Carpet Calculator: Square Yards and Cost

How to work it out

Measure each room at its longest and widest points, including into doorways.
Add closets and hallways as their own areas.
Keep some extra for seams and matching the pattern or pile direction. The calculator starts with 10%.
Enter the price per square yard to see the cost. Pad and fitting are usually priced separately.

Quick conversions

From	To
Square feet to square yards	Divide by 9
Square yards to square feet	Multiply by 9
Square yards to square metres	Multiply by 0.836

These are common starting points. Your site, climate and supplier may call for something different.

Why the real amount can be higher

Carpet comes off a roll of a set width, often 12 ft. A room wider than the roll needs a seam, and the pieces must run the same way, so the installer may cut more than the area alone suggests. The figure here is the minimum; ask your installer to measure before you order.

Common questions

How do I convert square feet to square yards?

Divide by 9. A 12 by 12 ft room is 144 sq ft, which is 16 sq yd before any extra.

Why is carpet priced per square yard?

In the US carpet is traditionally sold by the square yard. If a price is per square foot, multiply it by 9 to compare it with a per-yard price.

How much extra carpet should I allow?

About 10% is a common starting point. Rooms wider than the roll, odd shapes and patterned carpet need more.

Does this include the pad?

No. Pad covers about the same area as the carpet, so the square yards here are a good guide for it too. Check the price per square yard separately.

Doing this job for a customer? Turn your numbers into a free written estimate on QuoteToPaid.

Carpet calculator