Summary

Carpet fitting is a deceptively skilled trade priced in a way that confuses customers, because the headline "carpet price per square metre" they see in the shop bundles wildly different things — sometimes it's carpet only, sometimes it includes underlay and fitting, sometimes "free fitting" hides a marked-up carpet price. As a fitter, the clarity that wins (and protects) jobs is separating the four cost components: carpet, underlay, sundries (gripper/bars/trims), and labour — and being explicit about which your quote covers.

The labour itself is priced per m² for rooms with a minimum call-out, and per step for stairs (the most labour-intensive and skilled part — a winder staircase can take as long as several rooms). The hidden costs that catch out inexperienced quoters are uplift and disposal of old carpet, floor preparation (a carpet over an uneven or dusty subfloor will show every fault and wear unevenly), door trimming (carpet plus underlay raises the floor and doors may need easing), and wastage — carpet comes in fixed widths (commonly 4m and 5m) and run direction/pattern match means you rarely use 100% of what you buy.

This guide covers the per-m² and per-step pricing, the materials breakdown, measuring and wastage, subfloor preparation, and the standards that govern a good installation (BS 5325). For the fitting method see carpet fitting guide; for underlay selection see acoustic underlay selection; for subfloor prep see subfloor preparation guide.

Key Facts

Quick Reference Table

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

Try squote free →
Item Typical Cost Unit
Fitting labour (rooms) £4-£8 (£6-£12 London) per m²
Minimum call-out £80-£150 per visit
Stairs (straight) £8-£20 per step
Stairs (winders/landing) £15-£30 per step equivalent
Carpet — budget polypropylene £8-£15 per m²
Carpet — mid wool-mix/twist £15-£28 per m²
Carpet — premium wool/Saxony £28-£50+ per m²
Underlay £3-£8 per m²
Gripper rod £1-£2 per m perimeter
Door bar/threshold trim £4-£12 each
Uplift & disposal £20-£80+ per job

Detailed Guidance

The Four Components — Quote Them Clearly

A carpet quote has four parts, and disputes come from blurring them:

  1. Carpet — £8-£40+/m². The biggest variable; budget polypropylene to premium wool twist.
  2. Underlay — £3-£8/m². Don't skimp: good underlay extends carpet life, improves comfort and warmth, and improves acoustics. A premium carpet on cheap underlay wears out prematurely.
  3. Sundries — gripper rods (perimeter), door bars/threshold trims, tape/adhesive for seams. Small individually, but they add up across a house.
  4. Labour — per m² for rooms (with a minimum call-out), per step for stairs.

State on the quote which of these are included. "Supply and fit" should itemise so the customer sees what they're paying for; "labour only" (customer's own carpet) should state you're not liable for material faults.

Room Pricing — Per m² with a Minimum

Room fitting is £4-£8/m² regional. But a small room doesn't cost proportionally less to fit — there's travel, set-up, gripper, trimming, and clean-up regardless — so a minimum call-out of £80-£150 applies. Fitting one small bedroom and fitting three rooms in a visit have very different economics; price the visit, not just the area.

Stairs — The Skilled, Labour-Heavy Part

Stairs are where carpet fitting earns its money. Each step is fitted, tucked, and (for the best finish) the carpet is cut and bound around the nosing. Pricing is per step:

A winding staircase can take as long as carpeting two or three rooms — never lump stairs in at the room m² rate.

Measuring and Wastage

Carpet comes in fixed roll widths (commonly 4m and 5m), so a room isn't simply "length × width of carpet". You must plan the cut to:

This means you frequently buy more than the floor area — add 5-10% wastage (more for patterned carpet or awkward shapes). A careful plan/diagram with the roll width in mind is how a good fitter minimises waste and avoids an unnecessary seam. Under-ordering ("it's only 12m²") and then finding the roll width forces a seam in the wrong place is a classic error.

Subfloor Preparation — Don't Skip It

Carpet telegraphs the subfloor. Over time, every ridge, gap, screw head, and lump shows through and wears unevenly. Preparation:

Preparation is real time and should be in the quote. Fitting over a bad subfloor produces a poor result the customer blames on the carpet.

Doors, Trims and Transitions

Carpet plus underlay raises the floor level (often 10-20mm), so internal doors may need easing/trimming to clear the new pile — flag this in the quote (it's joinery, and some fitters do it, some don't). Door bars/threshold trims finish the transition at doorways (carpet-to-carpet, carpet-to-tile/wood), both protecting the edge and looking finished. Specify which trims and how many.

Pricing Example (3-bed house: 3 rooms ~40 m², stairs 13 steps, landing, regional, supply + fit)

Item Cost
Carpet (≈55 m² inc. wastage, mid wool-mix @ £18) £990
Underlay (≈48 m² @ £5) £240
Gripper, door bars, tape, sundries £90
Fitting rooms (40 m² @ £6) £240
Stairs (13 steps @ £14) + landing £230
Uplift & disposal of old carpet £60
Margin/overhead included in rates
Total (supply + fit) ≈£1,850

Labour-only on a customer-supplied carpet would be roughly the fitting + stairs + sundries portion (~£560-£650 here) — but you take no responsibility for the carpet quality or quantity, which the customer must get right.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to fit a carpet?

Fitting labour is typically £4-£8 per m² for rooms (£6-£12 in London), with a minimum call-out of £80-£150, plus stairs at £8-£20 per step. Materials are separate: carpet £8-£40+/m², underlay £3-£8/m², and sundries (gripper, door bars). A 3-bed house carpeted throughout (rooms, stairs, landing) is roughly £350-£900 in fitting labour plus materials — often £1,500-£2,500 supply-and-fit for mid-range carpet.

Why are stairs charged separately from rooms?

Because stairs are far more labour-intensive and skilled per square metre — each step is individually cut, fitted, and tucked, and a winding staircase can take as long as carpeting two or three rooms. They're priced per step (£8-£20 straight, more for winders and landings) rather than at the room m² rate, which would massively underprice the work. Always quote stairs as a separate line.

Do I need underlay, and does it matter how good it is?

Yes, for stretch-fitted domestic carpet underlay is essential — it cushions the carpet, improves warmth and acoustics, and extends carpet life by absorbing wear. Quality matters: a premium carpet on cheap, thin underlay wears out prematurely and feels worse underfoot. Underlay costs £3-£8/m²; spending a little more here protects the much larger carpet investment. The exception is contract/double-stick installations where carpet is glued directly down.

Why is there so much carpet wastage?

Because carpet comes in fixed roll widths (commonly 4m and 5m), and you must run the pile direction consistently, place seams away from doorways and traffic, and match any pattern — so you rarely use 100% of the area you buy. Add 5-10% wastage (more for patterned carpet or awkward room shapes). A careful measuring plan that accounts for roll width minimises waste and avoids putting a seam in the wrong place.

Will my doors still open after carpeting?

Possibly not without easing. Carpet plus underlay raises the floor by roughly 10-20mm, so internal doors may catch on the new pile and need trimming at the bottom. A good fitter flags this in the quote — some trim doors as part of the job, some treat it as separate joinery. It's worth agreeing up front who handles door easing so there's no surprise when a door won't close over a thick new carpet.

Regulations & Standards