply to the carpet. This could be especially helpful in high-traffic areas, or if you have children or pets.
Stain-resisting treatments coat the fibers of your carpet with a liquid-repellant substance. This prevents oil- or water-based spills from soaking into the fibers and staining the carpet. It also helps prevent solid particles from sticking to the carpet, too, and makes them easier to vacuum.
There are two main kinds of stain-resisting treatments:
You’ll need to factor in the expenses of padding to go beneath your carpet. Padding is the foundation on which your carpet sits, and it protects both your floor and the carpet backing. It adds cushioning and noise reduction, and it’s an essential part of carpet installation. When choosing your padding, you’ll need to make sure it’s compatible with the type of carpet you’re buying.
Let’s look at the main types of padding and their average costs.
Type of padding |
What it is |
Benefits |
Average cost per square foot |
Rebond |
Made from recycled foam |
Inexpensive Comes in a variety of thicknesses and densities Best for lower-traffic areas |
$0.25 – $0.80 |
Frothed foam |
Dense foam made from urethane |
Extremely durable and long-lasting Resists footprints and furniture indents Excellent for high-traffic areas |
$0.50 – $2.00 |
Memory foam |
Similar to frothed foam, but injected with a gel to give it a softer feeling |
Dense and soft Good for joint pain Best for low-traffic areas like bedrooms |
$0.50-1.00 |
Prime foam |
A firmer foam with air pockets |
Soft and comfortable Lightweight Best for low-traffic areas |
$0.25-1.50 |
Waffle |
Made of rubber in a waffle shape with air pockets |
Hypoallergenic and mold-resistant Least-firm density |
$0.50-1.00 |
Rubber |
Made of dense, flat rubber |
Extremely durable and sturdy Hypoallergenic Excellent for high-traffic areas |
$0.75-3.00 |
Fiber |
Made of synthetic fiber or natural fiber like jute, wool or felt |
Firmer Flat and dense Breathable Good for concrete floors and high-traffic areas
|
$0.35-1.25 |
Your final major factor in calculating your cost estimate of your carpet installation is labor. Labor can include many different aspects besides installation, and all of them can add to your budget.
Carpet installation itself can cost about $0.75 to $2 per square foot. These prices can vary, especially if the job is complicated by oddly shaped rooms or the carpet is thick and heavy, making it more difficult to move and cut. Installation costs are generally calculated based on the carpet material, thickness and quality, room size, number of cuts needed and the quality of your subfloor.
Let’s look at a variety of additional costs you may want to factor into your budget:
In some cases, carpet companies may throw in labor costs for free with the purchase of the carpeting. If that’s the case, make sure you crunch the numbers, because often this typically only accounts for a savings of around $1 per square foot.
If you’re looking to save money on your labor costs, consider doing some of it yourself. If it’s safe to do so, you might be able to move your furniture yourself. Consider undertaking the removal of your old carpet and padding instead of paying for your installer to do it. You’ll still have to pay labor costs, since installing carpeting is best left to professionals, but you may be able to save some money in your budget.
The cost to install carpet in your home will fluctuate based on several major factors, all of which have their own varying costs: your carpet material, quality and pile, the cost of padding, the square footage you’re looking to cover, and the costs of labor you’ll incur. Get estimates from local professionals and ask for detailed quotes. If you’re interested in making more home improvements or upgrades, check out other homeowner tips in the Rocket HomesSM Learning Center.
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