How Long Does Carpet Installation Take?
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If you’re getting new carpet, a big consideration is how long the carpet installation will take. After all, you need to plan around things like having workers in your home, storing your furniture, and then putting it all back in position. When planning any home renovation project, it’s helpful to have a rough estimate of the timeline.
Of course, many factors influence how long it will take for carpet installation, so there’s no set answer. On average, a professional carpet installer can lay about 12 to 15 yards of carpet in about one hour. But, you must also consider the preparation time, which could take a day or more depending on the project size.
Before beginning any carpet installation, request an estimated timeline from the installers. To play it safe, you might want to add a few hours to whatever time they quote you. You never know what unexpected situations might come up when it comes to home renovation projects.
Factors That Influence Carpet Installation Timeline
When determining how long they need to install carpet, professionals will consider several different things. The combination of these factors ultimately determines how long you can expect your carpet installation to take.
1. The Size Of The Space
Obviously, the more area you want to cover with carpet, the longer it will take. On average, a 12 x 12 room could take roughly two days to complete. One day is for preparation, and the second day is for the actual carpet installation.
2. The Ability Of The Crew
Of course, the ideal is to have a reputable and knowledgeable crew installing your carpet. But, as with many things, some people are more adept than others at their trades. So, the crew’s ability will also factor into your overall timeline.
3. Extra Services
If you need to remove old carpet, this will add time to the overall process. You need to tear out the carpet, rip up old padding, and vacuum up the debris. Whether you do it or the pros do it, it will add to the scope of the project.
Another activity that can add to the timeline is furniture removal. If you have a room full of furniture, it can take some time to relocate it.
Then if you’re adding carpet to several rooms at once, moving your furniture becomes a more significant task. You might have to consider renting a storage unit to house your furniture until the carpet installation is complete.
4. How Much Carpet You Need
When determining the amount of carpet you need, it’s about more than taking overall measurements. You also need to consider the shape of the room. If it has lots of nooks and crannies, then you’ll need different seams throughout the space.
When you start requiring these multiple seams, you need to purchase more carpet. So, if you end up needing extra carpet because of these types of circumstances, the installation will take longer.
5. Unique Features Or Projects
Finally, a simple square room with no special features will take about two to four hours for the actual install. Depending on the necessary prep, some companies might tell you they can do the whole room in one day. Of course, this doesn’t include removing and replacing your furniture.
But, when you start adding in special features, like a staircase, you can add three to five hours to the process. If you’re dealing with a spiral staircase, it will take a bit longer. If the room has multiple levels and alcoves, you can expect a longer timeline.
Also, as part of the prep, workers need to remove the baseboards and prep the subfloor. So if you have any unique situations or difficult to remove trim, this can also add time. It’s important to fix any squeaky boards and repair other issues before laying down a new carpet.
The Steps For Installing Carpet
Remember, laying carpet isn’t just about rolling it out, and it’s done. You need to consider all of the steps when determining the overall timeline.
- Removing the furniture and items in the room
- Cleaning the room
- Measuring the space
- Preparing the subfloor
- Making any necessary repairs
- Removing baseboards
- Installing carpet tack strips
- Laying down carpet padding
- Measuring and cutting the carpet
- Laying the carpet and lining up the seams
- Anchoring the carpet along the wall
- Securing and stretching the carpet
- Installing transition strips
- Replacing the baseboards
- Replacing the furniture once you’re able to do so
Extra Considerations When Installing Carpet
Depending on how many rooms you’re installing carpet into or which rooms, it can be quite the upheaval. For example, if you’re putting new carpet in your master bedroom, you’ll be displaced for a few days. Make arrangements for where your temporary bedroom will be in the interim.
If you have a small house, then carpeting even one room can be a huge hassle. If you’re moving all of the furniture elsewhere in your home, it can feel really cramped.
Carpet installation can take anywhere from one day for a small project to four or five days. You need to ensure you have the time in your schedule as you’ll need to be home. Therefore, it might require you to take off work for a couple of days.
Furniture Relocation Can Add To Your Time And Budget
Some installers will offer furniture removal as part of their service at no extra charge. Others might offer it as an option for a small fee. However, this is likely simply moving your furniture to another room or into a POD if you’ve arranged for one.
If you have a lot of furniture to move and nowhere to put it, you’ll need to acquire some storage. So, expect to add temporary storage costs to your budget’s bottom line.
But, in many cases, it will be up to you to have your furniture moved, and the room cleaned ahead of time. When the carpet installation is complete, you will be responsible for putting your furniture back, no matter who moved it in the beginning.
This is because you often need to wait before you put furniture back in place. If your carpet is glued down, then the recommendation is to wait at least 24 hours before placing anything on top of it. Otherwise, you risk the carpet shifting or getting permanent dents.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does professional carpet installation cost?
Just like how long it takes to install, carpet installation costs also vary based on the project. If you’re placing carpet in an average-sized room, about 10 x 12 feet, you could pay between $200 and $900. To carpet an average house, you could spend anywhere from $1,500 to almost $8,000.
The average cost of carpet per square foot ranges from about $3.50 to $11. This includes the cost of materials and labor. If you’re laying your carpet yourself, it would cost closer to $2 to $7 per square foot.
Obviously, the higher-grade carpet you use, the higher the price tag. If you opt for high-end, luxury carpet, you could pay more than $20 per square foot.
Some carpet is also sold in square yards, covering more than square feet, so it could be anywhere from $10 to $175 or more per square yard.
What is the difference between square feet and square yards?
One square yard equals 9 square feet. Therefore, when you’re choosing carpet, pay attention to whether it is sold in square feet or square yards.
This can make a big difference to your bottom line, but it also affects how much carpet you need to order. For example, imagine you assume a carpet is sold in square yards and order 2 square yards.
When it arrives, you realize it was actually sold in square feet, so you have only two square feet of carpet. But you needed 18 square feet. Now, you’re short and don’t have what you need to do your project.
Or, you thought your carpet was only $10 per square yard, and you need two square yards. Only to discover it’s actually $10 per square foot, and you need 18 square feet. The $20 you were expecting just turned into $180.
How do you determine how much carpet you need for your space?
Start with the overall measurement of the room, measuring the length and the width. If you have any strange angles or nooks in the space, measure each shape separately and add them together. If you have stairs, account for the risers as well as the treads.
A good rule of thumb is to add about 5% to 20% more carpet to your final figure. This way, you can ensure you have enough carpet for your project. The more unique features you have, the closer to the 20% extra mark you should go.
You can find carpet estimators online, or if you’re using a professional service, they will do the measuring for you.
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