Short answer: the carpet is usually less than half of the bill. Underlay, gripper, fitting, door bars, uplift of the old floor and delivery make up the rest, and a quote that leaves any of those out is not cheaper, it is incomplete. Here is how to read one.

The carpet

Priced per square metre, and the range is huge. A hardwearing polypropylene twist for a bedroom sits at the low end; a heavy wool loop or a deep saxony sits at the top. The grade you need depends on the room. A spare bedroom does not need what a hall and stairs need. We will tell you when a cheaper carpet is the right one.

Waste

Carpet comes on a roll, usually four or five metres wide. A room that is 3.2 metres wide still uses a four-metre width, so you pay for the strip that gets cut off. A good measure plans the cuts to keep waste down, and sometimes turning the carpet the other way or choosing a different width saves a surprising amount. This is the single biggest reason a home measure beats a guess from a floor plan.

Underlay

Priced per square metre and often where a cheap quote is cheap. Underlay is what makes a carpet feel good, keeps it warm, and stops it wearing through at the doorways. A thin foam underlay under a good carpet is like a good mattress on a bad base. See our separate guide on underlay for the detail.

Gripper, door bars and trims

Gripper is the spiked wooden strip round the edge of the room that holds the carpet tight. Door bars finish the join between rooms. Small money each, but a house full of rooms adds up, and they should be listed.

Fitting

Per square metre for rooms, and usually a separate price for stairs, because stairs take far longer per metre. Our fitters are our own people who do this all day, and their price is on the quote as a line, not hidden in the carpet price.

Uplift and disposal

Taking up the old carpet and underlay, pulling the old gripper if it is past it, and taking it all away. Some quotes assume you will do this yourself. Ask.

Delivery

Ours is on the quote too. Flooring delivery across the west of Scotland is a set charge, and free above a certain order size.

How to compare two quotes

Put them side by side and check each has the same lines: carpet, underlay, gripper, door bars, fitting, stairs, uplift, delivery. If one is missing a line, add it in before you compare. Then check the underlay is the same grade. Two quotes for the same carpet can be a hundred pounds apart purely because one has a proper underlay and one has a budget one.

How we do it

We come to you, measure every room properly, bring the samples, and give you one itemised price. No charge for the visit, no obligation, and 0% finance on qualifying orders if you would rather spread it. Book a free home measure, or if you are a landlord or letting agent, see our landlord and trade carpets page.

Paul James Home, Co-op Department Store, Clydebank. Monday to Saturday 9 to 5. 0141 266 0400.