The average cost to replace carpet with laminate is $3,270. However, depending on the size of the area and type of laminate, total costs commonly range from $1,600 to $5,350.
If you’re ready to swap out your dusty, old carpet for more modern flooring, laminate could be the answer. On average, the cost to replace carpet with laminate is $3,270, but prices often vary from $1,600 to $5,350 based on square footage, materials, local labor rates, and prep work costs.
On average, the cost to install laminate flooring ranges from $3 to $13 per square foot. For a 200-square-foot space, that’s $600 to $2,600.
The final cost will depend on the type and finish—hickory is the most expensive. The cost may also vary based on the project size and scope, as well as material and contractor availability.
Carpet removal costs $1 to $5 per square foot. This includes hauling away and disposing of the carpet. Here’s how much you can expect to pay based on the size of your space.
| Room Size in Feet | Square Footage | Average Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 10x10 | 100 | $100–$500 |
| 10x12 | 120 | $120–$600 |
| 12x12 | 144 | $144–$720 |
| 12x14 | 168 | $168–$840 |
| 14x16 | 224 | $224–$1,120 |
| 16x16 | 256 | $256–$1,280 |
| 18x18 | 3324 | $324–$1,620 |
| 18x20 | 360 | $360–$1,800 |
| 20x20 | 400 | $400–$2,000 |
The price you pay to replace carpet with laminate flooring depends on many different factors. Explore these factors below to start your budget.
On average, carpet removal companies charge $1 to $5 per square foot, including labor, waste removal, and cleanup. Labor costs to install laminate flooring are $2 to $8 per square foot. You can contact a local laminate flooring installer for a more detailed project quote.
Most flooring installers will move furniture for an additional charge, often a flat fee between $100 and $200. But check with the company first—some may build this charge into your overall installation quote, while others charge by square foot or per piece of furniture.
When you hire a professional to remove your existing carpet, the disposal costs are included in your quote. However, if you rip up the carpet yourself, you can dispose of it for $0.40 to $0.50 per square foot.
The part of your home where you’re removing carpet may affect the total cost of your project because some installers charge more to pull up carpet from tricky or hard-to-reach areas. For example, removing carpet from stairs costs an average of $2 to $20 per stair.
Installing a pad underneath your new laminate helps stabilize the laminate foundation and makes the floor feel more comfortable underfoot. A pad or underlay costs $30 to $60 per 100-square-foot roll.
The cost to install laminate depends on the wood you want your flooring to resemble.
| Wood-Look Type | Average Cost per Square Foot |
|---|---|
| Acacia | $1 |
| Cherry | $1 |
| Beech | $1 |
| Hickory | $2 |
| Maple | $0.70 |
| Red Oak | $0.70 |
| White Oak | $0.70 |
| Walnut | $0.90 |
When you install laminate flooring, you’ll have to make two additional decisions: texture and finish—both of which can affect the total project cost. You can pick textured or smooth laminate, and finish options include a semi-matte, matte, or glossy finish.
Smooth laminate is the more affordable texture option. However, textured laminate is less likely to show dents or flaws than smooth laminate. Along the same lines, a matte finish is less costly than a glossy finish, but matte laminate tends to show dings and dirt more easily.
Here’s a breakdown of the different laminate finish costs.
| Laminate Finish | Average Cost per Square Foot |
|---|---|
| Matte | $1–$4.40 |
| Semi-matte | $1–$4 |
| Glossy | $1.70–$5.60 |
Another cost factor is the thickness of the laminate. As laminate gets thicker, it becomes more robust and resistant to dings and damage during installation. Laminate flooring ranges from 6 millimeters to 12 millimeters thick, and the thicker the laminate, the pricer the flooring. Six-millimeter-thick laminate flooring costs $0.70 to $1 per square foot, while 12-millimeter-thick styles cost $2.30 to $6 per square foot.
While tearing out carpet and installing laminate can be a DIY project, it's definitely on the heftier side of the DIY difficulty scale. This is because the project can be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and difficult. Unless you have some experience removing carpeting, you should hire a professional contractor.
Let flooring like hardwood and laminate acclimate to your home's humidity before installation to ensure it won’t warp or shift. Your flooring pro can guide you on how long to let it adapt.
If you choose the DIY route, you'll have full freedom to set the pace of your project schedule and save money along the way. Between the carpet removal and laminate installation, you can expect to save between $3 to $13 per square foot in labor costs by DIYing. But keep in mind that errors in installation now could mean costly repairs down the road.
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
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It takes about one to two days to remove carpet and install laminate flooring for small and medium-sized rooms. A larger room may take an extra day to complete. If you’re replacing flooring throughout your house, expect closer to one to two weeks, depending on your home’s square footage.
There are a few things to think about if you’re deciding whether to repair or replace your carpeting. For starters, consider the extent of the damage and the age of your carpet. If there are minor rips and snags and your carpet is still relatively new, it might make more sense to just replace the affected section. Otherwise, if your carpet is nearing that decade mark or has widespread damage, it’s more logical to replace your carpet entirely.
Yes, you should remove carpet glue before laying laminate flooring. Working with a completely smooth subfloor will make installing laminate flooring easier. However, it’s okay if some glue remains, as long as there are no large bumps or ridges. The goal is to have the flooring lay as flat as possible.
Yes, you can recycle most types of carpet. If you hire a pro to remove your old carpet, ask about their carpet disposal process. Many companies will recycle the carpeting, but if yours doesn’t, you can ask them to take it to a recycling center for you (although there might be an additional fee). Alternatively, you can hire a junk hauling service or contact a carpet recycling organization (like CARE).
