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How Much Does it Cost to Carpet a House?

Old and worn out carpets take away the beauty of the home and even make it feel dull and uninviting. Choosing to buy a new or replace an old carpet in your home is an amazing way of refreshing and modernizing the look and feel of your home in a short time.

You will agree with me that given the complexity of the job and the myriad of tools required to create a finished look, it is best to leave carpet installation to the professionals. While in the midst of the carpet shopping process, the question of cost is likely to pop up quite often.

As a cost conscious consumer, it is very appealing to see that many home improvement stores state that for any purchase of carpeting made from their locations, they offer installation at a fixed price or even “free of cost.” However, what they don’t tell you upfront is that hidden fees cost apply, depending on various factors like staircases, uneven floors, type of material, or even old carpet removal. Sadly, if you are not well informed, this can drastically increase the final cost of carpeting and even exceed your budget, making them not as free as you had hoped.

Don’t freight yet, estimating your carpeting cost isn’t difficult if you know how. Here are three simple steps you can use to determine how much to carpet a house.

1. Ascertain the amount of carpet you’ll need

The first step is determining the area you want to be covered hence, the amount of carpet you’ll need. Carpet is priced and sold by the square yard or square foot. Keep in mind that the amount of carpet required for installation will be about 10-20% more than the room square footage. Also, note that it can be quite difficult to calculate the area of rooms that are not perfect squares or rectangles.

With basic expectations, when you are carpeting the whole house, the cost is more than when you are carpeting just one room.

2. Determine the value of the rug

One of the single most influential factors when it comes to the final cost of carpeting a house is the cost of the carpet itself. To help give you an estimate, here are some important factors that determine carpet pricing.

  • Carpet Material

There are six common materials used to make carpet: cotton, polyester, acrylic, wool, nylon, and polypropylene (or olefin). Each of these fabrics offers homeowners different price points, benefits, and drawbacks. Therefore the choice of material one chooses, entirely depends on an individual’s taste and preferences.

If you have to choose between one and three fabric materials, just multiply the square footage by the carpet cost per square foot to arrive at the total materials cost. This cost calculation will further help you narrow your choice by choosing the fabric that is the most cost effective for your needs. Below are some rough prices you can expect with different materials:

Polyester Carpet Price: $2.50sq/ft. ($23 sq. yd.)

Wool Carpet Price: $10 sq/ft. ($90 sq. yd.)

Olefin Carpet Price: $1.00 sq/ft. ($9 sq. yd.)

Nylon Carpet Price: $5 sq/ft. ($45 sq. yd.)

The above-stated prices (not inclusive of hidden costs) are a good place to start. However, you may find that there are carpets made with the same fiber but showcase different price tags. This difference is brought about by the quality of carpet construction.  Some aspects of carpet construction like carpet density bring out the difference in pricing. For this reason, ensure you are well informed on different materials and carpet constructions so that you can confidently pick out a rug that suits both your lifestyle and budget.

  • Carpet Styles and Options

Even with the sea of carpet choices that flood the market, Carpet only comes in three different styles known as piles. These include loop, cut, and cut & loop. Each of these styles is designed to work well in different rooms depending on the level of foot traffic.

With that said, keep in mind that the pricing goes hand in hand with life expectancy. Therefore, if you choose to go for a cheaper pricing the sooner, you will be replacing it than if you invest in a higher quality carpet.

3. Determine the cost of padding and installation

While adding new carpeting can do wonders to change the look of the home, new carpeting is not enough without a firm padding beneath. When the proper installation is done, padding can enhance durability not to mention, protect floorings for future use.

The:

  • Average maximum cost of carpet padding is $4 per square yard
  • Average minimum cost of carpet padding is $3 per square yard

How to Find the Lowest Carpet Installation Price

Simply put, there are two keys to getting the lowest and the best carpet installation cost – obtaining estimates from multiple leading carpet installers where you live and comparing prices at local carpet costs to find which has the cheapest installation costs fit for your budget.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to how much to carpet the flooring of a house, there is no exact answer. Nonetheless, it is paramount you have an idea of what you are paying for so as to set a rough budget. In the absence of this, you are likely to overpay, and you won’t negotiate for a fair price.

I hope this article sheds light on a much controversial topic and you can now make a more informed decision. For a more exact cost, you can look up a carpet calculator and fill in the questions asked to obtain a pretty good estimate.