How much carpet do I need for a 12×12 room?

Data checked October 2026

Short answer

A 12 × 12 ft room (144 sq ft, 16 sq yd) takes 16.7 sq yd of carpet — 12.5 linear ft off a 12 ft roll, no seam.

The roll runs along the 12 ft wall: 1 drop × 12' 6" (3 in trim at each end) × 12 ft = 150 sq ft ÷ 9 = 16.7 sq yd.
You pay for 150 sq ft to cover 144 — 4% ends up as offcuts.
Pad: 16.8 sq yd (5% extra). Tack strip: 46 ft around the walls, skipping one 32 in doorway.
Cost: about $651 of carpet at $39.06/sq yd plus $116 of pad — roughly $911 installed at $1/sq ft labor.
12×12 is exactly one roll wide: a single piece, but no side allowance, so measure every wall.

Adjust it to your exact job

What are you carpeting?

Job

Room length

= 12' · 3.66 m

Room width

= 12' · 3.66 m

Doorways

Doorway width

Roll

Roll width

Shaw: most carpet is made 12 ft wide, some styles 15 ft. 13 ft 6 in is less common — check the style's label.

Order

16.7sq yd of carpet

12.5 linear ft off a 12' roll · 150 sq ft · no seams · 4% ends up as offcuts

Area to cover: 16sq yd144 sq ft to cover
Roll length: 12.5linear ft12' wide
Pad: 16.8sq yd7/16 in
Tack strip: 46ftwalls minus doorways

Every roll width and direction

Carpet to order by roll width and orientation
Roll · runs	Drops	Sq yd	Offcuts
12' · 12'	1	16.7	4%
13' 6" · 12'	1	18.8	15%
15' · 12'	1	20.8	23%

Only some styles come in 13 ft 6 in or 15 ft widths — ask before you pick one.

The room is as wide as the carpet across the drops, leaving almost no edge to trim at the side walls. Measure at several points — if a wall is out of square you may need an extra fill strip.

Let it acclimate

CRI 105 recommends unrolling carpet and pad in the room for at least 24 hours at 65–95°F before installing.

Shopping list

16.7 sq yd Carpet, 12' roll12.5 linear ft off the roll$651
16.8 sq yd Carpet pad, 7/16 in$116
46 linear ft Tack stripnot across door openings
1 doorways Carpet transition strips (to hard floor)32 in openings

Estimated total$767

Cost estimate

Tap a price to use your store's

Carpet (12' roll)
16.67 sq yd × $typical $2.79–$5.89 per sq ft at Home Depot
$651
Pad 7/16 in
16.8 sq yd × $
$116

Materials total$768

Carpet: Home Depot LifeProof typical (cached 2026). Pad: Caldwell full-roll memory-foam rebond. Tap any price to enter your store's.

Hiring a pro? Installed cost

Labor per sq ft

Extra per stair

Tear out old carpet

Installation labor
144 sq ft × $1.00
$144

Materials: $768
Labor & extras: $144
Installed total: $912

This Old House (June 2026): labor $0.50–$1 per sq ft, stairs $11–$26 extra per step, removal $2–$3 per sq ft. “Free install” promos often exclude stairs, removal and furniture moving.

Did this answer your question?

Compare

Carpet for a 12×12 room by roll width and direction

Roll width	Roll runs along	Sq yd	Offcuts
12 ft	12 ft wall	16.7	4%
13 ft 6 in	12 ft wall	18.8	15%
15 ft	12 ft wall	20.8	23%

How this was worked out

On a 12 ft roll this room already needs no seam; the best wider roll (13 ft 6 in) would mean buying 18.8 sq yd, so it only adds offcuts.

A single piece means no seam to show — the best result for a bedroom.

The full method, material data and tips are on the main carpet calculator page.

Similar jobs

Other sizes people check

Sources

Data behind this answer

Shaw Floors — carpet planning & installation — most carpet is made in 12 ft rolls; 15 ft rolls on some styles · checked October 2026
CRI 105 Standard for Installation of Residential Carpet (2019) — seam placement, same pile direction, 7/16 in max cushion, tack strip rules, 24 h acclimation, stair nosing · checked October 2026
Shaw Pet Perfect+ residential carpet warranty (rev. Sept 2026) — recommended pad no thicker than 1/2 in · checked October 2026
Fixr — cost to carpet stairs (Jan 2025) — about 54 sq ft for 12 straight steps; $36–$65 per step installed · checked October 2026
This Old House — carpet installation cost (June 2026) — labor $0.50–$1 per sq ft; pad $0.75–$2; stairs $11–$26 extra per step; removal $2–$3 · checked October 2026
Caldwell Carpet — memory foam rebond pad — $0.77 per sq ft full-roll price · checked October 2026

Short answer

A 12 × 12 ft room (144 sq ft, 16 sq yd) takes 16.7 sq yd of carpet — 12.5 linear ft off a 12 ft roll, no seam.

The roll runs along the 12 ft wall: 1 drop × 12' 6" (3 in trim at each end) × 12 ft = 150 sq ft ÷ 9 = 16.7 sq yd.

You pay for 150 sq ft to cover 144 — 4% ends up as offcuts.

Pad: 16.8 sq yd (5% extra). Tack strip: 46 ft around the walls, skipping one 32 in doorway.

Cost: about $651 of carpet at $39.06/sq yd plus $116 of pad — roughly $911 installed at $1/sq ft labor.

12×12 is exactly one roll wide: a single piece, but no side allowance, so measure every wall.

Adjust it to your exact job

What are you carpeting?

Job

Room length

= 12' · 3.66 m

Room width

= 12' · 3.66 m

Doorways

Doorway width

Roll

Roll width

Shaw: most carpet is made 12 ft wide, some styles 15 ft. 13 ft 6 in is less common — check the style's label.

Order

16.7sq yd of carpet

12.5 linear ft off a 12' roll · 150 sq ft · no seams · 4% ends up as offcuts

Area to cover: 16sq yd144 sq ft to cover
Roll length: 12.5linear ft12' wide
Pad: 16.8sq yd7/16 in
Tack strip: 46ftwalls minus doorways

Every roll width and direction

Carpet to order by roll width and orientation
Roll · runs	Drops	Sq yd	Offcuts
12' · 12'	1	16.7	4%
13' 6" · 12'	1	18.8	15%
15' · 12'	1	20.8	23%

Only some styles come in 13 ft 6 in or 15 ft widths — ask before you pick one.

The room is as wide as the carpet across the drops, leaving almost no edge to trim at the side walls. Measure at several points — if a wall is out of square you may need an extra fill strip.

Let it acclimate

CRI 105 recommends unrolling carpet and pad in the room for at least 24 hours at 65–95°F before installing.

Shopping list

16.7 sq yd Carpet, 12' roll12.5 linear ft off the roll$651
16.8 sq yd Carpet pad, 7/16 in$116
46 linear ft Tack stripnot across door openings
1 doorways Carpet transition strips (to hard floor)32 in openings

Estimated total$767

Cost estimate

Tap a price to use your store's

Carpet (12' roll)
16.67 sq yd × $typical $2.79–$5.89 per sq ft at Home Depot
$651
Pad 7/16 in
16.8 sq yd × $
$116

Materials total$768

Carpet: Home Depot LifeProof typical (cached 2026). Pad: Caldwell full-roll memory-foam rebond. Tap any price to enter your store's.

Hiring a pro? Installed cost

Labor per sq ft

Extra per stair

Tear out old carpet

Installation labor
144 sq ft × $1.00
$144

Materials: $768
Labor & extras: $144
Installed total: $912

This Old House (June 2026): labor $0.50–$1 per sq ft, stairs $11–$26 extra per step, removal $2–$3 per sq ft. “Free install” promos often exclude stairs, removal and furniture moving.

Roll width

Roll runs along

Seams

Sq yd

Offcuts

12 ft

12 ft wall

16.7

13 ft 6 in

12 ft wall

18.8

15%

15 ft

12 ft wall

20.8

23%