🧶 Carpet & Padding Calculator

Square Feet vs. Square Yards (Both Are Still Used)

Big-box stores price carpet by the square foot; many carpet dealers and installers still quote by the square yard. The conversion is simple: 1 square yard = 9 square feet.

A 16 × 13 ft room is 208 sq ft ≈ 23.1 sq yd. A $31.50/sq yd quote and a $3.50/sq ft quote are the same price — always convert before comparing.

Why the 12-Foot Roll Rules Your Estimate

Nearly all residential carpet comes on 12-ft wide rolls (some styles in 13'6" or 15'). This matters more than any other factor:

• A room 12 ft or narrower can be carpeted seam-free — your waste is just trim.
• A room wider than 12 ft needs a seam, and the fill strip usually comes from a full-width cut — so you pay for carpet you don't see. A 16 × 13 room often takes a 16 × 12 piece plus a 16 × 1 fill cut from a 16 × 12 piece... in practice installers order 10–15% over the room's area.
• Patterned carpet needs extra for pattern matching at seams — add 15–20% waste instead of 10%.

Don't Cheap Out on Padding

Padding does more for how a carpet feels and lasts than the carpet grade itself. In 2026:

• Rebond (bonded urethane): $0.40–$0.75/sq ft — the standard choice. Use 7/16" thickness, 6–8 lb density for living areas.
• Memory foam: $0.75–$1.25/sq ft — plush feel, best in bedrooms.
• Rubber slab: $1.00–$1.50/sq ft — premium durability, great over concrete.

A high-quality pad under a mid-grade carpet outperforms a premium carpet on a cheap pad — and many carpet warranties are void without the specified pad density.

What Does Carpet Cost Installed in 2026?

• Budget polyester: $1–$3 per sq ft material.
• Mid-grade nylon: $3–$5 per sq ft — the sweet spot for most homes.
• Premium wool/triexta: $5–$12+ per sq ft.
• Padding: $0.40–$1.50 per sq ft.
• Installation: $1–$2 per sq ft, plus extras for stairs (often $10–$20 per step), furniture moving, and old carpet removal.

Comparing hard flooring instead? See our LVP vs. Laminate Guide or run the numbers in the Flooring Calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert square feet to square yards of carpet?

Divide square feet by 9. A 180 sq ft room is 20 square yards. This calculator shows both automatically.

How much carpet do I need for a 12x12 room?

144 sq ft (16 sq yd) plus waste — call it 155–160 sq ft. Because the room is exactly roll width, it can usually be done seam-free with minimal waste.

How much waste should I add for carpet?

10% for solid-color carpet in simple rooms. 15–20% for patterned carpet, stairs, hallways with turns, or rooms wider than 12 feet needing seams.

Do I need new padding if my old pad looks fine?

Yes, replace it. Pad compresses invisibly and carries years of trapped dirt and odor. New carpet on an old pad wears noticeably faster, and most warranties require new pad of a specified density.

How much does it cost to carpet stairs?

Most installers charge $10–$20 per step beyond the material. A standard 13-step staircase needs roughly 80–100 sq ft of carpet including waste (a "waterfall" install uses less than a wrapped "Hollywood" install).