Carpet Calculator
Carpet is evaluated from Room Length, Room Width and Waste Factor. The calculation reports Square Feet, Square Yards and Square Yards + Waste.
Results
About the Carpet Calculator
The calculator uses a multi formula configuration. Each reported value is read as a direct evaluation of the stored rules with the declared field formats and units.
Formula basis:
Square feet = room length x room width
Square yards = square feet / 9
With waste factor: add 10% for standard rooms, 15% for stairways and odd-shaped rooms.
Note: Carpet must be ordered to account for roll width. A 10 x 12 room (1.33 yards wide) actually requires a 12-ft width section, so the order is a 12-ft x 12-ft piece = 16 sq yd even though the room is only 13.3 sq yd. For accurate ordering, always consult a flooring store that accounts for roll width cuts.
Interpret the outputs in the order shown by the result fields. Optional inputs affect only the outputs that depend on those variables.
Formula & How It Works
The calculation applies the following relations exactly as recorded in the metadata: Square feet = room length x room width Square yards = square feet / 9 With waste factor: add 10% for standard rooms, 15% for stairways and odd-shaped rooms. Note: Carpet must be ordered to account for roll width. A 10 x 12 room (1.33 yards wide) actually requires a 12-ft width section, so the order is a 12-ft x 12-ft piece = 16 sq yd even though the room is only 13.3 sq yd. For accurate ordering, always consult a flooring store that accounts for roll width cuts. Each output field is produced by substituting the supplied inputs into the relevant relation and then applying the declared rounding or text format.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Master bedroom: 14 ft × 12 ft, $30/yd² carpet, $5/yd² padding, $4/yd² install
Inputs
With Room Length = 14, Room Width = 12, Waste Factor = 10 and Carpet Price = 30 as the stated inputs, the result is Square Feet = 168 ft^2, Square Yards = 18.67 yd^2 and Square Yards + Waste = 20.53 yd^2. Each value corresponds to the declared output fields.
Example 2: Basement: 20 ft × 24 ft, economy carpet $20/yd², no padding (floating)
Inputs
With Room Length = 20, Room Width = 24, Waste Factor = 10 and Carpet Price = 20 as the stated inputs, the result is Square Feet = 480 ft^2, Square Yards = 53.33 yd^2 and Square Yards + Waste = 58.67 yd^2. Each value corresponds to the declared output fields.
Example 3: Living room: 18 ft × 16 ft, premium Berber $45/yd², $7/yd² Berber padding
Inputs
With Room Length = 18, Room Width = 16, Waste Factor = 10 and Carpet Price = 45 as the stated inputs, the result is Square Feet = 288 ft^2, Square Yards = 32 yd^2 and Square Yards + Waste = 35.2 yd^2. Each value corresponds to the declared output fields.
Example 4: Staircase: 12 steps, each 3 ft × 1.5 ft, frieze $35/yd²
Inputs
With Room Length = 18, Room Width = 1.5, Waste Factor = 15 and Carpet Price = 35 as the stated inputs, the result is Square Feet = 27 ft^2, Square Yards = 3 yd^2 and Square Yards + Waste = 3.45 yd^2. Each value corresponds to the declared output fields.
Common Use Cases
- Estimate carpet for a bedroom remodel
- Calculate carpet and padding for a basement
- Compare carpet costs in square yards vs. square feet