Carpet installation cost per square foot
| Carpet type | Installed price | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Budget (polyester or olefin) | $2–$5.50 | Soft but mats faster in high traffic |
| Mid-grade nylon | $4–$8 | The durability sweet spot |
| Triexta (stain-resistant) | $4.50–$8 | Good for pets and basements |
| Premium nylon or wool blend | $7–$12 | Premium brands and blends |
| Wool | $9–$18 | The most expensive fiber |
Total cost by floor area
| Carpet type | 200 sq ft | 500 sq ft | 1,000 sq ft | 1,500 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget (polyester or olefin) | $400–$1,100 | $1,000–$2,750 | $2,000–$5,500 | $3,000–$8,250 |
| Mid-grade nylon | $800–$1,600 | $2,000–$4,000 | $4,000–$8,000 | $6,000–$12,000 |
| Triexta (stain-resistant) | $900–$1,600 | $2,250–$4,000 | $4,500–$8,000 | $6,750–$12,000 |
| Premium nylon or wool blend | $1,400–$2,400 | $3,500–$6,000 | $7,000–$12,000 | $10,500–$18,000 |
| Wool | $1,800–$3,600 | $4,500–$9,000 | $9,000–$18,000 | $13,500–$27,000 |
Square feet or square yards?
Many carpet retailers still quote by the square yard, and one square yard is nine square feet. A carpet that costs $4 per square foot is $36 per square yard, so convert before comparing quotes. Also check whether a quote includes the pad and the removal of old carpet; guides note that almost nobody includes removal in the headline number.
What labor costs
Installation labor alone generally runs $0.50 to $1.50 per square foot, which is a small part of the total: about a fifth of the installed price in our data. The carpet you choose drives the bill.
Extras and the stairs problem
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Remove and dispose of old carpet and pad | $0.40–$1.60 |
| Upgrade to a denser rubber pad | $1 |
Stairs. We don't price stairs because sources disagree by an order of magnitude: one guide says $3 to $8 per step, another $25 to $45 per step, and a third $150 to $600 in total. Get a per-step quote from your installer.
Which carpet fiber?
- Polyester is soft, budget-friendly and stain-resistant but mats faster in high traffic.
- Nylon is the durability standard and the usual choice for stairs, halls and busy households.
- Triexta sits between them and is often recommended for pets and basements.
- Wool is the premium option, at the top of the price range.
Questions to ask before you hire
- Is the price per square foot or per square yard, and does it include the pad?
- Is removal and disposal of the old carpet included?
- How are stairs priced, per step or in total?
- Who moves the furniture, and is there a charge?
- What is the warranty on the carpet and on the installation?
Methodology and sources
We price each carpet type per square foot installed with a standard pad, adjust the labor share for your state's building-trades wages, and add removal and upgrades separately. Read how we estimate costs.
- HomeGuide: carpet installation cost — labor, removal
- Remodel Calculators: carpet cost — installed prices by fiber
- Zelo Flooring: cost to install carpet — nylon, premium brands
- Project Cost Pro: carpet calculator — prices by fiber, stairs
- BuildRefs: carpet installation cost — budget to luxury, per square yard
- My New Surface, Home Upgrade Cost and Expert Build Calc — labor, pad, per-yard pricing
- Carpet Exchange: carpet installation cost — benchmark range
- BLS OEWS May 2025, State (SOC 47-2031, Carpenters) — state labor index, used as a building-trades proxy
What each source reports
Our estimate does not rely on any single page. This table lists each page we used and the figures it reports, so you can see where the ranges come from.
| Source | What it reports |
|---|---|
| Remodel Calculators |
|
| Project Cost Pro |
|
| BuildRefs |
|
| Zelo Flooring |
|
| My New Surface |
|
| HomeGuide |
|
| Home Upgrade Cost | upgrading to a denser rubber pad adds roughly $1 per square foot |
Common questions about carpet installation costs
How much does carpet installation cost?
A typical job (500 sq ft of mid-grade nylon) comes to about $2,750 nationally, within a range of $2,000 to $4,000. Use the calculator above to adjust for your state, the options you choose and any extras.
What is the carpet installation cost per square foot?
Installed with pad and labor, carpet runs from about $2–$5.50 per square foot for budget polyester or olefin to about $9–$18 for wool.
How much does it cost to carpet a 500 sq ft area?
Budget carpet comes to about $1,000–$2,750 and mid-grade nylon to about $2,000–$4,000 for 500 sq ft installed.
Where do these prices come from?
They come from 7 published cost pages from 7 publishers, last checked Oct 3, 2026. We report what those pages say and do not invent figures; the table above shows each source.
How does my state change the estimate?
The labor part of the price is scaled by the average wage for the relevant trade in your state, using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Materials and equipment are not adjusted.
Why might a contractor's quote differ from this estimate?
A quote reflects your specific scope, access, local demand and what the contractor includes. Ask for line items rather than a single total so you can compare bids on the same basis.
All 7 sources behind these prices
Every figure in the calculator comes from one or more of these pages, with the number each one supports in the link text.
- Remodel Calculators: polyester installed $2.50-$6.50 per square foot, about $4.00 typical
- Project Cost Pro: polyester $3-$5 per square foot installed with pad
- BuildRefs: budget carpet $1.50-$4.00 per square foot installed
- Zelo Flooring: nylon $4.50-$7.00 per square foot installed
- My New Surface: a 300 sq ft bedroom, $3 carpet + $0.50 pad + $1 labor + $0.50 removal per square foot
- HomeGuide: carpet material $1-$5 per square foot and labor $0.50-$1.50 per square foot
- Home Upgrade Cost: upgrading to a denser rubber pad adds roughly $1 per square foot