carpet install in hallway

How long does it take to install carpet?

If you’re wondering, “How long does it take to install carpet?”, you’ll be happy to know that it usually doesn’t take longer than a day. And in some situations, it may only take a few hours.

Let’s break down what can lengthen the average carpet install and how long a typical carpet install takes.

Carpet installation timeframe

There are a variety of factors that can lengthen the time frame of a carpet install. These factors can include:

  • The shape of the room: A perfectly square room will take the least amount of time. If the carpet installer has to cut around random corners, stairs, or built-in elements, then the process will take longer.
  • The removal of pre-existing flooring: If the installers have to pull out and remove the old flooring, then the carpet install can take much longer. And if you need to remove tile or wood flooring, you can expect this process to take considerably more time (even up to a day longer).
  • The removal of furniture: If you’re going to have the installers move the furniture in and out of the room for you, then you can probably tack on another 1-2 hours. If you have lots of heavy furniture and if you’re working with multiple rooms, then this process can take 2-4 hours.
  • The carpet installers: Obviously the experience of the installers can impact the duration of the install. But more importantly would be how many installers are working on the job at one time. While this won’t necessarily impact the overall quality of the job, 2 or 3 installers will have the job finished faster than 1 installer.

As far as the installation itself, you can expect one room to be installed within 1-2 hours (typically). However, this does not include all the influencing factors mentioned above.

If the installer is removing furniture and flooring and working in a team, then it’s best to expect the carpet install to take between 6-8 hours. In our experience, we suggest that you set aside a full day for the carpet install. It’s also best to schedule events around the day of the install and the day after the install — this way, you can account for potential unforeseen hurdles.

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