How to Calculate Carpet Requirements

Calculating carpet requirements takes basic math skills.

Before adding or replacing carpet in your home, you will need to take some measurements to determine the amount of carpet you need. Home improvement projects involving carpet are quite common. Even if homeowners do not install the carpet themselves, having correct measurements is necessary to accurately price the carpet project.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Pencil and paper
• Calculator

Instructions

1. Measure the length and width of the room using the tape measure. Multiply these figures to get the total area of the room.

2. Divide the area of the room by nine. This will give you the total square yards for the room, which is how most suppliers sell carpet.

3. Sum the total square yards for each room in which you desire carpet. This figure is what you will quote to vendors when looking to price carpet.

4. Add 10 percent to the total square yards for your carpet project. Any adjustments for patterns or special cuts will require this extra carpet.

Tips & Warnings

• When shopping for carpet, you should draw a sketch of each room. This will help the vendor calculate how much installation will cost.

References

• Carpet Cave: Carpet Calculator
• Colorado State University: Selecting Carpet for Your Home