How To Measure For A Carpet Installation

To install a new carpet or replace old carpet, you'll need to first measure the square feet and square yards accurately - either through a credible strategy or a carpet calculator. Despite its simplicity, measuring how much carpet you will need is crucial, as the wrong measurements could lead to additional expenses for your flooring project.

Knowing key tips (such as measuring the square feet of circular spaces) is vital for those looking to DIY their carpet installation. Together, we'll cover carpet measurement basics, including irregular shapes and stairs, as well as what to expect if you decide to work with us for your installation needs. 

What Do “Square Feet” and “Square Yards” Mean, and What’s the Difference?

A “square foot” and a “square yard” are both units of area measurement. A square foot is equal to the area of a square with sides of one foot in length, while a square yard is equal to the area of a square with sides of one yard in length.

The difference between a square foot and a square yard is that one square yard is equal to nine square feet. The cost of carpet installation is usually calculated per square foot or per square yard.

Helpful Tips for Measuring Carpet

Before you begin your DIY carpet installation, it's helpful to sketch out the shape of the space, such as your living room or bedroom, on paper. Sketching the space will help you accurately remember the measurements for each side and visualize the room (for more on visualizing the room you’re working on, be sure to check out our room visualizer!).

While this sketch doesn’t have to be thoroughly detailed, it's still extremely helpful to have a rough idea of the proportions of the room so that you can assign your measurements carefully.

Biggest Mistakes When It Comes to Carpet Measurements

There are a few common mistakes that people make when measuring their spaces for a carpet installation.

These include:

1. Not accounting for irregular spaces or shapes: Many rooms have unique features, such as alcoves, bay windows, or closets, that can complicate the measurement process. It's important to measure these areas carefully and factor them into your overall square footage calculation.
2. Measuring only one side of the room: Some people make the mistake of only measuring one side of a room and assuming that all sides are equal. This is not always the case, especially in older homes where walls may be slightly crooked.
3. Forgetting to account for stairs: If you have stairs in your home, it's important to measure each step and landing accurately. Stairs usually require more carpet and padding than regular rooms, so it's important to account for them in your overall measurements.
4. Not measuring underneath furniture: In order to have a seamless installation, it's important to measure the entire floor space - even if there is furniture placed on top of the existing carpet. This will ensure that you have enough material for a smooth transition between rooms (such as a wood-to-carpet transition).

Measuring for a Standard Room

In this context, a standard room is one that is square or rectangular. This is the easiest type of space for a DIY carpet installation, since calculating square feet is simple - even without the use of a carpet calculator!

For this calculation, you just need to measure the width and length of the room. Then, by taking these two measurements and multiplying them, you'll get the total square footage of your space. 

During your measurements, you'll want to ignore any protrusions in the room, such as built-in bookshelves or chimneys, since you'll be cutting the carpet around them. Additionally, it's a good idea to always add 10 cm to your length and width measurements, as this will ensure you have enough carpet when you go to install it. 

Measuring an Irregularly Shaped Room

A lot of rooms aren't a perfect square or rectangle, yet with careful precision, these, too, can be measured accurately. Sketching out the room comes in particularly handy with irregularly shaped rooms. When doing this, it's important to take into account all recesses, window bays, doorways, and alcoves that may need carpeting.

You'll want to split up the room into easy-to-measure parts. For square or rectangular parts, the equation remains the same, width x length = area. For triangular areas, the equation will look like this: (length x width) / 2 = area.

On the other hand, for circular areas, finding square footage is doable but a bit more complex. You'll first need to find the radius of the curve and then use that number to find the exact carpet area.

Since this can be a complex and confusing process, many people choose to hire a professional carpet installer to ensure the job gets done right. A professional carpet installation includes taking in-person measurements so you can be sure to estimate the carpet cost correctly and avoid costly mistakes.

Measuring a Hallway

Measuring hallways can also be tricky because they often have a lot of doorways. Though they are often small areas of your home, you shouldn't discount how tricky hallways can be to measure.

For "L" shaped hallways, you'll want to take the strategy of an irregularly shaped room, where you separate the space into easily measurable parts. With these "L" shaped hallways, you’ll want to divide them into two rectangles and then measure each rectangle.

However, although this method will allow you to waste less carpet, it will result in a visible seam (also known as a “join”) in the carpet. If you don't want a seam in your carpet and you're comfortable wasting extra carpet, you'll want to calculate the area by the widest width multiplied by the longest length instead.

Measuring Stairs

Before you begin measuring for a staircase, you'll want to measure the width of each step to ensure that they all measure the same. After you get this confirmation, you will need to measure the height and depth of each step. The height and depth measurements should then be added together and then multiplied by the total number of stairs.

So, use this calculation: (height + depth) x total number of stairs. You'll now multiply this number by the width to find the total area of carpet you'll need for your stairs. Note that this is a calculation for use if you want to completely cover your floors with new carpet rather than install a carpet runner. For more on carpet runners - see our blog here!

Additionally, spiral stairs follow a slightly different equation.

What Are Some Things I Should Keep in Mind While Installing Carpet on Stairs?

When measuring stairs, it's important to keep in mind the direction of the carpet pile. The pile should run down the length of the stairs for a more visually appealing and durable installation. Moreover, always remember to add an extra 10% to your measurements to account for any waste or mistakes during installation.

It's also important to note that installing carpet on stairs can be tricky and should be left to the professionals unless you have experience with carpet installation. Hiring a professional can ensure that your stairs are installed correctly and safely, reducing the risk of accidents or injuries.

How to Determine Carpet Square Footage

Measuring the size of your room is one thing — measuring the square footage of your carpet is another. Depending on the style and fit you want, you may have to measure the carpet and determine the square footage because carpet is sold in square feet. Do you prefer wall-to-wall carpet, or do you want to leave some space on the edges? The carpet size will determine how much space you leave around the perimeter.

Ensure you have an accurate measurement before you buy your carpet. You want to avoid unnecessary costs by buying the least amount of material to cover your room with the least amount of waste. Multiplying the carpet's length and width will give you the square feet. Divide the result by nine to get the figure in square yardage.

You'll end up paying more for material that you don't use. If you know how to measure square footage for carpet by yourself, you can avoid those extra expenses. 

You can measure the carpet by yourself — you only need a tape measure and a piece of paper. Follow these steps to measure carpet square footage:

• Step 1: Get a pen, paper and 25-foot tape measure. Draw a simple sketch of your home. A hand drawing is good enough, but you can also use a computer program to make the drawing if you're covering multiple rooms. Although you don't need a perfect drawing, the measurements must be accurate. The drawing should have all the rooms in their proper locations. A two-story home will need two drawings, one for each level. Make a different sketch for landings and stairs.
• Step 2: Measure each room and record the results on your diagram. You can round off the measurements to the nearest half-foot mark. For example, if your room measures 14 feet 3 inches long, round it to 14 feet 6 inches or 14.5. The small extra piece of material will ensure you have enough cover to finish the job. It's better to have a little extra material remaining than running short of material. While measuring and recording, mark the length first, followed by the width, to ensure all measurements are uniform. It doesn't matter which direction you prefer to use as length or width, as long as one direction of all your rooms is the width and the other is the length.
• Step 3: Multiply the length by the width of each room and add them up to get the total square footage. For example, if your house has four rooms, and each has a square footage of 50, your home's total square footage is 200 square feet.
• Step 4: Add an allowance to the total you got in step three. We recommend adding 5%. In our example in step 3, 5% of 200 is 10, and the total now comes to 210. The extra amount allows for the seaming, cutting and trimming required to finish the job. If your home has a complicated floor plan or is too big, you'll need professional help to measure the total square footage.

Why Is It Important to Get Your Carpet Measurements Right?

An elegant, tailored, and cozy carpet will add value and enhance the appearance of your home when it is precisely planned and installed. Yet, being able to achieve such a picture-perfect and precise appearance can be challenging if you've never done it before

Measuring your space for the carpet is an important first step in the carpet installation process. It will give you a good idea of the total cost when plugged into a carpet cost calculator and can influence the carpet style you decide to purchase. If you enter the wrong numbers into a carpet cost estimator, you may either underestimate or overestimate the costs of your project.

A standard room (square or rectangle) is the easiest kind of space for you to measure for DIY carpet installation. However, when dealing with an irregularly shaped room, it is recommended to use a professional carpet installation service. Going with a pro means you don't have to worry about going over budget or wasting money because you measured incorrectly.

What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Professional Carpet Installation Service?

There are a bunch of benefits to hiring a professional carpet installation service, but the largest advantages include:

• Avoiding going over budget or wasting money due to incorrect measurements.
• Hassle-free installation.
• Access to expert advice on how to maintain your carpet.
• Peace of mind knowing that your carpet will be installed correctly and on time.

Get Your Floor Covering Solutions from Carpet & Tile Mart

Overall, measuring for a carpet installation can potentially be difficult and confusing, but when you have the correct formulas and use precision in your measuring, then it's possible to take on this home improvement project by yourself.

However, if you're looking for a stress-free carpet installation, then be sure to get in touch with our team. Our team of experts will make sure your carpet is installed correctly and on time. As flooring experts, we’re also happy to provide advice on how to maintain your carpet to keep it looking new for years to come - contact us today!