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Stair Carpet Installation · Wall-to-Wall · Priced Per Step

Stair carpet installation, priced per step.

A wall-to-wall carpeted staircase is priced per step by carpet tier, $50 to $78 a step, $500 minimum per staircase. Every step is tacked on the tread and the riser, wrapped, stretched and tucked one at a time. Stairs go in last, so nobody walks the new floor before it is finished.

Basic $50/stepPremium $58Elite $68Ultra $78$500 minimum
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Posted pricing, all-in

BasicEveryday polyester · moisture barrier pad on the stairs · per step$50
PremiumStain-resistant fiber · moisture barrier pad · per step$58
ElitePet-rated, fade-resistant fiber · moisture barrier pad · per step$68
UltraThickest, softest grades · moisture barrier pad · per step$78
Minimum per staircaseTrip protection on a short flight$500
Stair runner installA different system: a bound runner on finished stairs · runners page$4/LF · $12/step min
LVP stairsStair nose $85 · bent nose $100 · winder $125, per step$85–$125/step

Per-step rates cover the carpet, pad, tackless on tread and riser, and the wrap. Hollywood or waterfall styling, your choice. Turns, winders, open sides and treads over 36 inches are measured and stated on the estimate. Landings price as field carpet at the tier rate. All-in and tax-included.

Two stair systems, never mixed

Wall-to-wall wrap. This page. Carpet covers the whole tread and riser, edge to edge, on a firm moisture barrier pad at every tier. Priced per step by the carpet tier you pick. This is what most homes with carpeted bedrooms upstairs have on the stairs.
Stair runner. A different product. A bound strip of carpet down the middle of finished wood stairs, on a felt pad, installed at $4 a linear foot of step width with a $12 per step minimum, plus the runner itself. It is priced off the rug menu, never off this page. Runners live here.
Hollywood or waterfall. Hollywood wraps the carpet tight under the nose of each tread so you see the shape of the step. Waterfall lets it fall straight from tread to riser. Same per-step price on wall-to-wall. Most people pick Hollywood once they see both.
Why the $500 minimum. A short flight still takes the same setup, tackless, cutting and cleanup as a long one. Ten steps at Basic is exactly $500. Below that the minimum holds so a four-step landing run does not turn into a lost trip.

What to know before the measure

Stairs are the one part of a carpet job most installers rush. They are also the part your family walks a hundred times a day. Here is what goes into the number.

Count the steps, not the landings. A step is a tread plus a riser. Landings are floor, and they price as field carpet at your tier rate, not per step. Thirteen steps at Elite is $884. Send me a photo from the bottom of the flight and I can count them for you.
Match the tier to the field carpet. Stairs usually run the same carpet as the room they lead to, so the tier is already decided. If the stairs are the only thing being done, pick the tier by traffic: Premium or Elite hold up best on a main staircase.
Turns, winders and open sides. A pie-shaped winder or an open side with a finished edge takes longer and gets stated on the estimate with the reason next to it. Nothing surprises you on install day.
Firm pad on stairs, always. Stairs get a moisture barrier pad at every tier, including Ultra. A soft cushion pad compresses under a heel and shows wear in a year or two on a step, so it stays in the rooms and off the staircase.

Common questions

How much does it cost to carpet stairs?
$50 a step at Basic, $58 Premium, $68 Elite, $78 Ultra, with a $500 minimum per staircase. That is the carpet, pad, tackless and the wrap, tax included. Ten steps at Basic is $500. Thirteen steps at Elite is $884. Count your steps, pick the tier, and you have the number before I visit.
What is the difference between carpeted stairs and a stair runner?
Wall-to-wall carpeted stairs cover the entire tread and riser and are priced per step by carpet tier. A stair runner is a bound strip down the middle of finished stairs, priced by the linear foot of step width plus the runner material, and it is a rug-shop product. They are two different systems with two different price lists, and I never price one off the other. Runners are on the stair runners page.
What pad goes on the stairs?
A firm moisture barrier pad at every tier. The cushion pad that comes with Ultra in the rooms does not go on the stairs, because a soft pad takes a set under foot traffic on a step. The firm pad is what the carpet warranty calls for on stairs, and it is what lasts.
Do you do turns, winders and landings?
Yes. Straight flights run at the posted per-step rate. Winders, turns and open sides get measured and stated on the estimate with the reason next to them. Landings price as field carpet at your tier rate, never per step.
Can you do just the stairs, no rooms?
Yes. Stairs on their own are a normal job, priced per step with the $500 minimum covering the trip. Most flights are done in a morning. Send a photo from the bottom of the stairs and your step count and I will text you the number today.

Text me a photo of your stairs

A shot from the bottom of the flight and your step count is all I need to price it today.

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