Most people asking this question are trying to plan a day: whether to book time off, whether the children can sleep in their own rooms that night, whether a landlord can hand keys over the following morning. So here are the timings we actually work to, rather than an optimistic sales answer. Carpet fitting is quick compared with most trades, and the usual reason a job overruns is not the carpet at all. It is access, clearance, or a subfloor that needed attention nobody had allowed for. Plan for those and a straightforward house is comfortably a one day job.
Typical timings by area
These assume the room is clear, the old floor is coming up as part of the job, and the subfloor is sound. Add time if furniture has to be worked around, or if gripper and underlay need replacing throughout.
- Average bedroom, cleared: two to three hours including uplift and disposal.
- Large lounge or through room: three to four hours, longer if the carpet needs seaming.
- Straight staircase of thirteen steps: half a day.
- Staircase with winders or a curved bottom step: half a day to a full day.
- Landing plus two bedrooms: one full day for a single fitter.
- Whole three bedroom house including stairs: one long day with two fitters, or two days with one.
What actually slows a fit down
Clearance is the biggest factor. A fitter cannot stretch a carpet properly around a full wardrobe, a bed that will not come apart or a room being used for storage. Every item that has to be shuffled from one half of the room to the other roughly doubles the handling.
Parking is the second. On terraced streets around Welling, Eltham and Bexleyheath, a five minute walk with rolls of carpet and a toolbox adds up quickly. If you have a permit or a driveway to offer, it genuinely shortens the day.
Subfloor surprises
Occasionally we lift an old carpet and find something that has to be dealt with first: rotten boards near a bathroom, chipboard that has swollen at the joints, or a concrete floor with old adhesive ridges. Fixing it properly is the right decision, and it changes the timetable.
A survey before fitting day is how we avoid most of these. If your fitter has not lifted a corner of the existing floor to look underneath, treat the timings as provisional.
Can you walk on it straight away?
Yes. Stretch fitted carpet over gripper is ready to use as soon as the fitter has finished and cleared up. There is no curing or drying time, unlike glued vinyl or adhesive fixed LVT.
Furniture can go straight back, although it is worth leaving heavy items for a few hours where a new deep pile is settling. If the carpet has been stored cold, a slightly wrinkled look can persist for a day or two before it relaxes, which is normal and not a fitting fault.
How to get it done in one visit
Clear the rooms fully the night before, including wardrobes if they need to move. Take doors off if you know they will need easing over a thicker underlay, or ask us to do it. Confirm parking, and keep pets in one room that is not being fitted.
If several rooms are being done, tell us the priority order so bedrooms are finished first and everyone has somewhere to sleep even if the job runs late.
- Empty rooms completely where you can.
- Lift curtains clear of the floor and remove floor length blinds if fixed low.
- Have somewhere for the old carpet to sit while the fit is under way.
- Confirm access times if the property is tenanted or managed by an agent.
Landlord turnarounds
Between tenancies, timing is everything. A one or two bedroom flat can usually be uplifted, prepared and refitted in a single day, which fits neatly between a check out and a check in.
We will confirm the whole visit in writing beforehand, including who is meeting us with keys, so nothing depends on a phone call on the morning.
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
Can carpet be fitted the same day it is delivered?
Yes, and that is how most jobs run. Where a carpet has been stored somewhere very cold, letting it sit indoors for an hour or two helps it lie flat.
Do you take the old carpet away?
Yes, uplift and disposal can be included. It is a chargeable item because of tip fees, so it should appear on the quote rather than being assumed.
How long before I can put furniture back?
Straight away for normal furniture. On a new deep pile, leave heavy items for a few hours so the pile settles evenly.
Will fitting be noisy or dusty?
There is hammering while gripper is fixed and some dust when an old floor comes up. We sweep and vacuum as we go, and dust is far lower than with sanding or tiling work.