Carpet is still the most cost effective way to make a home feel finished, and it is the job we are asked to price most often after LVT. The confusion usually comes from how carpet is sold. The headline price is per square metre or per square yard for the carpet alone, and the finished job also includes underlay, gripper rod, door bars, fitting labour, uplift and disposal. Once you know the parts, comparing quotes becomes straightforward. Everything below reflects the sort of jobs we quote across Sidcup, Bexleyheath, Welling, Dartford, Bromley and the wider South East London and Kent area.
The carpet itself
Price tracks fibre and construction. Polypropylene is the budget choice, easy to clean and fine for bedrooms and rentals. Wool blend twist is the mid to upper option, holds its appearance far better in hallways and on stairs, and is what most homeowners settle on once they have felt the difference.
Width matters more than people expect. Carpet comes in four metre and five metre rolls, and a room that is slightly wider than the roll can force an extra length and a large offcut. A fitter who plans the cut properly can sometimes save more than the price difference between two ranges.
- Polypropylene: lowest cost, bleach cleanable, best for bedrooms and lets.
- Wool blend twist: mid to premium, keeps its look on stairs and landings.
- Saxony and deep pile: luxurious underfoot, needs a good underlay to perform.
- Loop and berber: hard wearing, but not the first choice in homes with cats.
Underlay is not an upsell
Underlay does most of the work in how a carpet feels and how long it lasts. A thin, cheap underlay under a good carpet is a false economy, because the pile crushes faster and the floor feels hard.
PU foam underlay is the usual choice in bedrooms and living rooms and gives a soft, warm feel. Crumb rubber is denser and better on stairs and busy hallways, where support matters more than softness. Expect underlay to add a genuine but modest amount per square metre.
Stairs cost more, and here is why
Stairs are priced per step rather than per square metre. Each tread and riser is cut, stretched and tucked individually, and winders or a curved bottom step take longer again. A straight flight of thirteen steps is a comfortable morning's work for one fitter, and winders can add an hour or more.
If the budget is tight, a sensible split is a hard wearing wool blend on the stairs and landing, where wear concentrates, with a cheaper range in the bedrooms. Nobody notices the difference, and the floor lasts far longer.
Fitting, gripper and finishing
Fitting labour covers laying and fixing gripper rod around the perimeter, laying and taping the underlay, cutting the carpet to the room, stretching it properly with a knee kicker or power stretcher, and trimming and tucking the edges.
Door bars finish the transition into another floor covering, and there is a correct bar for each situation: carpet to carpet, carpet to LVT, carpet to tile. Cheap quotes sometimes leave these off, which is why a job can look almost right but feel unfinished at every doorway.
- Gripper rod: replaced rather than reused on most jobs, especially on damp or crumbling edges.
- Uplift and disposal of old carpet and underlay: chargeable, and worth having in writing.
- Furniture moving: usually included for ordinary furniture, extra for heavy or built in items.
- Door bars and thresholds: one per doorway, specified to match the neighbouring floor.
What makes one carpet quote cheaper than another
Nine times out of ten it comes down to underlay grade, whether gripper is being replaced, whether uplift and disposal are included, and whether stairs have been counted properly. Ask for those four items to be spelled out and the quotes usually converge.
The other factor is measuring. A careless measure that ignores roll width can add a whole extra length of carpet to the bill, which is more than any labour saving. Ask how the measure has been planned if the material quantity looks high.
Landlords and quick turnarounds
For rentals, the aim is a floor that photographs well, survives a tenancy and can be replaced cheaply. Bleach cleanable polypropylene in a mid grey or beige with a decent foam underlay is the workhorse choice, and it can usually be lifted, prepared and refitted in a single visit between tenancies.
We will price a whole flat as one job rather than room by room, which keeps the cost per room down and means one visit rather than several.
Want this priced for your own rooms?
We measure, check the subfloor and give you an itemised written quote - free, with no obligation, across South East London and Kent.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to fit carpet in one room?
A clear, square bedroom is typically two to three hours including uplift. A straight staircase is usually half a day, and winders take longer.
Do I need to move the furniture myself?
Ordinary furniture is normally moved as part of the fit. Wardrobes that are full, beds that cannot be dismantled and built in units are best cleared in advance so the fitter is not working around them.
Can carpet go straight over floorboards?
Yes, provided the boards are sound, screwed down and free of large gaps. Where boards are uneven, a hardboard or plywood overlay gives a smoother finish and stops board lines showing through.
Is a thicker carpet always better?
No. Density and fibre matter more than thickness. A dense wool blend twist will outlast a thick but loosely constructed carpet in a hallway every time.