Before you start your search for a carpet fitter, it’s important that you do some initial research into the cost of your planned project. If you base your research on the latest figures with an awareness of how prices have changed in the last few years, you’ll be able to budget appropriately for your carpet installation, avoiding disappointment or mismatched expectations.
We'll cover the following topics in this pricing guide:- Average carpet fitting costs
- How long does fitting a carpet take?
- How to reduce carpet fitting costs
- FAQ
- Your carpet fitter checklist
Average carpet fitting costs
It’s impossible to be exact about how much your carpet fitting project will cost without an understanding of the specifics of your home and space, including the size and shape of the area to be carpeted and what will need to be removed or cleared from the area to make way for the new installation. Average costs, however, can be a useful starting point for budgeting purposes.
| Carpet Fitting Element | Average Price |
|---|---|
| Carpet fitting | £18 to £25 per hour |
| Carpet material cost | £6 to £60 per m2 |
| Underlay material cost | £8 to £12 per m2 |
| Floor repair and levelling work | £10 to £15 per m2 |
| Old carpet/laminate/vinyl removal | £1 to £4 per m2 |
| Removing and replacing skirting boards | £18 to £26 per metre |
| Door trimming | Approximately £30 per door |
| Room clearance | Dependent on furniture and fitter |
| Carpet delivery | Approximately £30 |
If these averages seem appropriate for your budget, the best way to narrow down your exact quote and account for specifics like the standard widths of carpet rolls and the condition of your floor is to speak with a fitter directly. Find a reliable local carpet fitter in no time on MyBuilder, and get a more precise cost estimate from a professional with knowledge of your project particulars.
How much does carpet installation cost?
The two most significant cost determiners when planning out prices for a carpet fitting project are the size of the area to be carpeted and the chosen material. Budget carpets versus premium carpets come in at two very different price points, as do one-bedroom carpeting jobs versus three-room-and-stairs carpeting jobs. Other factors that influence cost include:
- The shape of the area to be carpeted (odd room shapes could incur extra material costs)
- The existing floor conditions in the area to be carpeted
- Whether the room is furnished and whether you’re willing to clear that furniture yourself
- Your location and the accessibility of your home, e.g., bungalow versus seventh-floor flat
Your chosen carpet fitter
Some choose to cut that final cost by installing the carpet themselves, but this is definitely something that you should approach with caution. The fitting process is more complex than it might initially seem, consisting of all of the following stages:
- Measurement of the space
- Preparation of the space, including furniture clearance and removal of old flooring
- Fitting of grippers, bars and underlay
- Fitting and trimming of the carpet material
Adjusting any woodwork after the carpet is laid, e.g., trimming doors
If you’re on the fence about hiring a professional fitter, we’d recommend you reap the benefits of an easy installation, a quality finish and invaluable peace of mind. Carpet fitters usually charge somewhere from £18 to £25 per hour or £144 to £200 per day.
Cost of carpet material
The type of carpet you choose to buy is the most critical cost factor for this sort of project and can have a considerable impact on the final figure.
There are many different materials and quality levels available, with prices ranging from just £75 in total for a budget carpet in a small room all the way to upwards of £1,500 for a high-quality carpet in a large room. The table below details the likely costs of the five most popular carpet materials.
| Carpet Material | Average Cost per m2 | Budget Carpet Cost for a Mid-Sized Room | Premium Carpet Cost for a Mid-Sized Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polypropylene | £3 to £50 | £250 to £640 | £800 to £1,760 |
| Polyester | £30 | £480 to £800 | £1,440 to £1,760 |
| Wool | £15 to £60 | £640 to £960 | £1,440 to £2,080 |
| Sisal | £45 | N/A | £1,440 to £2,080 |
| Nylon | £30 | £480 to £800 | £1,440 to £1,760 |
Cost of underlay
Underlay is often an afterthought when purchasing carpet, but given the insulating, sound-softening qualities that the right underlay possesses, this shouldn’t necessarily be the case. As with carpet materials, there are many different underlay choices available, and each one has its own price point. The table below details the likely costs of the five most popular underlay types.
| Underlay Material | Average Cost per m2 | Cost per m2 for Basic Quality Underlay | Cost per m2 for High-Quality Underlay |
|---|---|---|---|
| PU foam | £3 | £850 to £890 | £920 to £950 |
| Sponge rubber | £5 | £920 to £950 | £1,015 to £1,050 |
| Crumb rubber | £5 | £890 to £920 | N/A |
| Felt | £4 | £840 to £855 | N/A |
| Combination | £5 | £920 to £950 | N/A |
Cost of additional carpet fitting hardware
Additional hardware is used during the carpet fitting process in the form of things like gripper rods and threshold bars. These make up a tiny portion of the total cost of your quote from a fitter but are still worth accounting for to get a complete picture of the price, especially if you’re on a stringent budget.
Gripper rods run along the edge of a carpeted area and hold everything in place. They usually cost about £0.50 per metre. Threshold bars allow for flooring transitions. Carpet-to-carpet threshold bars are usually £5 or £6 each, while carpet-to-laminate threshold bars are £7 to £8 each.
Cost of room clearance
If the room you’re planning to carpet is currently furnished, you’ll need to decide whether you’re happy to clear the space of furniture for your fitter or whether you want to add the cost of room clearance to your quote.
It isn’t easy to estimate the cost here, as the price will depend on how many things are in the room in question and how easy it is to move those things out of the way and into a different space. We recommend speaking directly with a tradesperson to determine whether room or house clearance would be within your budget.
Cost of removing existing flooring or carpet
Removing old flooring is a relatively simple process, especially if your fitter has experience with various flooring types. Usually, you’ll be looking at a cost of around £1 to £4 per m2, and your fitter will include removal in your overall quote, so you won’t forget to factor it in.
Cost of levelling or repair
When replacing existing flooring or laying carpet in a room for the first time, your fitter may come across an issue that requires repair or levelling. If, for example, there’s damage to your staircase, you might pay an additional £90 to resolve that before the carpet goes down. Alternatively, if your floor needs levelling before it can be carpeted, you’ll be looking at a cost of around £10 to £15 per m2.
Cost of woodwork changes
If your new carpet is thicker than the flooring that was previously down, there’s a chance you’ll need your fitter to trim your doors to size for you so that they still have enough clearance to close smoothly. This can be done relatively quickly on the day, on-site, and costs around £30 per door.
If you want to replace your skirting boards alongside your carpet, you should discuss this with your fitter ahead of time. If they agree to the additional work, this will usually cost you about £22 per metre, plus additional labour costs for the extra time.
Cost of carpet delivery
This may be included in the cost of your carpet. If it’s a separately defined fee, it’ll be around £30, though delivery charges will, of course, vary from retailer to retailer.
How long does fitting a carpet take?
As we’ve mentioned a few times throughout this article, the cost of your carpet fitting project will be heavily influenced by the amount of time that it takes. But how much time are we talking about? What should you expect?
A carpet fitter can usually install approximately 14 metres of carpet and underlay per hour, and it stands to reason that the larger the area, the longer it will take. From one-room to whole house jobs, here are the usual timeframes for each part of the installation.
| Carpet Fitting Job | Usual Timeframe |
|---|---|
| Pre-installation measurement appointment | One to two hours |
| Clearing the room and removing existing flooring | One to four hours |
| Pre-installation fixing or levelling | Depends on severity and type of damage |
| Fitting the carpet and underlay | One hour to two days |
How to reduce carpet fitting costs
If you’d love to get a new carpet purchased and fitted but you’re on a tight budget, we can help. These tips should help you to reduce associated costs while still getting everything you want out of your project.
- Focus on high-priority areas first: Minimising the scale of your project can help bring down costs significantly. If, for instance, you were planning on carpeting two bedrooms, the upstairs landing and the stairs, you could instead opt to focus on the bedrooms for the time being, enjoying the benefits of new carpet in the areas where you spend the most time.
- Source your materials smartly: There are often deals and sales on carpets that you can use to your advantage. If you choose your preferred carpet sample without paying attention to these, you’ll probably end up paying full price. If you’re willing to research, bide your time and buy at the right moment, you could save yourself a fair amount of money on materials.
- Consider long and short-term costs: It’s easy to think about the short-term cost of a carpet and a professional fitter and look solely for the cheapest choice of both. Look to the long-term, too, balancing the need for savings now with the need for a quality product and installation that will allow your new carpet to stand the test of time.
- Shop around and compare quotes to get the best deal: Use MyBuilder to find local carpet fitters who can help with your project, but don’t stop at the first quote you receive. Gather multiple quotes and compare them on a like-for-like basis to ensure you get a truly competitive price.
FAQ
Can I fit my own carpet?
Yes, you can. But you may find you can get a longer-lasting, higher-quality finish by making that initial investment in a professional’s fitting skills. The biggest cost associated with a new carpet is usually the carpet material itself. Having already spent that money, you may decide that attempting a DIY in the installation phase puts you too much at risk if something goes wrong.
How long does carpet fitting take?
It all depends on the size of your project. An experienced fitter could install carpet and underlay in a mid-sized rectangular room within a few hours, but a larger-scale project with more prep work required (room clearance, floor levelling, etc.) might take a couple of days.
Do I need a different type of carpet on my stairs?
Stairs and landings are what we call high-traffic areas in the home, which means the best choice of carpet for them is usually something densely packed, hard wearing, washable and stain resistant. If you’re opting for something on the soft, plush, high-pile end of the scale in your bedroom, for example, a fitter is unlikely to recommend using the same carpet on your stairs.
Your carpet fitter checklist
If you’ve never worked with a carpet fitter before, you may have some questions and concerns about the process. Follow this checklist, and those concerns will soon be swapped for a beautiful, newly installed carpet.
- Research your carpet and fitter: With this kind of expense, there’s no such thing as too much information. From ordering samples of various carpet types to browsing MyBuilder customer reviews for each fitter you consider, learn as much as you can ahead of time.
- Set and stick to your budget: Using an online carpet fitting cost calculator, you can input the size of the area you want to carpet and get a sense of what you’ll pay to do so, on average. From here, you can shape your budget range and set your price ceiling, uninfluenced by pushy fitters or salespeople hoping to make a commission.
- Take your time and compare your options: Using MyBuilder to connect with a carpet fitter is quick and easy. Once you’ve found a few good options and built your shortlist, though, there’s no need to rush. Take your time, get all your questions answered and go from there.
Never agree to make a full payment before your carpet has been fitted: A tradesperson will rarely ask you to pay 100% of the cost of a project before the work has been done. Most will instead request a deposit or a first instalment, with a final instalment to be paid upon completion of the job.
Having a new carpet professionally fitted can make a massive difference to the look of a space and the comfort level it provides. Find an experienced carpet fitter in your area on MyBuilder.