Carpet
Installation - What Does it Really Cost?
©2011 by Alan
Fletcher - Carpet Expert & Consumer Advocate
Carpet Installation Prices, Fees and Charges
August
12th, 2011
How
much does it cost to have carpet installed? If you are looking to find out how
much it costs to install new carpet I have all the answers you need.
Some
of the BIG BOX home improvement stores have been offering specials on carpet
installation and some are offering free installation. But you need to know
that this is not as good of a deal as it sounds. If you want to get the scoop
on these types of carpet installation specials click here to learn more. Big
Box Carpet Installation
specials
In
different parts of the country, the price of Carpet Installation may be higher
or lower depending on the current supply and demand in your area. In our current down economy,
there are a lot more hungry carpet installers out there looking for work. This
is good news for those consumers who have money to spend on home renovations
and are willing to do a little legwork to find a qualified carpet installer
and negotiate a good deal. If you are willing to haggle with a few local
Carpet Installers, I bet you can negotiate as much as 20-30% off their
normal carpet installation charge, especially if you are willing to pay them
in cash at the end of the day. (but always get a written receipt)
Carpet
Installation Cost - Getting
the job done right!
The
main thing you want to be sure of, is that the carpet installers are qualified
and experienced with the type of carpet and job you are doing, and that they
will use a
power-stretcher to install your carpet. Gone are the days where a simple
knee-kicker will do the trick unless you’re installing cheap carpet in a
very small room on a very hot day. Carpet needs to be stretched in tight, and
the only way to insure this is to use a power-stretcher. If they don’t use a
powerstretcher, then find an installer that does!
Otherwise you might void the manufacturer's warranty!
Looped
Berber Carpets are more difficult to install and the installation cost may be
as much as $2 per yard higher than a standard plush style carpet. Selecting a
Patterned Carpet Style may also increase the installation cost as well as
increase the amount of Carpet Material needed to complete the job.
Highest
and Lowest Carpet
Installation Costs
In
the southern states, there is much more competition and carpet installation
prices are much lower. For example, in Miami, Florida you can get carpet
installed for less than $2.00 per yard. I’m not saying it would be a
qualified install, but there are plenty of hungry people in the area willing
to work very hard for little money. Making sure your carpet installer is
qualified is up to you. Don’t assume that every carpet installer is
qualified to install your carpet. In fact, I believe that less than 35% of all
carpet installers are properly trained.
The
States with the lowest carpet installation costs have typically been Florida,
Texas, New Mexico, and southern California. Other southern states like
Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arkansas and Southern Arizona have fairly
inexpensive carpet labor and installation costs. Prices will range from $2.25
per yard to &4.50 per yard depending on the difficulty of the job and the
carpet selected.
The
highest carpet installation prices are in the Northeast states like New York,
Virginia, Massachusetts... and also in the Pacific Northwest like Oregon and
Washington and Idaho. Prices may range from $3.50 per yard for a medium grade
plush style carpet to $6.50 per yard for a heavy duty looped Berber style
carpet.
Carpet
Installation Cost - The
Real Numbers:
Some
carpet retailers choose to make additional profits by adding an extra fee on
top of the standard going rate for installation charges, often adding as much
as 25% to the total installation cost. I feel this is an unfair charge to the
consumer and a slap in the face to the installer. Carpet retailers already
make a fair and reasonable profit from the markup on carpet and pad.
Carpet
Installation Cost - Beyond
the scope of basic carpet installation
Some carpet
retailers and home improvement stores offer low-cost specials on
carpet installation. Some of these specials are just too good to be true. $37
for carpet installation sounds good when you hear about it, but in the
end, is it really as good as it sounds? Not always. Their basic carpet
installation price does not include any extras. If your carpet installation
job needs any extras, then you may find that the final bill for your carpet
install is much higher than you expect. Don’t assume that their low price
installation is valid in your situation. When your carpet is installed, you
may be faced with a sizable final bill that you did not expect.
Carpet
Installation Cost - Removing
your old Carpet and Padding
Tearing
out and disposing of the old carpet and padding can cost anywhere from $1.00
to $2.00 per yard. An experienced Carpet Installation crew of three can
remove 100 yards of carpet and pad in less than an hour. I personally think
$1.50 per
yard is a fair price to remove the old carpet and padding because most Carpet
Retailers have a large dumpster available for their
installers to use free of charge.
However,
I think a reasonable dump fee is a fair
charge if the installer you hire has to haul your old
carpet and pad to a landfill or recycling center. It takes quite a bit of time
and energy to do that and local dump fees have been on the rise. Installers may
charge a dump fee of $25 to $75 depending
on how much old carpet and pad you have to haul away.
Installing
new tackless strips
All
new construction will require that new tack strips be installed. It’s easier
to install tack strips on a wood floor than on a concrete slab. The fee for
new tack strips on wood might be an additional .25 to .50 cents per yard. The
fee for installing tack strips over concrete might be an additional $1 per
yard or more. In existing homes with damaged tack strips that need to be
replaced, the fee should be about $2.00 to $3.00 per each four-foot section.
(tackless strips come in 4 foot lengths)
Entry,
doorway and flooring transitions
The
carpet will meet other types of flooring at doorways and at kitchens, baths
and utility rooms and must have a transition of some type. Examples are:
Carpet to vinyl, carpet to hardwoods, carpet to vinyl tiles, and carpet to
ceramic tiles are some of the common places where a transition will be
necessary.
Transitions
can be made of wood, metal, rubber or plastic. Each transition is available in
different quality levels and depending on the application, the correct
transition must be used to ensure a long life without failing. The cost of
transitions vary widely and should be discussed with your carpet
estimator/retailer before the bid final is drawn up.
The cheapest gold or
silver colored transitions are generally priced at $1-$2 per foot. A rubber
transition in a utilitarian application should cost about $3-$5 per foot. A
transition of pre-finished hardwood can easily cost $5 to $20 per foot. Brass
or other specialized transitions can be quite costly.
Learn
more about How to Find a Qualified Carpet
Installer
