How Much Does It Cost To Install 1200 Square Feet Of Carpet?

Anyone thinking about carpeting and the cost involved for installation should be prepared for a lot of choices and differences. While a very basic utility carpet for 1,200 square feet could be something around $1,500 to install, alternatives in carpet could create a cost range anywhere from that figure to four times as much. A lot depends on what a homeowner actually wants, how complicated the carpet installation would be, and amount of padding needed for the particular location (upper floors tend to need more for example to muffle noise).

Generally, the low end of carpeting cost ranges at about $1 to $5 per square foot of carpet just for the material. The padding, an essential underlayer to protect the carpet above from the base foundation of cement or wood runs about $0.65 per square foot. From this basic figure everything else varies on what a homeowner chooses and particular price points. Many homeowners find themselves paying anywhere from $800 to $1,700 for a typical home installation. This incorporates a range of about $3 to $11 per square foot, $2 to $7 for materials, and $1 for installation per square foot.

So, with the above national averages, a 1,200 square foot job would cost approximately:

• $3,600 to $13,200 for the carpet
• $2,400 to $8,400 for the materials
• $1,200 for the installation work

Or $7,200 to $22,800 in total. This might seem like a high figure for some, but it incorporates many of the premium carpet price points we’ll discuss below, which frequently causes a significant price variation from one job to the next.

How this breaks down again is as follows:

• Premium grade carpet – expect to pay $5 to $20 per square foot
• Middle range - $3 to $7 per square foot
• Low grade/basic - $1 to $3 per square foot

The last category is what people usually find when they buy a new home from a builder. The carpet looks new and wonderful at first, but within three years it is worn and beginning to fail.

Carpet Tiles

Another option that is available for 1,200 square foot room is to go with carpet tiles instead of sheet carpet. This works better when a homeowner wants a carpet style that is a bit more utilitarian than home comfort, such as in a fitness room for example. Tiles come in three general categories of a square foot to as big as two square feet (the middle choice is an 18” square. These are useful for playrooms, fitness, utility, game rooms, offices and similar. The carpeting is generally adhered to the base floor in sections and can be applied wall to wall. The carpet cost price range typically runs from $2 to $7 per square foot, plus installation costs.

Carpet Style Impacts on Pricing

Again, the type of carpet chosen has a big impact on the end price for the project. This includes categories of Cut Pile, Loop Pile, and Cut and Loop Pile, all of which look very different, and cost vary just as much as well.

Cut Pile Carpet tends to be the most common. It is fabricated with a carpet pile that is uniformly cut off the top so that every strand sticking out is the same end, length, and shape. The end product is a soft carpet that has a smooth look across the floor, and this is the style that home builders use the most as well in terms of a basic version. However, cut pile has other choices as well. These include:

• Saxony/Plush
• Textured Saxony
• Frieze
• Cable

The cut pile cost range will go from a low of $1 per square foot to as much as $12. The difference is often seen both in the appearance as well as the durability of the carpet. When one adds up replacing a bargain carpet every three to five years with a plus luxury carpet installed once and lasting 10 years, the bargain choice doesn’t look so cheap anymore.

Loop Pile Carpet, alternatively, provides a very different look, and can be a lot more affordable at $1 to $5 per square foot. This choice has the carpet loop preserved, it tends to be far more durable and used in locations with a lot of foot traffic. The simple design change in how it is finished preserves the loop far better, which makes the carpet hold up to abuse a lot longer. It comes with multi-color options as well as texture. Both features help reduce the look of traffic markings and dirt until vacuumed up compared to other carpet choices that start to show traffic channels very quickly.

Cut and Loop Carpet is a combination of the above. It provides a third choice that is a middle road selection ranging in cost from $1 to $10 per square foot, including lots of pattern choices not necessarily available in other categories. Because it can vary the loop look, this style of carpet can also include bordering and similar texture differences.

Protection Features

Finally, there are the added benefits of protection features. Stain blocking and pet resistant carpet products are particularly useful for homeowners with fear of damage from kids and animals, but there is a price for those additional features. Many of these treated carpets have an incredible lifespan, even with abuse, and are well worth the price when compared to replacing a basic carpet two or three times over the same time period. These features include moisture resistance, stain protection, tight fiber weaves that don’t absorb moisture or dirt easily, and wear resistance. Again, however, these protections add cost to a carpet per square foot installed.

Are you ready for Professional Carpeting Installers to help you with Your Space? Contact our Team at S & R Carpet & Floors Today 

S & R Carpet & Floors provides one of these most experienced services for carpeting. Our teams also have access to some of the widest and most varied carpet choices available as well. With personal experience going back almost five decades in the flooring business, S & R Carpet & Floors remains one of the best picks for carpet installation help as well as product selection. Give us a call or email today to get started on your next home project.