How to Measure Your Room for Carpet (Beginners Guide)

Measuring a room for carpet isn't rocket science, but getting it wrong can be costly. If you order too little, you're stuck. If you order too much, you're wasting money. Here is the foolproof way to measure a standard room.

Step 1: Draw a sketch. It doesn't need to be art. Just draw the shape of the floor. Include any alcoves, bay windows, or doorways.

Step 2: Measure the length and width. Measure the absolute maximum length and width of the room. Put the tape measure right into the deepest part of the alcove and measure to the opposite wall. Do the same for the doorway—measure into the door frame where the carpet will end.

Step 3: Add 10cm (4 inches). This is the golden rule. Professional fitters need 'scribing' allowance to cut the carpet perfectly to your skirting boards. If your room is 3.40m x 4.20m, write down 3.50m x 4.30m.

Step 4: Check carpet widths. Carpets typically come in 4m and 5m widths. If your room width (plus allowance) is 3.8m, you need a 4m wide roll. If it's 4.4m, you need a 5m wide roll. If it's 4.1m, you unfortunately need a 5m roll (or a 4m roll with a join, which we don't recommend for DIY measuring).

Step 5: Hallways and Stairs. These are tricky. We strongly recommend using our free 'Mobile Home Visit' service for stairs, as measuring winders and landings requires expert knowledge to minimize waste.