Carpet removal cost per square foot
| How the carpet is fixed | Installed price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Stapled or tack-strip carpet and pad (the usual case) | $0.50–$1.80 | Carpet, pad and tack strips pulled up and carried out |
| Basement carpet | $0.95–$1.55 | Often glued, and sometimes damp |
| Glued-down carpet | $0.75–$3 | Adhesive has to be scraped from the floor |
Carpet removal is mostly labor: cutting the carpet into strips, rolling it, pulling the pad and tack strips, and carrying everything out. The guides we read quote it per square foot, and where they publish room totals the numbers fit the same range. The calculator multiplies by your area and adjusts the labor share for your state.
Where the guides disagree
The three guides agree on stapled carpet, at roughly $0.50 to $1.80 per square foot. They disagree on glued-down carpet by a factor of four: HomeGuide puts it at $0.75 to $1.80 and Angi at $3 to $5. We keep the range at $0.75 to $3, which sits between the two. Homewyse, which adds overhead and profit to its figures, puts all carpet removal at $1.39 to $2.53 per square foot, higher than the other two. If your quote is above the range, ask what it includes.
What changes the price
- How the carpet is fixed. Staples and tack strips come up fast. Glued-down carpet and glued pad take much longer.
- Stairs. Each step is its own small job, and the guides price them separately.
- Moisture. Wet carpet is heavier and basement floors are often glued.
- Furniture. Moving furniture out of the room is extra unless the room is empty.
- Disposal. Most quotes include it. Some bill haul-away separately.
- Where you live. The calculator adjusts the labor share for your state's construction labor wages.
Extras to expect
| Item | Typical cost | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Haul-away and disposal | $50–$150 | Only if the quote lists it separately |
| Moving furniture | $25–$75 per room | Furniture still in the room |
| Staircase of about 13 steps | $90–$260 | Carpeted stairs |
If you are replacing the carpet, see carpet installation cost and flooring installation cost. Many installers include removal of the old carpet in their price, so compare the totals.
Questions to ask before you hire
- Does the price include removing the pad and tack strips, and disposal?
- Is the carpet glued down, and is scraping the floor included?
- Is moving the furniture included?
- What condition will the subfloor be left in?
- Is it cheaper to have the same company install the new flooring?
Methodology and sources
We price each condition per square foot from three published guides, take the middle of their lows, midpoints and highs, and adjust the labor share for your state's wages. Bob Vila repeats the Angi figures, so it is not counted twice. Read how we estimate costs.
- HomeGuide: carpet removal cost — per square foot, rooms, stairs, disposal
- Angi: carpet removal cost — per square foot, glued-down, basement, stairs, disposal
- Homewyse: cost to remove carpet — national average per square foot, disposal
- Fixr: carpet removal cost — used as an independent cross-check of the room totals
- BLS OEWS May 2025, State (SOC 47-2061, Construction Laborers) — state labor index, a demolition 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 |
|---|---|
| HomeGuide |
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| Angi |
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| Homewyse |
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Common questions about carpet removal costs
How much does carpet removal cost?
A typical job (200 sq ft, stapled) comes to about $220 nationally, within a range of $100 to $360. Use the calculator above to adjust for your state, the options you choose and any extras.
How much does carpet removal cost by type of carpet?
Per square foot, removing stapled or tack-strip carpet and pad costs about $0.50–$1.80, basement carpet $0.95–$1.55 and glued-down carpet $0.75–$3. A 200 sq ft room is about $100–$360 if the carpet is stapled.
What is the carpet removal cost per square foot?
About $0.50–$1.80 per square foot for the usual stapled carpet with pad, $0.95–$1.55 in a basement and $0.75–$3 for glued-down carpet.
How much does it cost to remove carpet from a room?
A bedroom of 12 by 12 feet is 144 sq ft, so about $70–$260. A 200 sq ft room costs $100–$360 and a 400 sq ft living area $200–$720, with disposal included in most quotes.
How much does it cost to remove carpet from stairs?
Stairs are priced per step, not per square foot. The guides we read put it at roughly $7 to $20 per step, so a typical flight of 13 steps adds about $90–$260.
How much does glued-down carpet removal cost?
About $0.75–$3 per square foot, which is more than stapled carpet because the adhesive has to be scraped off the floor. The guides disagree widely, from about $0.75 to $5 per square foot, so get a quote.
Does carpet removal include disposal?
Usually, yes. Where a company bills disposal separately it costs about $50–$150, and a junk hauler can take the carpet for a flat fee, as on the junk removal cost page.
How much does it cost to remove carpet and install new flooring?
Removal is a small part of a flooring job. For comparison, 500 sq ft of luxury vinyl plank installed costs about $2,000–$6,000, and the flooring installation page prices carpet, hardwood and tile the same way.
Is it cheaper to remove carpet myself?
Tools cost little and the work is mostly labor, so doing it yourself saves most of the price. Glued-down carpet and old pad stuck to the floor are the hard part.
Where do these prices come from?
They come from 3 published cost pages from 3 publishers, last checked Oct 8, 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 3 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.