How Much Does It Cost to Carpet Stairs?
Stair carpet labor runs $15 to $25 per step on our published price guide. Here's the full 13-step math, with carpet, pad, removal and waste shown per 10 square feet, plus what pushes a stair quote up or down.
Our published labor rate for stairs is $15 to $25 per step, so labor alone on a standard 13-step staircase works out to $195 to $325. Carpet, pad and removal are priced by the square foot on top of that. This guide breaks down the cost to carpet stairs using only the numbers we've already published, so Denver metro homeowners can check a quote line by line.
Every figure here comes from the price guide Colorado Carpet & Flooring keeps for Castle Rock and the surrounding Front Range. The example math is an illustration, not a quote; your stairs get priced after they're measured.
The Published Numbers Behind a Stair Carpet Quote
Our flooring cost guide lists every line below, plus the budget and premium carpet tiers and room pricing for other floor types. This post uses the mid-range tier and sticks to what lands on a staircase.
| Line Item | Published Figure | How It's Billed |
|---|---|---|
| Stair labor | $15 to $25 per step | Labor only; listed as an add-on to carpet installation |
| Carpet material, mid-range | $3.00 to $5.00 | Per sq ft |
| Carpet pad | $0.50 to $1.50 | Per sq ft |
| Old carpet removal | About $0.50 (low end of the $0.50 to $2.50 removal range) | Per sq ft |
| Waste factor | 10 to 15% extra material | Added to measured sq ft |
Worked Example: Carpeting a 13-Step Staircase
Stair carpet is measured by area, and each step's area depends on tread depth, riser height, width and how the carpet wraps the nosing. We won't guess your square footage, so the material lines below are shown per 10 measured square feet. Your measurement sheet gives you the real number; multiply through.
- Labor: 13 steps x $15 = $195, up to 13 steps x $25 = $325.
- Material with waste: 10 sq ft x 1.10 (the cost guide's 10% waste factor) = 11 sq ft to buy.
- Mid-range carpet: 11 sq ft x $3.00 = $33.00, up to 11 sq ft x $5.00 = $55.00.
- Pad: 11 sq ft x $0.50 = $5.50, up to 11 sq ft x $1.50 = $16.50.
- Removal of the old carpet: 10 sq ft x $0.50 = $5.00.
- Per 10 sq ft, mid-range: $33.00 + $5.50 + $5.00 = $43.50, up to $55.00 + $16.50 + $5.00 = $76.50.
The 13-step total is $195 to $325 in labor, plus $43.50 to $76.50 for every 10 square feet of mid-range carpet, pad and removal. For budget or premium carpet, swap in that tier's per-square-foot price from the cost guide and run the same steps.
What Drives the Cost to Carpet Stairs Up or Down
- Stair shape. Straight runs are the simplest. Pie-shaped winder steps, open sides that need finished edges and curved stairs take more cutting and more time.
- Install style. A wrapped (Hollywood) install that tucks under each nosing takes more handwork than a waterfall drop.
- Pattern. Pattern repeats require additional material so the design lines up step to step, which can push waste past 10%.
- Pad spec. Stairs call for 8 lb density pad at minimum. A quote with cheaper, softer pad looks lower and wears faster.
- Tear-out. Pulling carpet, pad, staples and tack strip is cheap labor, but it's still labor; confirm it's included.
A line that just says "stairs included" tells you nothing. Ask three things: is the per-step charge on top of square-foot labor, what pad density goes on the stairs (our carpet padding guide sets 8 lb as the stair minimum), and is removal in the price? Our cost guide's own advice is to always ask whether removal is included.
Is the Landing a Step or a Floor?
A landing is too big to price like a step and too small to feel like a room, so quotes handle it differently. Some count it as a step, others measure it as floor area at square-foot labor. Neither is wrong, but comparing two quotes that treat it differently makes one look cheaper than it is. Ask each company how the landing was counted, then line the quotes up the same way.
The Bottom Line
- Labor on 13 steps: $195 to $325 at our published $15 to $25 per step.
- Material, pad and removal: $43.50 to $76.50 per 10 measured sq ft at mid-range, with a 10% waste factor.
- Lifespan: quality carpet lasts 10 to 15 years with proper care; stairs show wear first, so pad and fiber choice matter more here.
- Still choosing a material? Our stair flooring comparison guide weighs carpet against hardwood and LVP. Hard-surface treads are priced differently; see our stair treads and railings page, and our upcoming carpet-to-hardwood stair guide.
Get an Exact Number for Your Stairs
A measured quote replaces every estimate on this page. Book a free in-home measurement and we'll count your steps, measure your landing and price it in writing, or contact our Castle Rock team with questions first.
Adam Clements
Owner, Colorado Carpet & Flooring
Adam Clements owns Colorado Carpet & Flooring, the family-owned Castle Rock flooring store that has served the Front Range since 2008 and completed more than 15,000 homes. His team's focus here: carpet installation pricing and measurement, including per-step stair labor, pad specification and removal. The crew is factory-trained and certified by Shaw, Mohawk and COREtec, licensed and insured, and every installation is backed by a 1-year labor warranty. Meet the team.