Carpet Replacement Cost Calculator

Carpet replacement typically runs $4 to $11 per square foot installed — that includes the new carpet, padding, installation, and removing the old carpet. A 12×15 bedroom (180 sq ft) is roughly $700–$2,000, and a whole 1,000 sq ft floor is about $4,000–$11,000 depending on carpet quality. Builder-grade carpet is at the low end, while premium plush, berber, and wool cost more. The drivers are the carpet grade, the area, the padding, and how hard the old carpet is to remove (glued-down carpet costs more to tear out than standard tacked carpet). Enter your area, grade, padding, and removal type in the calculator to anchor the estimate.

It should — that's what distinguishes 'replacement' from a fresh installation. A replacement quote normally includes pulling up and hauling away the existing carpet and pad before laying the new carpet, and this calculator builds that in. Standard tacked carpet over tack strips is quick to remove (about $1/sq ft here), while carpet glued directly to a concrete subfloor is much more labor-intensive to scrape off (around $2/sq ft). If you're carpeting a bare subfloor in new construction, choose 'no removal' and there's no tear-out cost. Always confirm whether old-carpet removal and disposal are in the quoted price — some installers list it separately, which is the difference between a replacement and an install quote.

The work is the same new-carpet install — the difference is what's bundled in. 'Installation' assumes a ready subfloor (new construction or after you've removed the old carpet yourself), so it prices just the new carpet, pad, and labor. 'Replacement' adds the tear-out: pulling up and disposing of the existing carpet and pad first. That's why this calculator includes a removal step (standard tacked vs. glued-down vs. none) that the install calculator doesn't. If you'll remove the old carpet yourself to save, use the installation calculator and choose your grade there; if you want one all-in price for tear-out plus new carpet, this replacement calculator is the right tool.

Carpet is manufactured and often priced by the square yard (1 square yard = 9 square feet), though many estimates and this calculator use square feet for simplicity. It usually comes in 12-foot-wide rolls, which affects how it's cut and seamed — rooms that don't divide neatly into 12 feet create more waste. Installers measure each room and add roughly 5–10% (sometimes more) for waste, seam placement, and pattern matching. When estimating, total your room square footage and expect to buy a bit more carpet than the exact floor area to cover that waste. Seams should be planned to fall out of main traffic paths and sightlines.

Yes — padding (the cushion under the carpet) affects comfort, noise, and how long the carpet lasts, even though it's hidden. Quality pad makes carpet feel softer, absorbs impact to reduce fiber wear, improves insulation and sound dampening, and is often required to keep the carpet's warranty valid. Cheap, thin pad lets carpet mat and wear out faster. Upgrading to a thicker or memory-foam pad costs a bit more (about $0.75/sq ft here) and is usually worth it. But more isn't always better — manufacturers specify a maximum pad thickness, especially for berber and commercial carpets, and exceeding it can cause buckling and void the warranty. The calculator prices standard and upgraded padding.

It depends on the room and budget. Nylon is the most durable and stain-resistant common fiber — great for high-traffic areas and families. Polyester (PET) is soft and budget-friendly with good stain resistance but crushes faster under heavy traffic. Olefin/polypropylene resists moisture and stains (good for basements) but is lower-end. Wool is the premium natural option — soft, durable, beautiful — and the priciest. By style: plush/Saxony is soft and traditional, textured/frieze hides footprints and wear, and berber (looped) is durable and casual. For most homes, a quality nylon or polyester in a textured style balances cost, comfort, and durability. The calculator's grade tiers reflect this range.

It's fast — a professional crew can typically remove the old carpet and install new carpet in a few rooms or a whole average home in a single day, and a single room in a couple of hours. The main time factors are the area, the number of rooms and stairs, how much furniture must be moved, and how hard the old carpet is to remove (glued-down carpet over concrete takes longer). Subfloor repairs, if needed, add time. The room is usually walkable right after installation, with no drying time, though you should wait a bit before moving heavy furniture back to let the carpet settle. The calculator estimates cost; your installer can give a schedule based on the area, grade, and removal type.

You can save money by clearing the rooms yourself before the crew arrives — moving small items, lamps, electronics, and emptying closets. Most installers will move larger furniture (beds, dressers, sofas) for an added fee (the furniture-move add-on here), and it's often worth it since they know how to protect both the furniture and the new carpet. If you move heavy pieces yourself, do it carefully to avoid injury and floor damage, and disconnecting/reconnecting electronics is usually the homeowner's responsibility. Clearing what you can yourself keeps the labor cost down — the calculator's furniture-move add-on covers the crew handling it if you'd rather not.

Often, yes. Worn, stained, or dated carpet is one of the first things buyers notice and can make a whole home feel neglected, while fresh, neutral carpet makes rooms look clean and move-in ready. Because carpet replacement is relatively affordable compared to other renovations, it frequently delivers a strong return through faster sales and better offers — especially with a neutral, broadly-appealing color. You generally don't need premium carpet for resale; a clean, mid-grade neutral is the sweet spot. If only certain rooms have bad carpet, replacing just those (while matching the style) can be enough. For a lived-in home with tired carpet, replacement is usually a worthwhile pre-sale investment.

Usually not a good idea. Padding compresses and breaks down over the years just like the carpet above it, so old pad under new carpet leaves the new carpet feeling flat, wears it out faster, and can leave the floor uneven where the pad has matted in traffic lanes. Reusing old pad also often voids the new carpet's warranty, since manufacturers require fresh pad of a specified type and thickness. The pad is a relatively small part of the total cost, so replacing it is cheap insurance for comfort and longevity — and the crew is already pulling the old carpet, so swapping the pad adds little labor. Fresh standard pad is included in this calculator's grade rate; budget for it as part of any replacement.