Pricing guide
Carpet Cost Guide: What You're Actually Paying For
Supply, fitting labour, underlay, uplift and stairs — a proper carpet quote is built from real, itemised costs, not a single guessed number. Here's the full breakdown.
Cost Anatomy: What Goes Into a Carpet Quote
A proper carpet quote is really several separate line items added together, not one number plucked from thin air. Understanding each piece makes it far easier to compare quotes fairly and spot when something’s been left out.
- Supply — the carpet itself, priced per square metre and varying hugely by grade and fibre.
- Fitting labour — the cost of a skilled fitter stretching, trimming and finishing the carpet properly.
- Underlay — usually priced and fitted alongside the carpet; see our underlay guide for grades and pricing.
- Uplift & disposal — removing and responsibly disposing of whatever’s there already.
- Extras — gripper rod replacement, door trimming, and a stairs premium where relevant.
Supply Prices by Grade
Carpet supply cost scales with grade far more than most people expect — the gap between a budget and a premium carpet, before fitting is even added, is significant. These figures are our supply-and-fit rates, which bundle the carpet and the labour to lay it into one per-square-metre price.
| Option | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Fitting only (labour) | £4–£7 per m² |
| Supply + fit (budget carpet) | £14–£22 per m² |
| Supply + fit (mid-range) | £22–£38 per m² |
| Supply + fit (premium/wool) | £38–£65 per m² |
Guide prices — your exact quote depends on room sizes and flooring choice.
For the type-by-type breakdown behind these bands — which pile types sit in which grade, and why — see our carpet buying guide. Broadly, synthetic twist pile and loop pile sit in the budget-to-mid range, while wool carpets anchor the premium end.
Underlay & Uplift Costs
Underlay is typically priced separately from the carpet itself — our entry-level PU foam grade runs £3–£5 per m², rising for premium or crumb rubber grades on stairs and heavy-traffic rooms; the underlay guide covers all three in detail.
Uplift and disposal of old carpet and underlay runs £2–£4 per m², or roughly £40–£70 per room for an average room — see carpet removal & disposal for the full breakdown. It’s usually bundled into a carpet replacement job automatically, but always worth confirming it’s included rather than assumed.
The Stairs Premium
Stairs cost more per square metre than an equivalent flat room, and it’s not padding — winders, nosings and the tight, precise cutting each step requires take genuinely more skilled labour time than a flat expanse of floor. A straight staircase, fitting only, runs £90–£160 per staircase, while stairs and landing supplied and fitted together typically runs £320–£700 per job — see stair carpet fitting for the complete price table.
Worked Examples
A 12m² bedroom, budget supply + fit
At £14–£22 per m², a 12m² bedroom lands around £168–£264 for carpet and fitting together, before underlay.
A 20m² lounge, mid-range supply + fit
At £22–£38 per m², a 20m² lounge comes to roughly £440–£760 for carpet and fitting, again before underlay and any uplift.
These are illustrative — the exact figure for your rooms depends on the carpet grade you pick and any complications on the day. Use the carpet cost calculator to price up your actual rooms with underlay and fitting toggled on or off, and the room size measurer if you don’t yet have accurate measurements to work from.
How to Compare Quotes Fairly
The cheapest headline number isn’t always the best value once you check what’s actually included. An itemised quote — carpet, underlay, fitting, uplift and any extras broken out separately — is far easier to compare properly than two vague lump sums, because you can see exactly where the difference between two prices comes from.
- Confirm whether underlay is included or priced separately.
- Check uplift and disposal of the old carpet is accounted for, not assumed.
- Ask whether the price includes VAT, and whether the fitter is insured.
- Get it in writing — a verbal estimate isn’t the same as a firm, itemised quote.
We always send written, itemised quotes for exactly this reason — you should know precisely what you’re paying for before you agree to anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is fitting-only cheaper than supply and fit?
It's a smaller total spend since you're only paying for labour, but it's only cheaper overall if you can source carpet independently for less than we'd charge including our trade rates — which isn't always the case. Fitting-only mainly makes sense if you've already bought carpet, or want a specific product we don't stock.
Are carpet fitting quotes negotiable?
Prices reflect real material and labour costs, so there's limited room to negotiate down without something changing in the job itself — but scope absolutely affects price. Combining rooms into one visit, being flexible on timing, or adjusting the carpet grade are all legitimate ways to bring a quote down without asking for a discount on identical work.
What hidden costs should I watch for in a carpet quote?
Uplift and disposal of old carpet, gripper rod replacement, door trimming, and stairs are the most commonly forgotten items in a rough estimate. A proper written quote itemises each of these rather than bundling them into a vague total, which is exactly why we always confirm an itemised price before booking rather than a single round number.
Does a carpet quote include VAT?
Ask explicitly if it isn't stated — some smaller trade operations aren't VAT-registered and simply don't charge it, while others include it in the headline price. Neither is wrong, but the two aren't directly comparable unless you know which basis a quote is on, so always clarify before comparing two quotes side by side.
More Guides & Tools
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Send us your room sizes on WhatsApp and we'll reply with a proper written quote — usually the same day, no obligation to book.