How much does carpeting cost in South Africa?
Most homeowners pay about R280 to R600 per square metre for carpet supplied and fitted with underlay. Wool and premium blends can cost R800 per m² or more.
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Entry-level carpet usually costs about R280 to R400 per m² fitted, mid-range residential carpet R400 to R600, and premium or wool carpets from R550 up to around R1,100. A typical 12 m² bedroom in a mid-range carpet comes to roughly R4,000 to R7,000 installed.
| What | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level carpet, supplied and fitted with underlay | R280–R400/m² | Loop or cut pile in budget synthetics. Common in rentals and spare rooms. |
| Mid-range residential carpet, supplied and fitted | R400–R600/m² | The band most bedrooms and lounges fall into. One comparison site puts the average at about R500 per m². |
| Premium carpet or wool blend, supplied and fitted | R550–R1,100/m² | Wool carpet alone costs R400 to R650 per m², and premium wool blends over R800, before fitting. |
| Fitting labour only | R80–R320/m² | Budget fitting is about R120 to R180 per m². Premium carpets and tricky rooms cost more to lay. |
| Underlay | R20–R100/m² | Sources quote R20 to R60 and R50 to R100. Thicker, denser underlays are at the top. |
| Removing old carpet or flooring | R30–R80/m² | Includes labour and disposal. |
| Carpet tiles, supply only | R315–R785/m² | From one supplier's 2026 product list. Fitting is extra. |
| Carpeting a standard staircase | R1,000–R2,500 per project | Added to the room price. From a single Johannesburg source, so treat as a rough guide. |
Estimates only. These ranges come from published South African prices, listed under sources below, and were last checked on 28 October 2026. Your price depends on your site and the specification. Get quotes for an accurate price for your job.
Carpet is quoted per square metre, and the best quotes bundle three things into that rate: the carpet, the underlay and the fitting. Guides published in 2026 put most residential jobs between R280 and R600 per m² for all three. The carpet itself is the biggest variable. Basic nylon and polyester start around R150 per m², while wool runs from R400 to more than R800.
Labour is a smaller share than many people expect. Fitting typically adds R120 to R300 per m², and removing the old carpet another R30 to R80. Extras such as gripper rods, seaming tape and adhesive add about R30 to R80 per m² if they aren't already built into the price.
None of the price guides we used says whether its figures include VAT. Read every range here as a planning number and ask for VAT to be shown separately on each quote.
What moves the price
Pushes the price up
- Wool and wool blends. Natural fibre carpet costs two to five times as much as basic synthetics.
- Thick, dense underlay. Premium underlay at R85 to R100 per m² costs about double a budget one.
- Stairs. Each step takes more time and material, and fitting can cost 30 to 50% more per step than flat floor.
- Uneven floors. Levelling a subfloor adds about R30 to R150 per m².
- Awkward room shapes. Bay windows, odd angles and passages mean more seams and more offcuts.
- Damp slabs. A moisture barrier on a ground floor adds R40 to R80 per m².
Brings the price down
- Synthetic fibres. Polypropylene and polyester are far cheaper than nylon or wool and resist many stains.
- Carpeting several rooms at once. Offcuts from one room can often be used in a cupboard or passage.
- Rooms that suit the roll width. Less cutting means less waste on the quote.
- Lifting the old carpet yourself. It saves the R30 to R80 per m² removal charge, if you can dispose of it.
- Spending on underlay rather than carpet. A mid-range carpet on good underlay often outlasts a pricier carpet on a thin one.
Three bedrooms and a passage: a worked example
Say you're carpeting three 12 m² bedrooms and a 6 m² passage, 42 m² of floor in total, with a mid-range carpet. Because carpet comes off a fixed-width roll, assume the fitter needs about 46 m² once offcuts are allowed for. Using the ranges on this page:
- Mid-range carpet, underlay and fitting: 46 m² × R400 to R600 = R18,400 to R27,600
- Lifting and disposing of the old carpet: 42 m² × R30 to R80 = R1,260 to R3,360
- Estimated total: roughly R19,700 to R31,000
Changing the carpet grade
The same rooms in an entry-level carpet would cost about R12,900 to R18,400 for supply and fitting. A wool blend at R550 to R1,100 per m² would cost R25,300 to R50,600. Removal stays the same whichever carpet you pick.
What should be on a carpet quote
- The quantity in m², and how it relates to your floor area
- Carpet brand, range and fibre
- Underlay type and thickness, priced per m²
- Fitting, gripper rods, door bars and seaming
- Removal and disposal of the old carpet and underlay
- Stairs, priced separately
- Floor preparation if needed, and whether VAT is included
Carpet tiles versus broadloom
Carpet tiles cost about R315 to R785 per m² before fitting, according to one South African supplier's 2026 list. That's more than an entry-level roll carpet. The extra pays off where stains or wear are likely, because you can replace a single tile instead of a whole room. For bedrooms and lounges, wall-to-wall carpet usually works out cheaper.
Hidden costs to ask about
- Moving heavy furniture, which some fitters charge for
- Trimming doors that drag on a thicker carpet and underlay
- Skirting repairs, at about R60 to R120 per metre if old skirting comes away
- Adhesive, gripper rods and seaming tape, about R30 to R80 per m² if not already in the rate
Do prices differ by region?
A Johannesburg contractor's 2026 guide shows fitting labour varying within Gauteng: about R120 to R220 per m² on the East Rand, R130 to R220 in Roodepoort and Soweto, R140 to R250 in Pretoria and Centurion, and R180 to R280 in Sandton and Randburg.
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How much does it cost to carpet a bedroom?
A 2026 Western Cape guide puts a standard 12 m² bedroom at around R4,000 to R7,000 installed in a mid-range carpet. Entry-level carpet brings that down to about R3,400 to R4,800, while wool can push it past R10,000. Removing the old carpet adds a few hundred rand.
Is underlay included in carpet prices?
Usually, in supply-and-fit prices, but not always. Underlay on its own costs about R20 to R100 per m², and a cheap quote may use the thinnest one. Ask for the underlay type and thickness in writing. Don't let the fitter reuse old underlay, because it shortens the life of the new carpet.
Is carpet cheaper than laminate or vinyl?
Entry-level carpet is one of the cheaper floor finishes at about R280 to R400 per m² fitted. Mid-range options overlap with laminate and vinyl. See our [laminate flooring cost guide](/cost-guides/laminate-flooring) and [vinyl flooring cost guide](/cost-guides/vinyl-flooring) to compare the totals for your rooms.
How much extra do stairs cost?
One Johannesburg guide suggests budgeting an extra R1,000 to R2,500 for a standard staircase, and says each step can cost 30 to 50% more to fit than flat floor. Winders and open risers take longer still. We found little published South African data on stairs, so get a specific price.
Why do carpet quotes vary so much for the same room?
Quotes differ in carpet grade, underlay thickness, how much waste is allowed for and what extras are included. Removal, gripper rods and door bars may be in one quote and missing from another. Ask each fitter to price the same carpet and underlay so the numbers are comparable.
Sources
- Flooring Costs in South Africa: 2026 Pricing Guide, Fonster, July 2026
- Carpet Flooring Installation Cost Johannesburg (2026 Prices), The Handyman Johannesburg, 2026
- Flooring Costs in South Africa (2026 Prices), Completo, May 2026
- Pricelist - prices 2026: Carpet, Procompare, 2026
- Carpet Tiles, Top Carpets and Floors, 2026
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