Carpet vs hardwood flooring cost: carpet is $3.50–$11.00 per sq ft installed and hardwood $8–$25, but hardwood lasts three to five times longer.
Enter your room size below to estimate carpet, padding and professional installation cost. The worked example beneath the form is produced by the same calculation the tool runs.
Inputs: 12 × 15 ft room (180 sq ft) — carpet baseline. Hardwood for the same room runs about 2.4× the carpet installed total.
Total estimated cost: $865 – $1,390 (typical mid-point $1,128). Labor and disposal use the Midwest rate; enter a ZIP code in the tool to switch regions. You can download this breakdown as a PDF from the live tool.
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| 1. Raw floor area | 180 sq ft (20.0 sq yd) |
| 2. Add 10% waste factor | 199 sq ft ordered |
| 3. Carpet material | $594 – $990 |
| 4. Padding | $129 – $168 |
| 5. Installation labor | $143 – $232 |
Carpet costs $3. 50-$11.
Carpet is 50-70% cheaper. Carpet averages $3.50-$11/sq ft installed; hardwood averages $8-$25/sq ft installed in 2026.
Yes — hardwood adds 3-5% to home resale value. Carpet is neutral or adds 0-1% and buyers often plan to replace it within a year.
Hardwood lasts 25-100 years with 3-5 refinishes. Carpet lasts 7-12 years before replacement.
Carpet is warmer, quieter and cheaper for bedrooms. Hardwood is more allergy-friendly and easier to clean — both are common in US bedrooms.
Yes — the most common US layout is hardwood in living/dining/kitchen and carpet in bedrooms, stairs and basements. Use matching T-molding transitions.