It is the question we get asked most once someone has chosen a carpet, and the honest answer is that it depends more on preparation than on the carpet itself. But you want a real number rather than “it varies”, so here are ours.
Typical fitting times
A bedroom is usually around an hour. A lounge takes between one and three hours depending on the shape of the room, how many alcoves and awkward corners there are, and how much furniture needs moving.
Stairs and landing is the long one: three to four hours. That surprises people, because it looks like a smaller area than a lounge. The reason is that every tread and riser is measured, cut and fitted individually, and there is no way to speed that up without the finish suffering.
Most whole-house jobs are completed in a single day.
What makes it take longer
Preparation is the variable. If the subfloor needs levelling compound or a plywood overlay before anything can be laid, that adds time, and the floor often needs to be left before the new covering goes down.
Old flooring that has been glued down takes longer to lift than carpet on gripper. Rooms that have been extended sometimes have a step or a change in floor level at the join. Period properties with settled floors need more attention than a newer estate house.
None of this should be a surprise on the day. We will have seen it at the measure and told you then.
How far ahead you need to book
Normally two to three weeks from the measure to fitting day. That covers ordering, delivery and getting a team booked in.
If you are working to a deadline, a completion date or a room that needs finishing before family arrive, say so. We can usually accommodate a quicker turnaround and it costs nothing to ask. We also fit on Saturdays where that works better than taking a day off.
What you need to do beforehand
Less than most people expect. We move furniture as part of the job, including beds and wardrobes. For anything unusual we work on fairness: if it can be moved we will move it, and if it genuinely cannot we will work around it.
What does help is emptying wardrobes and drawers if they need to be shifted, taking anything fragile off shelves in the room, and making sure we can park reasonably close. Tell us at the measure what is in the room and there will be no surprises.
Who actually turns up
Our own employed fitting teams, not subcontractors booked job by job. That is why we can be specific about timings: we know how our teams work because they work for us. It is also why the same people come back if anything needs attention afterwards.
If you would like to talk through a specific job, our carpet fitting page covers what is included, and the cost guide sets out what drives the price. The home measure is free and carries no obligation.