How to Determine the Square Footage of Carpet

The square footage of a carpet expresses how much total space, or area, the carpet covers. One square foot is an area one foot wide by one foot long. Since carpet is frequently sold by the square foot or square yard, measuring the square footage of your existing carpet is the best way to determine how much replacement carpet you need to purchase. Measuring wall-to-wall carpet also gives you the square footage of the entire room.

Measuring tape

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the length of the room with your measuring tape. Write down this measurement in inches.
- 2
  Measure the width of the room with your measuring tape. Write down this measurement in inches.
- 3
  If the room is not a perfect rectangle and certain areas jut out, measure the length and width of those areas separately and write them down in inches.
- 4
  Multiply the length measurement by the width measurement. This number is your total square inches.
- 5
  Divide the total square inches by 12. This number is your total square footage.
- 6
  If applicable, repeat Steps 4 and 5 for each separate area measured in Step 3. Add these totals to your result from Step 5 to arrive at the room's total square footage.

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Carpeting