Carpet cleaning cost calculator

Most carpet cleaners work out a job by the square foot, even when they quote by the room. We read four public cost guides and took the per-foot rates they give for hot water extraction, the method most companies use.

The combined low is the middle of the three lows, the high is the middle of the three highs, and the typical rate is the middle of the three midpoints. At those rates a 1,000 sq ft carpeted home costs about $180 to $360 to clean, with $270 the typical price.

Thumbtack works it the other way round. It puts the national average job at $147 to $288, with most people paying about $206. Divided by one medium living room that comes to $0.53 to $0.98 a foot, which shows how much of a small job is the trip and the setup rather than the carpet.

Many companies advertise a price per room, because it is easy to say on the phone. It hides two things: how big a room is, and a minimum charge folded into the first room. Thumbtack's national averages show it clearly.

The first room carries most of the cost. Each room after it adds $30 to $60. Fixr puts a typical room at $40 to $70 and lists national chains from about $30 to $150 a room, so the brand on the truck moves the price a lot.

A "room" also means different things to different companies. Some cap it at 200 or 250 sq ft and charge a living room as two. Some count a hallway as a room, others throw it in. When you compare quotes, ask how they define a room, or give them square feet and ask for a per-foot price.

The calculator can count rooms for you. Enter the number of rooms and an average size, and it turns that into square feet, prices it per foot and shows Thumbtack's per-room average next to it as a check.

There are two broad ways to clean carpet, and they cost about the same per foot. What changes is how deep the clean goes and how long the carpet stays wet.

• Hot water extraction (steam). Hot water and cleaning solution are sprayed into the pile under pressure and sucked back out with the dirt. Truck-mounted units are the strongest. It is the deepest clean, and Fixr notes that many carpet warranties call for a professional deep clean once a year or more. Fixr says full drying can take up to a day or two.
• Low-moisture (encapsulation). A foam or solution is worked into the fibers, dries into crystals that hold the dirt, and gets vacuumed up. It dries faster than steam and suits offices and light soil. CostHelper prices chemical cleaning of a 975 sq ft home at $186 to $390, which works out to $0.19 to $0.40 a foot.
• Bonnet and dry compound. A spinning pad or an absorbent powder cleans the top of the pile. Fixr puts bonnet cleaning at $25 to $85 a room, drying in about 30 minutes, and dry compound at $60 to $130. It is quick and cheap, but it does not reach dirt at the base of the fibers.

Heavily soiled carpet, pet accidents and a carpet that has not been cleaned in years need hot water extraction, often with a pre-spray and a second pass. Low-moisture cleaning is a good choice for regular upkeep between deep cleans.

The fiber matters as well. Synthetic carpet such as nylon and polyester is the cheapest and easiest to clean. Natural fibers take more care and cost more. Fixr's whole-job ranges show the spread:

If you do not know what your carpet is made of, the cleaner will check before starting. Tell them about any wool or natural fiber rugs when you book, because some need a different method or a trip to a rug plant.

The per-foot price covers open carpet. These are charged on top, and they are where two quotes for the same house drift apart.

Pet urine is the hard one. If it has soaked through to the pad, a surface treatment helps the smell for a while but does not fix it. The pad and sometimes the subfloor under that spot need treating or replacing. A good cleaner will tell you that before starting, not after.

Moving furniture yourself is the easiest saving. Most crews will clean around a bed or a heavy dresser for free, and charge to move it.

A family has 1,000 sq ft of carpet across three bedrooms, a living room and the upstairs hall, plus 14 carpeted stairs. The dog has had accidents on about 150 sq ft of the living room. They want hot water extraction.

• Cleaning. 1,000 sq ft × $0.18 / $0.27 / $0.36 = $180 / $270 / $360. Well over the minimum.
• Stairs. 14 × $2 / $3.50 / $5 = $28 / $49 / $70.
• Pet treatment. 150 sq ft × $0.10 / $0.175 / $0.30 = $15 / $26 / $45.
• Total. $223 to $475, with about $345 as the typical price at the US average.

In a state where cleaning wages run above the national median, the labor part of that goes up. Enter a ZIP in the calculator to see it.

Fixr's advice is a professional clean every 12 to 18 months, and it notes that many carpet warranties require one at least once a year, so keep the receipts. Bob Vila says at least once a year, more with pets, small children or heavy traffic. A cleaner quoted by Thumbtack suggests every 6 to 9 months for a busy home with dogs. Regular vacuuming in between matters too, because grit at the base of the pile is what wears the fibers down.

Renting a machine costs about $21 to $30 a day (Fixr) up to about $40 a day (Thumbtack, citing Consumer Reports), plus solution. It works for a spot or a small room. The rental units put down less heat and pull up less water than a truck mount, so carpet can stay wet longer, and too much soap left in the pile makes it attract dirt faster. For a whole house, the gap between a rental weekend and a professional job is often smaller than people expect.

If you run a carpet cleaning business, the ranges above are what your customers read before they call. Your own price should come from your own costs and how many jobs you fit in a day.

• Set a real minimum. The drive, the hose run, setup and teardown take the same time for one room as for five. Most companies charge $75 to $109 at the least. Price the first room or the first few hundred feet to cover the trip.
• Measure, then quote per foot. Quoting per room is fine on the phone, but measure on site. A 400 sq ft family room is two rooms of work.
• Price the extras as lines. Stairs, pet treatment, protector and furniture moving each go on the estimate by name, so the customer can choose and you do not give them away.
• Count everything per job. Solution, pre-spray, fuel, machine wear, drive time and your labor. What is left is the margin. Our profit margin calculator shows the price that hits the margin you want.
• Sell the next clean. A reminder at 6 or 12 months turns a one-off into a repeat customer.

The "Save as an estimate" button above puts each part on its own line. You can then send it from Koira for the customer to approve and pay a deposit on their phone.