How to Price Carpet Fitting: Per-Room Day Rates, Underlay Tiers, Stairs Loading and Margin Guide

Quick Answer: Carpet fitting in 2026 prices £4–£8/m² for the labour element on standard rooms, with stairs running £18–£35 per step (additional skill loading). A typical 12m² bedroom with mid-range carpet and PU underlay prices £280–£480 supplied and fitted. A whole-house carpet supply-and-fit (3-bed semi, 60–80m² of carpet) prices £1,400–£2,800. The single biggest pricing trap is underlay — fitters who quote on cheap rebond underlay then upsell to PU on the day are technically misleading the customer, and customers who buy carpet from a retailer plus separate fitting often discover the retailer has bundled poor underlay into the headline price.

Summary

Carpet fitting is dominated by retailer-fitter relationships. The big-box retailers (Carpetright, Tapi, ScS) sell carpet, underlay and fitting as a package, with the fitting subcontracted to local independents at fixed per-m² piece rates. Independent fitters working direct-with-customer command higher per-job rates (£4–£8/m² vs the retailer's £2.50–£4.50 rate) but at much lower volume. Established independents typically run a small van, no overheads, and clear £200–£400/day net depending on workload.

The market splits cleanly by product type. Bedroom carpet is the volume product — soft, plush, mid-weight tufted polypropylene or twist pile in muted colours, with PU underlay. £280–£550 per bedroom typical including supply. Hallway and stair carpet is the difficult product — heavily trafficked, requires close-grained loop or twist pile, and stairs are a separate skill. Living room and dining room carpet has been losing market share to LVT and wood for 15 years, but high-pile wool carpets remain a premium choice for luxury and acoustic-quality conscious customers.

Underlay is where the value engineering happens. Five tiers are common: rebond foam (£3–£6/m², landlord/budget), basic PU foam (£6–£10/m², residential standard), premium PU foam with damp-proof membrane (£10–£15/m², damp area suitability), wool felt (£8–£14/m², heritage and acoustics), and combination (£12–£20/m², high-end specifications). The carpet's manufacturer warranty often specifies minimum underlay grade — a £600 wool carpet on £4 rebond underlay invalidates the warranty.

Key Facts

Quick Reference Table

Spending too long on quotes? squote turns a 2-minute voice recording into a professional quote.

Try squote free →
Job type Area Programme Total fee 2026
Single bedroom (small) 8–12m² 1.5 hours £180–£380
Single bedroom (medium) 12–18m² 2–3 hours £280–£550
Master bedroom (large) 18–25m² 3–4 hours £420–£780
Lounge/living room (medium) 18–25m² 3–4 hours £450–£900
Lounge/living room (large) 25–40m² 4–6 hours £680–£1,400
Dining room 12–20m² 2–3 hours £320–£680
Hallway only (3-bed semi) 6–10m² 2–3 hours £180–£380
Stairs (typical 13 steps) inc landings 3–4 hours £280–£550
Hallway + stairs + landing combined 4–6 hours £550–£1,100
Whole house (3-bed semi) 60–80m² 1–1.5 days £1,400–£2,800
Whole house (4-bed detached) 90–130m² 2 days £2,200–£4,400
Carpet uplift only (existing carpet) per m² per day £4–£10/m²
Furniture move only (heavy items) per item included £25–£55
Door undercut (for thicker pile) per door included £25–£45
Loop pile bedroom (commercial) per m² per day £8–£14/m²

Detailed Guidance

Carpet construction — what affects price and durability

UK carpet is dominated by tufted construction (90%+ of residential market). Three main variables:

Pile fibre (in order of price/quality):

Pile construction:

Pile weight: measured in g/m². Typical residential 800–1500 g/m² (heavier = more durable). Commercial carpet 1500–3000 g/m².

For pricing reference per m² supplied:

Spec Pile fibre Construction Pile weight Price band
Budget bedroom Polypropylene Twist or loop 600–800 g/m² £8–£15
Standard bedroom Polypropylene Twist 800–1200 g/m² £15–£25
Mid-range living room Polyester or nylon Twist 1000–1500 g/m² £20–£35
Premium bedroom Wool blend Twist 1200–1800 g/m² £30–£55
Luxury living 100% wool Saxony or Wilton 1500–2500 g/m² £55–£140

Underlay tiers — the value engineering choice

Underlay matters enormously for carpet feel, longevity, acoustics and warranty. Five tiers:

Rebond foam (£3–£6/m²) — mixed scrap polyurethane, basic acoustic and cushion properties. 7–8mm thick. Suitable for low-traffic bedrooms, landlord/budget specifications. Does not satisfy most carpet warranties.

Basic PU foam (£6–£10/m²) — homogeneous polyurethane, better cushion and recovery than rebond. 8–10mm thick. Standard residential specification. Satisfies most warranties.

Premium PU foam (£10–£15/m²) — denser PU foam, often with built-in damp-proof membrane. 10–12mm thick. Suitable for living rooms, halls, and over slightly damp substrates. Excellent acoustic performance.

Wool felt (£8–£14/m²) — natural wool fibres needled together. 8–10mm thick. Good for heritage installations, very long-life. Acoustic performance similar to PU.

Combination underlay (£12–£20/m²) — typically PU foam laminated with felt or rubber. Premium acoustic and cushioning. Used in luxury specifications and conversions where impact noise to room below is critical.

For pricing transparency: always include the underlay grade in the quote ("Cosi Cushion 11mm PU underlay" or equivalent). Cheap upsell tactics ("we'll put basic underlay in the quote then suggest you upgrade on the day") are unethical and increasingly called out by consumer organisations.

Stair fitting — the skilled element

Stair fitting is the skilled differentiator in this trade. Each step requires:

For a 13-step domestic stairs: 2.5–4 hours of work, £18–£35 per step. Pattern-matched stairs (where the carpet's pattern needs to flow visually from step to step) take longer and price up to £45 per step.

Bullnose steps (curved front edge) and winders (turning steps in a stair) are even slower — often £35–£55 each.

For straight stair runs with no winders, allow 4-5m² of carpet (per typical UK staircase) plus the calculated landing area. For winding stairs, allow 6–8m².

The carpet on stairs gets the most wear of any carpet in the house. Customers should specify a higher pile-weight grade for stairs than they'd accept on a bedroom — and the fitter should advise this proactively.

Carpet wastage — the cost line that surprises customers

Carpet comes in fixed widths (typically 4m, sometimes 5m wide). Cutting a room to size produces offcuts — wastage. Wastage rates:

For a 25m² lounge with patterned carpet, the customer might be sold "25m²" but actually need 32–35m² to install with proper pattern matching. Always show the calculated linear width × full carpet width × wastage in the quote.

Door bars and threshold strips

Where carpet meets a different floor finish (tile, wood, vinyl), or at a door threshold:

Quote per door: £4–£12 for the strip + included install. Customer often forgets these and finds them surprising on the invoice.

Door undercut — for thicker pile

When new carpet pile is thicker than existing, doors may not clear the floor. Solution is to undercut:

Per-door undercut: 15–30 minutes + £25–£45 per door. Quote separately if you suspect it'll be needed.

Furniture move — what's included

Standard fitter quote includes moving small to medium furniture (single beds, lounge chairs, small tables) but excludes heavy items (king beds, wardrobes, sofas with reclining mechanisms, pianos). Customers should clear the room of small items and disconnect electronics; fitter handles furniture during work.

For heavy items, charge per item:

Always brief the customer in writing on what's included.

Cleaning, smoothing and finishing

After lay:

Stretching technique determines longevity. Power-stretched (preferred) or knee-kicked (acceptable for small areas), with proper smoothedge gripper engagement at perimeter. A loose carpet ripples within 6–18 months.

Pricing structure — supply and fit breakdown

For a typical bedroom carpet supply-and-fit (15m² with mid-range polypropylene twist pile):

For a hallway, stairs and landing combo (10m² hall + 5m² stairs + 4m² landing = 19m²):

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does carpet cost per square metre fitted in 2026?

For mid-range supply-and-fit: £25–£45/m² total. For premium specifications: £55–£95/m². Budget: £15–£30/m². The labour content is typically £4–£8/m² for plain rooms and £18–£35 per step for stairs. Underlay is a separate cost line: £6–£15/m² for residential PU underlay. A typical bedroom (15m²) supply-and-fit is £450–£680.

Why does the same carpet cost different prices at different shops?

Three reasons: (1) underlay specification — a "£399 fit" deal might use rebond underlay vs PU foam at premium retailers; (2) wastage calculation — some retailers calculate to nearest m², others to nearest carpet width which adds wastage; (3) stair fitting — included or extra. Always compare like-for-like: same carpet name, same underlay grade, same scope (rooms, stairs, halls).

Should I buy the carpet from a retailer or use a fitter direct?

Retailers offer one-stop convenience and typically include 10-year manufacturer warranties on big-brand carpets. Independent fitters direct can source the same carpet at trade prices and pass savings on, but you handle the warranty admin yourself. For straightforward bedroom carpet, retailer is fine. For complex installations (multi-room, stairs, large open areas, pattern-matching), an experienced independent fitter often does better quality work.

Can I lay carpet over the existing carpet?

Technically possible but not recommended. Old carpet's pile is matted; new carpet over the top compresses unevenly and the new carpet won't stretch flat. Smoothedge gripper installation is also compromised — old carpet provides no purchase. Always lift the existing carpet, inspect substrate, and lay fresh underlay before new carpet.

How long should carpet last?

Bedroom carpet (low traffic): 8–15 years for synthetic, 12–25 years for wool. Living room (medium traffic): 6–12 years synthetic, 10–20 years wool. Stairs and hallway (heavy traffic): 5–8 years synthetic, 8–12 years wool. Maintenance matters — vacuumed weekly, professional clean every 18–24 months, no walking with outdoor shoes.

Regulations & Standards