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Enter the room size to get carpet in square feet and square yards, with a waste allowance for seams and cuts.
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Estimates, not quotes. Check product packaging for exact coverage before ordering.
Carpet is sold by the square yard in most stores, though some sell by the square foot. Measure the room area in square feet, add waste for seams and cuts, then divide by 9 for square yards. Carpet pad is ordered for the same area.
A 12 by 10 ft room is 120 sq ft, or 13.3 sq yd. With 10 percent waste, order about 132 sq ft, or 14.7 sq yd, plus pad for the same area. Rooms wider than the carpet roll width need a seam, which is why waste matters more in large rooms.
Carpet comes in rolls, usually 12 or 15 feet wide. A room wider than the roll needs a seam, and a seam costs more labour and more material. Stairs are measured separately, usually by the step, and add both carpet and labour.
Nylon is the most durable common fibre and holds up in busy rooms. Polyester is softer and stain resistant but crushes faster in high traffic. Triexta blends softness with stain resistance, and olefin is cheap and moisture resistant, often used in basements.
Pile height changes the feel and the maintenance. Cut pile is the common living-room choice; loop pile is denser and better for stairs and offices; frieze hides footprints in bedrooms.
| Room | Size | Square yards (10% waste) |
|---|---|---|
| Bedroom | 12 x 12 ft | 17.6 |
| Living room | 16 x 20 ft | 39.1 |
| Hallway | 4 x 20 ft | 9.8 |
| Stairs (12 steps) | 3 ft wide | Order by step with the installer |
Carpet is usually sold by the square yard in the US, so the calculator converts square feet to yards for you.
Pad is ordered for the same area as the carpet. A thicker pad feels softer but can shorten carpet life in high traffic; 6 to 8 lb density is a common middle ground. Seams should run away from the main light source and be placed where traffic is lightest.
Installation is stretched in with a power stretcher, not glued down, unless the product is a glue-down carpet. A proper stretch prevents ripples, which is the most common carpet complaint.
Stairs are measured by the step: measure the run and rise of one step, multiply by the number of steps, and add the width allowance. Closets count as floor area, but the cuts there are often unusable, so include them and add a little waste.
Doorways and angled walls need extra material because the carpet has to run through and be trimmed. Ten percent waste covers most rooms; 15 percent is safer for stairs and halls with many doors.
Carpet is one of the few flooring jobs where professional installation is almost always worth it. The tools (power stretcher, knee kicker, seaming iron) are expensive and the technique decides whether the carpet stays tight.
Buy the carpet and pad through the installer or compare like-for-like, then confirm the square yards, the seam plan and the stairs price in writing.
A mid-range carpet in a busy home lasts about 8 to 15 years depending on fibre, traffic and cleaning. Vacuum weekly, clean spills promptly and have it professionally cleaned every 12 to 18 months.
Areas that mat first are the entry, the hallway and the front of the sofa. Rotating furniture and using mats at doors slows the wear and spreads it out.
Carpet is warmer and quieter underfoot and cheaper to install in many rooms. Hard floors are easier to clean and better for allergies, but they are colder, louder and can be more expensive once underlay and installation are counted.
Many homes use a mix: hard flooring in kitchens and hallways, carpet in bedrooms. Measure each room separately and order to the room, not to the whole house at once.
Pad density matters more than thickness. A dense 6 to 8 lb pad supports the carpet and extends its life; a very thick soft pad feels good but can let the carpet crush and wrinkle.
Ask whether the pad is included in the installed price. Two quotes that look different often differ only in the pad and the stretch.
For pets, choose a stain-resistant fibre and a tight pile, and avoid light colours in the entry. For allergies, a low-pile carpet with a sealed backing and frequent vacuuming works better than a deep pile that traps dust.
Hard flooring is easier to keep dust-free, but carpet can be the better choice for bedrooms and stairs where warmth and grip matter.
Order the carpet and pad together and confirm the delivery date before booking the installer. Carpet needs to be unrolled and relaxed in the room before it is stretched.
Clear the room, remove the old flooring and check the subfloor for squeaks or damp. Installation day is much faster when the room is empty and the old carpet is already gone.
Measure length by width in feet for square feet, add 10 percent waste, then divide by 9 for square yards.
Yes. A room wider than the roll width needs a seam, which increases waste. Add 10 to 15 percent.
Pad is ordered for the same area as the carpet and priced per square yard separately.
Measure each step run and rise, or ask the installer to price stairs per step.
Ten percent is normal even for a simple room, to allow for cutting in and future repairs.
About 16 square yards without waste, or 17.6 with a 10 percent allowance.
Pad is priced separately per square yard; order the same area as the carpet.
Measure each step and add 10 to 15 percent, or ask the installer to price stairs per step.
Yes, most carpet is power-stretched during installation to prevent ripples.
Carpet is sold by area; square yard conversion is 9 sq ft per sq yd. Waste guidance follows common installation practice. · Last updated October 30, 2026 · Report a correction