The first step to measuring for carpet is to diagram the area being carpeted. Your installer will install all of your carpet running the same direction so you have consistent color, texture and pattern in your carpet throughout your house which means you'll end up buying more carpet than you think you will just taking a rough estimate with the square footage of the area being carpeted. This is because if you turn carpet at a seam the texture may change, which in turn changes the color and can make it look like you have two different colors of carpet in the same area. For a very rough estimate of how much carpet you'll have to buy, find the square footage of each room being carpeted and add 10% for waste.

For a better estimate, you'll want to calculate for how the carpet will actually be laid room to room. Carpet is manufactured in rolls, not to fit the size of your room, so keep in mind that in rooms larger than your carpet roll's width, you'll have seams in the carpet. Carpet rolls are manufactured in three different widths: 12 feet, 13.5 feet, and 15 feet. The most common roll width is 12 feet. A 10 foot by 10 foot room requires 100 square feet of carpet, but you'll have to purchase 120 square feet of carpet (10 feet in length on a 12 foot wide roll) to cover the room without several seams on one end. You'll have 2 feet of excess carpet from one side, but you'll save on labor costs because you won't have as many seams. You can use the excess carpet in a closet to keep it from going completely to waste.

Once you have the measurements of your rooms, diagram your roll of carpet with each room fit in (running the carpet the same direction through each room) like a puzzle. For an example of how to diagram your rooms, see below:

10' x 10' bedroom 4' x 8' hallway



6' x 7' bathroom waste





2' x 4' closet waste
waste
Carpet Roll Diagram: 12' vertically and 19' horizontally (allowing 1' for overage overall)

On a 12 foot wide carpet roll with all rooms all running the same direction and allowing 3 inches on each length for overage, you would have to purchase 19 feet of carpet which equals 228 square feet rather than just 182 square feet as the room square footage would indicate. Realize that there will be waste no matter how exact your measurements are. When you are diagramming your rooms on a carpet roll, keep in mind that seams should run parallel to the width of your doorways into the room and you should avoid seams in high traffic areas if you can. If there is a pattern in your carpet, allow for 10% more waste than in a non-patterned carpet for matching purposes.

Taking measurements for your carpet before you invite a professional in will help you save on your home improvement budget and improve your understanding of whether the carpet installer is being honest. Having a general knowledge of how carpet is measured and rough estimates for your carpeting project will help you determine what carpet would best suite your budget and your life.