Carpet Calculator
Estimate how much carpet, padding, and installation you need for any room. Enter your room dimensions, choose padding thickness, and set installation rates to get an accurate total cost estimate with a 10% waste factor built in.
💡 Typical range: $2–8/sq ft including labor, tack strips, and transitions.
💡 Ranges: budget $1–3, mid-grade $3–6, premium $6–15+/sq ft.
📐 All calculations include a 10% waste factor for seams, pattern matching, and irregular room shapes. Carpet is sold by the linear yard from 12ft (and wider) rolls.
🧶 Carpet Estimate Results
How to Use the Carpet Calculator
Measure your room's length and width in feet. For irregular rooms, break the space into rectangles, calculate each separately, and add the areas. Select your carpet roll width — residential carpet typically comes in 12 ft wide rolls, but 13.5 ft and 15 ft widths are also available for larger rooms. Choose your padding grade and enter the installation cost and carpet material cost per square foot. Click Calculate Carpet to see total linear yards needed, material cost, padding cost, and installation cost.
Understanding Linear Yards
Carpet is sold by the linear yard off a roll of fixed width (typically 12 ft). Here's how it works:
- Square footage ÷ roll width (ft) = linear feet needed. If you have 180 sq ft and 12 ft wide carpet, that's 15 linear feet.
- Linear feet ÷ 3 = linear yards. So 15 linear feet = 5 linear yards of 12 ft carpet.
- Seams matter — If your room is wider than the roll, you'll need multiple pieces seamed together. The calculator accounts for this by using the wider dimension as the roll direction.
- Waste factor — We add 10% for seam matching (especially with patterned carpet), cuts around corners and closets, and installation errors.
Carpet Padding Guide
| Padding Type | Thickness | Cost/sq ft | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rebond (Standard) | 3/8" | $0.40–0.60 | Budget-friendly; low-traffic bedrooms |
| Rebond (Premium) | 7/16" | $0.60–0.90 | Living rooms, hallways |
| Memory Foam | 1/2" | $1.00–2.00 | Luxury feel; master bedrooms |
| Rubber / Waffle | 1/4"–1/2" | $0.80–1.50 | Berber carpet; high-moisture areas |
DIY vs. Professional Installation
- Professional installation ($2–8/sq ft) — Includes moving furniture, removing old carpet, installing tack strips, stretching the carpet with a power stretcher, seaming, and trimming. A pro can install 50–100 sq ft per hour. Most come with a 1-year labor warranty.
- DIY installation — You'll need to rent a power stretcher ($30–40/day) and knee kicker ($15–20/day). Without a power stretcher, carpet will develop wrinkles within months. Also budget for tack strips ($0.50/linear ft), seam tape ($5–10/roll), and transition strips ($15–30 each).
- Old carpet removal — DIY saves $1–2/sq ft. Pros charge for removal and disposal. If you're replacing carpet, ask if the installer includes removal in their quote.