To start with, how much does carpet removal cost? There are many factors that influence the carpet removal costs, such as area size, location in the home, labor, and carpet disposal. Below we will show you the elements of carpet removal costs and how to save money on it.
Carpet removal costs between $1 to $5 per square foot, depending on whether the carpet is on the floor, the stairs, or if padding layers are attached to the floor below.
Let’s examine the price of carpet removal and any extra charges you might incur.
Carpet Removal Cost Breakdown
To handle the entire process, from furniture removal to disposal, carpet removal companies either charge by the hour, by square footage, or as a flat fee. Always verify the details of your carpet removal estimate to make sure all necessary steps are covered by the price.
Area Size
On the basis of the room’s size, the majority of contractors provide a carpet removal estimate. Square-foot rates range as low as $0.50 to $5 per square foot for removal. On the lower end of the price spectrum, you can hire experts to get rid of plain wall-to-wall carpets and pads that are stapled to the floor in a flat, open room. The cost goes up if the carpet is glued to the floor or if it is installed in difficult spaces like steps, basements, attics, or old, potentially moldy rooms.
Location in Home
In comparison to basements, bedrooms filled with furniture, or stairs where the carpet may be affixed to hard concrete, ripping up carpet in a 12-foot-by-12-foot living room requires significantly less time and effort. We’ll break each location down below, but they account for the wide range of $0.50 to $5 per square foot for the job.
Labor
Since labor makes up nearly the entire cost of removing carpets, some companies will quote a per-hour rate of $60 an hour for the full job. The cost of moving furniture, removing and discarding the carpet, and even polishing the floors may be included in the hourly estimate. For a 12-foot-by-12-foot room, carpet removal typically takes two to four hours, and it can take longer for steps or bigger areas.
Carpet Disposal
The price of removing carpet and properly recycling it may be included in the initial quote provided by a carpet removal professional. Some even make claims in their advertising that they will handle the entire process on your behalf at no extra cost.
In other cases, if you’ve already removed the carpet on your own or have a pile of torn-up carpet from a larger project, you’ll pay between $0.40 and $0.50 per square foot for disposal alone. You can also hire local junk removers for a flat fee of $75 to $150 to haul it away.
Check with local charities and buy-nothing groups to find a new home for carpet that is still in good condition if you’re trying to save money on carpet disposal or give your carpet a new life.
Carpet Removal Costs by Type and Location
Let’s go over the cost of carpet removal and its location in more detail. It’s crucial to remember that there are different ways carpet installers secure it to the floor.
Traditional wall-to-wall carpeting is stretched and stapled in place in the middle of the room and around the edges. However, glued carpet is attached to the floor directly using a powerful adhesive. Both the carpet and the path are adhered to the pad in double-glued carpet. In either situation, removing glued carpeting may take more time and require specialized equipment. Additionally, carpet can be found in tricky locations like basements and stairways, each of which presents unique and frequently expensive removal challenges.
Stair Carpet
You will pay anywhere from $2 to $20 per stair for carpet removal, but, on average, prices from $7 to $10 per stair are the most common. Staples or glue are frequently used more frequently to attach carpet to the riser and tread of stairs. Many carpeted staircases also feature padding. It will also take longer and cost more to remove carpet from stairs.
Basement Carpet
Removing carpets from basements will cost $1 to $1.50 per square foot—not much higher than a standard room. On the other hand, you might end up spending more money in the long run to have your basement carpeted. For instance, due to moisture, dust, and mold, basement carpets typically degrade more quickly. And if you do find mold under the carpet, mold remediation costs $10 to $25 per square foot.
Carpet and Pad
Carpet and pad with a traditional staple-down installation will cost $0.50 to $1.50 per square foot to remove. The process typically entails removing and disposing of the carpet before tearing up the pad underneath in smaller pieces. The process is simple and should only take a few hours in rooms with typical shapes.
Glued Carpet
As previously mentioned, it takes a little longer and more work to remove glued carpets without damaging the floors underneath. Glued carpet will cost $3 to $5 per square foot to remove. The more expensive end of the price range includes installation where the padding is glued directly to the floor and is double-glued down.
Wall-to-Wall Carpet
The cost to remove wall-to-wall carpet will range from $0.50 to $5 per square foot since the term accounts for stapled and glued-down installations.
Additional Cost Factors
It usually takes more work to remove carpet from a room. In addition, moving furniture out of the way can be difficult. Before installing new flooring, you might find that the substrate of your floor needs some maintenance.
Furniture Removal
While some carpet removal companies include the price of moving furniture in their estimate, they may also charge $0.20 to $0.25 per square foot of furniture or about $60 per hour.
Carpet Recycling
Programs for recovering carpet locally are available and provide ways to recycle this typical household item. In addition to the charge of hauling—if you don’t do it yourself—a recycling center will often charge between $0.05 to $0.25 per square foot to recycle it.
Flooring Repairs
If the previous owner installed the wall-to-wall carpets, you’re likely to discover a few surprises beneath them. The cost to repair flooring runs quite the gamut depending on materials, the type of damage, and whether the floor is salvageable. Overall, assume that you’ll pay anywhere from $2 to $30 per square foot for floor repairs.
New Flooring
To replace dingy carpet with sturdier flooring is a common dream. The cost to install new wood flooring, for example, ranges from $6 to $12 per square foot, not including the cost to remove the carpet. Other popular materials and their price tags include:
- Cost to install laminate flooring: $3–$8 per square foot
- Cost to install vinyl flooring: $2–$7 per square foot
- Cost to install ceramic tile flooring: $3–$5 per square foot
- Cost to install porcelain tile flooring: $13–$65 per square foot
- Cost to install new carpeting: $3–$11 per square foot
Do I Need Carpet Removal?
Although regular vacuuming and upkeep can extend the life of carpeting, eventually it will need to be replaced. It’s time for a replacement if the carpet has rips, tears, or worn areas that professional carpet cleaning simply can’t fix. Here are a few warning signs that it’s time to replace your outdated carpet.
Wear and Tear
Matted fibers, rips, tears, worn areas, and carpet shedding are all indications that it’s time to replace the carpet. Depending on foot traffic, how often they are vacuumed, and other factors, carpets typically last 5 to 15 years.
Stains and Smells
The fibers of carpet can become stained and discolored as a result of spilled food and beverages, beverages, pet accidents, and other things. Even the best carpet cleaners for the home can’t remove older stains because of how deeply embedded they have become. If the carpet has a bad smell, a professional cleaning may be able to get rid of it. However, if the smell has seeped deep into the padding and subfloor material, replacing the carpet would be the only option.
Damaged Padding
To make the floor comfortable to walk on and to support the carpet, a layer of padding has been added. Its breakdown and compression can cause the carpet to become uneven and wrinkled. A carpet with adequate padding serves as a sound barrier and can enhance the room’s insulation.
Age
According to how often they are cleaned, how much foot traffic they receive, and how humid the air is, carpets typically last between 5 and 10 years. These are all indications that the carpet is old, including shedding, wear, matted appearance, wrinkles, and compressed padding.
Worsening Allergy Symptoms
Carpets collect dust mites, pollen, bacteria, mold, dirt, debris, and pet dander. Allowing them to remain in the carpet fibers can cause allergy and asthma symptoms. Some of these triggers can be removed with regular vacuuming, cleaning, and disinfectant use, but if an individual consistently experiences allergy or asthma attacks in a room with carpet, the carpet may be to blame.
Water Damage Or Mold
Water damage can lead to the growth of hazardous mold and mildew in the padding underneath the carpet as well as in its fibers. Utilizing a water extractor to remove the water and fans to dry the area may help avoid replacing the carpet if clean water from a burst pipe or sink malfunction soaks the carpet. If a carpet has been harmed by gray water from a dishwasher or washing machine, it is advised to replace the padding and, if practical, extract the water from the carpet before laying it back down. Both the padding and the carpet must be replaced as soon as possible if there has been black-water damage, or unsanitary water damage, such as that caused by a broken sewer line or a clogged toilet.
Read about Do You Tip Carpet Installers?
DIY Costs Vs. Hiring a Carpet Removal Company
A carpet removal company charges around $1 to $1.50 per square foot,including labor, waste removal, and cleanup. DIY work enables you to work at your own schedule and only includes the cost of carpet disposal—unless you have to purchase essential tools such as pliers or vise grips, a hammer, and pry bar, which cost around $5 to $10 per item.
DIY carpet removal has the drawback that it is time-consuming, physically demanding, and requires a large vehicle to transport the waste. If you’ve never removed carpet before, we suggest hiring a flooring contractor.
Carpet Removal Tools
To remove your own carpet, you’ll need the following tools:
- Pliers or vise grips: $5–$10 per item
- Knife: $5–$10 per item
- Gloves, eye protection, and dust mask:$1–$2 per item
- Vacuum: $50–$1,000
- Heavy-duty trash bags: $5 per roll
- Hammer: $5–$10 per item
- Pry bar: $5–$10 per item
Remove Carpet Tack Strips and Staples
Follow these general steps to remove carpet tack strips and staples:
- Purchase the necessary safety equipment.When removing staples and tack strips, always use eye and glove protection.
- To remove a tack strip, pound a pry bar against it.On concrete or hardwood floors, this works.
- Remove the tack strip’s nail by jiggling it around.There’s no need to give it any leverage.
- Look for and remove any staples.Use pliers, vise grips, or a special device designed to remove heavy-duty staples. pound stubborn flat staples.
FindCarpet Removal Services Near You
If you aren’t comfortable with removing carpet as a DIY project, find a local flooring pro. Always ask for an itemized quote that outlines individual pricing for the following services:
- General carpet removal prices
- Cost per step
- Price of moving furniture
- Carpet disposal rate
- Cleanup costs
Compare quotes from at least three different companies before moving forward
How to Save on Carpet Removal Services?
The best way to reduce your bill by several hundred dollars is without a doubt to remove carpet yourself. If that route is not worth the hassle, here are some other tips to keep in mind:
- Move the furniture yourself before the carpet removal company arrives
- Offer to haul and recycle the carpet yourself
- Book your removal contractor at the same time as your new flooring installation
- Choose an unpopular time for the appointment, such as midweek
- Speak with at least three carpet remover contractors to compare quotes
FAQs
How Much Does Rug Removal Cost?
Removing a rug costs around $0.35 to $0.45 per square foot. The cost of having the rug rolled up and driven away in a car for recycling or disposal is also included. If they need to move furniture, they might charge an additional $0.20 to $0.25 per square foot of furniture.
How Do I Know If I Should Repair, Clean, Or Remove and Replace My Carpeting?
It might be less expensive to pay for carpet repair than to have it removed and replaced if your carpet only needs minor repairs like stretching, patching, or cleaning in one area.
The cost of carpet cleaning is about $180for a three-bedroom home, so it’s a good idea to have your carpet cleaned at least once a year. However, most carpets only last for ten years. The cost of replacing your carpet rather than simply cleaning and repairing it may be less expensive if your carpet is nearing the end of its useful life.
How Can I Find Cheap Carpet Removal Companies Or Services?
Search our directory of carpet removal companies and services to find an affordable, screened contractor near you. You can be sure to find a local expert who is qualified for your project because all HomeAdvisor listings have been checked, reviewed, and rated by homeowners. To compare costs and the timeframe for your project, get at least three quotes.
How Much Does It Cost to Pull Up Commercial Carpet?
Commercial carpet removal usually costs on the lower end of the carpet removal price range, around $1 per square footor even less. For bigger projects, like the removal and installation of commercial carpet, carpet installers frequently offer discounted rates. In a similar vein, if you’re having carpet pulled up all throughout your home, you might be able to bargain for a lower residential carpet removal price.
Can I Put Carpeting Out With My Regular Trash?
You can probably throw the carpet, even if you only remove a small portion of it, in the trash along with other trash. However, if you have a lot of old carpet, you’ll need to either arrange for a bulk trash pickup, if your community provides this service, or bring it to a waste drop-off location. You can also search for regional carpet recyclers in your area.
So, How Much Does Carpet Removal Cost?
The cost of carpet removal is between $1 and $5 per square foot, depending on whether the carpet is on the floor, on the stairs, or whether there is a layer of filler attached to the floor below.
Thank you for reading. If you have any questions, please leave a comment.
