How Much Does Carpet Removal Cost? [2024 Data]
The average cost to remove a carpet is $280, with a range of $120 to $720. A pro estimates the cost based on size, location, and installation—glue-down being more expensive to remove than stretch-in.
Contractors base carpet removal costs on square footage, home location, and installation type.
Carpet disposal may be included in the initial quote, but sometimes it’s an additional fee.
Additional factors like furniture removal and flooring repair can affect costs.
You can reduce costs by moving furniture or disposing of old carpet yourself.
No matter how much you vacuum, shampoo, or try to cover it up with an area rug, your wall-to-wall carpet is no longer cutting it, and it needs to go. Carpet removal costs between $1 and $5 per square foot, or an average of $280, depending on whether the carpet is on the floor, stairs, or if padding layers are attached to the floor below. On the low end, removing carpet costs about $70, while the high end costs around $1,600. Let's take a look at carpet removal costs and the add-ons you can expect to pay.
Carpet Removal Cost Factors
Carpet removal companies either charge by the hour, square footage, or as a flat fee to handle the whole process from furniture removal to disposal. Always double-check your carpet removal estimate and confirm which parts of the process are in the quoted price.
Cost per Square Foot
Most contractors offer a carpet removal estimate based on the size of the room. Square-foot rates range as low as $0.50 to $5 per square foot for removal. On the lower end of the cost range, you can hire carpet removal professionals near you to remove simple wall-to-wall carpets and pads stapled to the ground in a flat, open room.
| Square Footage | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| 100 | $90–$200 |
| 200 | $180–$390 |
| 400 | $350–$770 |
| 800 | $700–$1,500 |
The price increases if the carpet is glued to the floor or in complicated areas, like steps, basements, attics, or old—potentially moldy—rooms.
Location in Home
Ripping up carpet in a 12-foot-by-12-foot living room takes far less time and energy than removing it from the stairs, bedrooms packed with furniture, or basements where the carpet may be attached to hard concrete. 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.
Carpet Removal Costs by Type
Let's cover more ground on the location and type of carpet removal costs. It's important to note that carpet installers attach it to the floor in several ways.
Traditional wall-to-wall carpeting is stretched and attached around the edges and in the center of the room with staples. However, glued carpet uses a strong adhesive to connect the carpet directly to the floor. Double-glued carpet includes both a path glued to the floor and carpet glued to the pad.
In either case, removing glued carpeting can be more time-consuming and require more specific tools. You’ll also find carpet in tricky spots, such as stairs or in basements, each of which has its own (often costly) removal challenges.
| Carpet Type | Average Cost per Square Foot |
|---|---|
| Stairs | $2–$20 per stair |
| Basement | $1–$1.50 |
| Staple-Down | $0.50–$1.50 |
| Glued | $3–$5 |
| Wall-to-Wall | $0.50–$5 |
Stair carpet: Stair carpet removal costs around $2–$20 per stair, as carpeting on stairs often requires removing padding that’s attached to both the riser and the tread of each step, increasing the difficulty of removal.
Basement carpet: Removing basement carpet costs about $1–$1.50 per square foot, but you might pay more in the long run due to moisture, dust, mold, and mold remediation prices, which can cost around $10–$25 per sq. ft.
Carpet and pad: Traditional staple-down installation will cost approximately $0.50–$1.50 per sq. ft. to remove and dispose of the carpet and then ripping up the pad underneath in small sections.
Glued carpet: Glued carpet will cost around $3–$5 per sq. ft. to remove because of the difficulty of the double glued-down installation.
Wall-to-wall carpet: Wall-to-wall carpet removal costs around $0.50–$5 per sq. ft., which can include either stapled or glued-down installations.
Carpet Installation Method
During the carpet removal process, the subfloor should be properly cleaned to ensure a seamless installation. This is particularly true if you’re removing glue-down or double glue-down carpet because the adhesive has to be removed. This is why glue-down carpet removal costs about $3 to $5 per square foot. Meanwhile, stretch-in carpet removal costs around $0.50 to $1.50 per square foot.
Labor
Since labor makes up nearly the entire cost of removing carpet, some companies will quote a per-hour rate of $60 per hour for the full job. The hourly estimate may include the cost to move furniture, remove the carpet, dispose of the old carpet, and even polish the floors. On average, removing carpet takes between two and four hours for a 12-foot-by-12-foot room, and longer for steps or larger spaces.
Carpet Disposal
Carpet removal professionals may include the cost of carpet disposal and recycling materials in their initial quote. Some will even advertise that they’ll take care of the full process for you without additional charge.
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 a local junk remover for a flat fee of $75 to $150 to haul it away. When you’re doing a major remodeling job, you might have enough old carpet—and other debris like tile, flooring, and cabinets—to warrant renting a dumpster to dispose of it all. You’ll do more heavy lifting than if you hire a hauler, but you’ll trade that off for the luxury of moving at your own pace, usually a full week before they take the dumpster away.
If you're trying to trim off your carpet disposal costs or find a new life for your carpet, check with local charities and buy-nothing groups to find a new home for carpet that's still in decent shape.
Before you read more: Get inspired by these real pro projects
Additional Carpet Removal Cost Factors
Removing carpet from a room often translates to a larger project. Plus, you’ll need to move furniture out of the way, which can be tricky. You may also discover that your floor's substrate needs some TLC before installing new flooring.
Furniture Removal
While some carpet removal companies include the price of moving furniture in their estimate, they may also charge around $0.20 to $0.25 per square foot of furniture, or about $60 per hour.
Carpet Recycling
There are local carpet recovery programs offering methods of recycling this common home item. In addition to the charge of hauling if you don't do it yourself, a recycling center will often charge between $0.05 and $0.25 per square foot to recycle it.
Wet Carpet Removal
Whether your home is flooded or has mold and mildew issues, wet carpet should be removed right away. This costs around $1.20 to $1.55 per square foot. Additionally, you’ll likely need to account for more services, including mold removal, which is about $10 to $25 per square foot, and basement waterproofing, which costs about $5 to $10 per square foot.
Flooring Repairs
You're bound to find a few surprises below your wall-to-wall carpets, especially if the previous owner installed 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.
| Repair Type | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Subfloor repair | $2–$10 |
| Subfloor replacement | $3–$10 |
| Trim replacement | $5.70–$9 |
| Floor joist repair | $10–$67 |
New Flooring
It's a common dream to swap out old carpet for cleaner, more durable flooring.
The cost to install 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 the following:
Cost to install laminate flooring: $3–$8 per sq. ft.
Cost to install vinyl flooring: $2–$7 per sq. ft.
Cost to install ceramic tile flooring: $3–$5 per sq. ft.
Cost to install porcelain tile flooring: $13–$65 per sq. ft.
Cost to install new carpeting: $3–$11 per sq. ft.
High-traffic areas require flooring that can withstand frequent use, children’s shoes, scurrying paws, and dirt or stains. Installing an easy-to-clean floor that will last on stairs, hallways, or in the kitchen may be worth the long-term investment.
Signs You Need to Remove Your Carpet
Here are some signs you need to remove your carpet. Keep in mind that besides all the signs below, you should consider the age of your carpet. If it’s been over 10 years since you last installed new carpet, now is the time to get it done. Besides that, look around and see if you notice the following:
Stubborn stains
Heavy wear and tear
Bad-smelling carpet
Worsened allergies
In addition, if your carpet has water damage, you should replace the carpet and underlayment as soon as possible. This will help prevent mold and mildew growth in your flooring, which can easily spread to other areas of your home.
Repairing vs. Replacing Your Carpet
Carpet repair costs around $200, while the average carpet replacement cost is $1,780. You make big savings by repairing a carpet in good condition rather than removing and replacing it. Burn holes, tears, or damage on a particular patch of piling can all be mended to leave your carpet looking as good as new.
However, replacement is a better long-term investment if your carpet is old, worn, and ingrained with tough-to-remove stains and smells. Removal might also be necessary when you have a carpet with severe water damage or one that’s old-fashioned and clashes with a planned room makeover.
Cost to Remove Carpet Yourself vs. Hiring a Pro
If you're removing carpet from a standard 12-foot-by-12-foot room, a professional carpet removal team will cost between $140 and $430. What’s included in that price varies by the service package. For example, some include the disposal of the old carpet or taking it to a recycling center.
Removing carpet yourself can cost as little as $25 for the price of tools. You’ll need to move furniture, pull up the glued or stapled carpet, and deal with a significant amount of dust.
Keep in mind that you may encounter padding underneath, and removing old carpet padding without damaging the floor is a skill in and of itself. Remember to wear protective equipment and set up proper ventilation before letting it rip.
The largest caveat in the debate to rip up carpet yourself or hire a local carpet installation professional is strength. It’s a lengthy, difficult process that isn’t right for everyone. Call a carpet removal team if you’re in doubt about tearing it up yourself.
How to Save on Carpet Removal Services
Without a doubt, removing carpet yourself is the best way to cut several hundred dollars off your bill. If that route isn’t 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 a less popular time for the appointment, such as the midweek.
Speak with at least three carpet remover contractors to compare quotes.
How Angi Gets Its Cost Data
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.
Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to [email protected]. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.
Most DIYers can learn how to remove carpet although it’s time and labor-intensive. However, if you have glued-down carpet and are concerned about damaging the substrate below, it's best to call a professional carpet remover. Also, removing glue-down carpet is more work than dealing with wall-to-wall carpet because you have to get rid of all traces of the adhesive from your subfloor to prepare it for a new installation.
To clean a wood subfloor after removing a carpet, remove any stuck-on underlay and carpet staples or nails, then vacuum to lift loose dirt or debris before mopping and allowing it to dry. This essential prep work helps promote new carpet adhesion and reduces the risk of bumps or wrinkles forming.
The average cost to install hardwood flooring is $4,700. While this is more than double the average cost of installing a new carpet and removing your old one, it has some significant advantages. Hardwood flooring might not be as cozy or soundproofing as carpets, but it's lower maintenance and way more durable. With the right care, hardwood floors can last a lifetime, whereas the average lifespan of a carpet is 10 years.
The fastest way to remove carpet is to remove carpet in strips instead of trying to remove it in one large piece. Wear protective equipment such as gloves and goggles, use a utility knife to cut the carpet in long strips, and then pull at the edge of the strip to loosen the staples or glue. Carpet-cutting razor blades are best on your utility knife for the quickest removal.
Most cities accept old carpet as bulk trash, typically without any nails or glue on the base of the carpet. You may be required to request a specific pickup and wrap the carpet into specific bags. You can also visit your local recycling center and pay a small fee to have the carpet materials recovered.
Get our Angi-powered app
