Carpet installation cost: by room, by square foot and by state
Three bedrooms, 500 sq ft: about $3,200 to $4,000, typically $3,650. That's average-grade carpet and pad, the old carpet torn out, 10% over the floor for seams and cuts, and the contractor's overhead, profit and sales tax. Everything in, carpet runs $6.25 to $8.00 a sq ft.
Anthony Hicks30+ years in construction. Updated November 5, 2026.
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What it costs
| Job | Cost |
|---|---|
| One bedroom, 150 sq ft | $950 to $1,250 |
| Three bedrooms, 500 sq ft | $3,200 to $4,000 |
| A whole floor, 1,000 sq ft | $6,400 to $8,000 |
About $6.25 to $8.00 a sq ft, everything in.
Totals include the contractor's overhead and profit (20%) and the state's average sales tax. Prices as of November 2026.
What’s in these numbers
Each total is a typical job, priced the way a contractor’s estimate is priced:
- The carpet: average grade, installed over the room’s floor area plus 10% for seams and cuts. Carpet comes off a wide roll, so the leftover at the walls and seams is part of the job.
- The pad under it, the same area.
- The tear-out: the old carpet and pad taken up and hauled off.
- Overhead and profit: 20%, the standard markup on a contractor’s estimate.
- Sales tax on the materials, at the state’s average rate.
Not in them: moving furniture, stairs, floor repairs under the old carpet, and upgrades to a better grade of carpet or pad. After a water loss, the water damage restoration guide covers the drying first.
What moves the price
- The carpet’s grade. The single biggest swing. A plush or wool carpet can cost several times what an average nylon or polyester one does.
- Stairs. Each step is cut and fitted by hand, so stairs are priced by the step, not by the square foot.
- The room’s shape. Closets, angled walls and doorways between rooms mean more cutting and more seams.
- What’s under the old carpet. Squeaky or damaged subfloor gets fixed before new carpet goes down.
- Where you live. Labor rates and sales tax differ by state; pick yours in the box above.
Working out your own room
- Measure each room wall to wall and multiply the length by the width. The square footage calculator adds up odd-shaped rooms and closets.
- Type the total into the box above. It works out the range for that size at the price per square foot for the US or your state.
- Add stairs and extras separately.
For a room of 12 by 12 feet, 144 square feet, the one-bedroom row is the closest: $950 to $1,250.
Comparing carpet quotes
Quotes often hide the differences that matter. Check that each one says:
- the carpet’s brand, style and grade, and the pad’s thickness and density;
- whether tear-out and haul-off are included;
- the square footage they measured, so you can see how much overage they’ve added;
- what happens if the subfloor needs work.
Two quotes that look far apart are often measuring different things.
Common questions
How much does it cost to carpet a 12 by 12 room?
About $950 to $1,250 for average-grade carpet and pad with the old carpet removed, by the one-bedroom figures above. A better grade of carpet raises it.
What does carpet cost per square foot installed?
$6.25 to $8.00 a sq ft, with the pad, tear-out, overhead, profit and sales tax included.
How much is carpet for a whole floor of 1,000 square feet?
About $6,400 to $8,000 for average-grade carpet and pad, typically $7,300.
Is tear-out of the old carpet extra?
Often, on a quote. It’s included in the figures here, because almost every carpet job starts with taking the old one up.
Why does the installed area come out bigger than my room?
Carpet comes off a wide roll and has to run the right way across the room, so the cuts at the walls and seams add to what’s bought. The figures here add 10% for that.