How Much Does Carpet Installation Cost?

Carpet cost per square foot by fiber

Fiber choice is the biggest material cost driver in carpet installation. Polyester and olefin (polypropylene) are the budget tier at $1 to $3 per square foot for materials, while nylon, the most popular mid-range fiber, runs $2 to $5. Wool, the premium natural fiber, runs $4 to $20 per square foot for materials alone, and specialty fibers like acrylic ($3 to $8), cotton ($2 to $7), and Triexta ($3 to $8) fill out the middle.

A second dataset from Fixr reports similar material bands per square foot: olefin $0.75 to $5, polyester $1.50 to $6, Triexta $2 to $6, nylon $2 to $8, jute $4 to $8, and wool $5 to $26. The ordering is consistent across sources: synthetics at the bottom, nylon in the middle, wool at the top. Carpet is usually sold by the square yard, so expect material quotes of $30 to $50 per square yard, which converts to roughly $3.33 to $5.55 per square foot.

Installed prices by carpet type, from HomeGuide, bundle material with labor: basic polyester $2 to $5 per square foot installed, mid-grade nylon $2 to $8, Berber $2 to $9, carpet tile $2 to $11, and premium wool $7 to $23. Angi also breaks out style premiums: Berber $3 to $20, cut-and-loop $1 to $10, frieze $1 to $8, and texture $1 to $12 per square foot.

Sources: Angi: How Much Does Replacing a Carpet Cost? [2026 Data], HomeGuide: Carpet vs. Laminate Cost (2026), Fixr: Cost to Carpet Stairs | Cost to Install Carpet on Stairs

How much does carpet installation cost?

Carpet installation costs $3 to $11 per square foot in 2026, with the national average at $1,778 per project, per Angi. Most homeowners pay $780 to $2,812 for a full install, which is the planning band to use before you get quotes.

The installed price breaks into three parts: carpet materials, padding, and labor. Polyester and olefin run $1 to $3 per square foot for materials, nylon $2 to $5, and wool $4 to $20. Padding adds $0.75 to $2.00 per square foot, per Angi, and installation labor runs $0.50 to $1.50 per square foot, per HomeGuide, which is among the lowest labor rates of any flooring.

Removing old carpet adds $1 to $5 per square foot, covering labor, waste disposal, and cleanup, per Angi, which is why a carpet replacement quote can land well above the $3 to $11 installed band. Ask for removal, padding, and installation itemized separately before you compare quotes.

Sources: Angi: How Much Does Replacing a Carpet Cost? [2026 Data], HomeGuide: Carpet vs. Laminate Cost (2026), Fixr: Cost to Carpet Stairs | Cost to Install Carpet on Stairs

Carpet padding costs

Carpet padding typically costs $0.75 to $2.00 per square foot, according to Angi, with HomeGuide reporting $0.75 to $1.75. For a 144 square foot bedroom, padding adds $108 to $288; for a 1,000 square foot whole-home job, it adds $750 to $2,000. Padding is a separate line item in most quotes, so check whether your per-square-foot price includes it.

Padding is not always required, but it extends the carpet's life and can reduce replacement costs over time. Without it, textural differences in a concrete slab or subfloor can come through underfoot, making the carpet feel less comfortable, and the carpet itself wears faster. Denser, thicker pads cost more but pay back in comfort and longevity, especially in high-traffic areas.

Sources: Angi: How Much Does Replacing a Carpet Cost? [2026 Data], HomeGuide: Carpet vs. Laminate Cost (2026)

Installation labor cost breakdown

Installation labor alone runs $0.50 to $1.50 per square foot, according to HomeGuide, which is why carpet has some of the lowest labor costs of any flooring type. Some carpet retailers include free installation with a purchase, which can meaningfully reduce the total project cost. Labor climbs when the job involves removing old carpet, carpeting stairs, or repairing the subfloor.

Removing old carpeting costs $1 to $5 per square foot, covering labor, waste disposal, and cleanup, according to Angi. HomeGuide reports $0.70 to $1.60 per square foot for removal, or more for glued-down carpet. Removing the carpet yourself and hiring a pro only for the new installation saves labor money, but removal is labor intensive. Subfloor repairs average $600, and full subfloor replacement costs $3 to $10 per square foot. Carpeting stairs costs $1 to $2 per square foot more than standard rooms, or $11 to $26 extra per step, due to the precise cutting and extra hands-on work. Our flooring removal and subfloor repair cost guide breaks down the tear-out and subfloor side.

Sources: Angi: How Much Does Replacing a Carpet Cost? [2026 Data], HomeGuide: Carpet vs. Laminate Cost (2026), HomeGuide: How Much Does Flooring Installation Cost? (2026)

Carpet cost by room size

Square footage is the single biggest factor in the total. Angi's 2026 table shows 500 square feet costing $1,500 to $5,500, 800 square feet $2,400 to $8,800, 1,000 square feet $3,000 to $11,000, 1,500 square feet $4,500 to $16,500, and 2,000 square feet $6,000 to $22,000. The national average project of $1,778 covers an average 330 square foot living room.

For a single 12 by 12 foot bedroom (144 square feet), the installed range is $432 to $1,584 at $3 to $11 per square foot, before removal or padding upgrades. HomeGuide reports $200 to $900 for a 10 by 12 foot room as a cross-check. Staircases are priced separately: Fixr reports a national average of $650 to carpet stairs, with a typical range of $430 to $780, a low end of $300, and a high end of $2,460 for large or premium jobs.

Sources: Angi: How Much Does Replacing a Carpet Cost? [2026 Data], HomeGuide: Carpet vs. Laminate Cost (2026), Fixr: Cost to Carpet Stairs | Cost to Install Carpet on Stairs

What drives carpet cost up or down

Fiber and style selection moves the price more than anything else: the same room can cost three times more in wool than in polyester. Square footage sets the base total, and larger jobs often get a lower per-square-foot rate while small rooms carry minimum charges. Padding grade adds $0.75 to $2.00 per square foot, and premium or moisture-resistant pads sit at the high end.

Site conditions add the extras. Old carpet removal runs $1 to $5 per square foot, subfloor repairs average $600, and subfloor replacement runs $3 to $10 per square foot. Irregularly shaped rooms needing custom cuts add $1 to $2 per square foot on the cut areas. Stain-resistant treatments run about $80 per 1,000 square feet, a budget-friendly add-on for carpets that are not naturally stain-resistant. Carpet tiles at $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot can reduce labor costs and let you replace single tiles instead of a whole room.

Costs come down when you choose budget synthetics like polyester or olefin, keep the padding basic, remove the old carpet yourself, and get multiple quotes. Repairing instead of replacing also saves money when the carpet is less than 10 years old: a torn carpet costs $150 to $300 to fix, wrinkles cost $100 to $300 to smooth, and a patch costs $125 to $250 per patch. If you are done with carpet entirely, our carpet to hardwood replacement cost guide prices the full swap.

To price your project before you get quotes, use our flooring cost calculator to estimate removal, padding, and installation together so the budget holds.

Sources: Angi: How Much Does Replacing a Carpet Cost? [2026 Data]

Limitations

Confidence: MEDIUM. The planning range of $3 to $11 per square foot installed is anchored in Angi's 2026 national dataset of 8,740 verified projects and cross-checked against HomeGuide's $2 to $8 installed range and Fixr's material tables, which agree on fiber ordering and approximate bands.

This range does not cover old carpet removal and disposal, subfloor repair or replacement, stair premiums, custom cuts, stain-resistant treatments, furniture moving, or regional labor premiums, which run higher in high-cost metros. Material prices move with petroleum markets for synthetics and with agricultural markets for wool, so quotes vary by retailer, season, and region. Treat this guide as a planning benchmark and get at least three itemized quotes before committing.

Sources: Angi: How Much Does Replacing a Carpet Cost? [2026 Data]