How much carpet do I need for a 13×15 room?

Data checked October 2026

Short answer

A 13 × 15 ft room (195 sq ft, 21.7 sq yd) takes 36 sq yd of carpet — 27 linear ft off a 12 ft roll with 1 seam.

The roll runs along the 13 ft wall: 2 drops × 13' 6" (3 in trim at each end) × 12 ft = 324 sq ft ÷ 9 = 36 sq yd.
You pay for 324 sq ft to cover 195 — 40% ends up as offcuts, mostly the unused part of the fill drop.
Pad: 22.8 sq yd (5% extra). Tack strip: 54 ft around the walls, skipping one 32 in doorway.
Cost: about $1,406 of carpet at $39.06/sq yd plus $158 of pad — roughly $1,759 installed at $1/sq ft labor.
13×15 is the classic trap: 1 ft too wide for a 12 ft roll, so the cheapest layout depends on the roll width.

Adjust it to your exact job

What are you carpeting?

Job

Room length

= 15' · 4.57 m

Room width

= 13' · 3.96 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

36sq yd of carpet

27 linear ft off a 12' roll · 324 sq ft · 1 seam · 40% ends up as offcuts

Area to cover: 21.7sq yd195 sq ft to cover
Roll length: 27linear ft12' wide
Pad: 22.8sq yd7/16 in
Tack strip: 54ftwalls minus doorways

Every roll width and direction

Carpet to order by roll width and orientation
Roll · runs	Drops	Seams	Sq yd	Offcuts
12' · 15'	2	1	41.3	48%
12' · 13'	2	1	36	40%
13' 6" · 15'	1	0	23.3	7%
13' 6" · 13'	2	1	40.5	47%
15' · 15'	1	0	25.8	16%
15' · 13'	1	0	22.5	4%

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

This cheapest layout puts the seam across the room's long way. CRI 105 prefers seams that run the length of the room, parallel to traffic — compare the options below.

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

36 sq yd Carpet, 12' roll27 linear ft off the roll · 1 seam$1,406
22.8 sq yd Carpet pad, 7/16 in$158
54 linear ft Tack stripnot across door openings
13 linear ft Hot-melt seam tape
1 doorways Carpet transition strips (to hard floor)32 in openings

Estimated total$1,564

Cost estimate

Tap a price to use your store's

Carpet (12' roll)
36 sq yd × $typical $2.79–$5.89 per sq ft at Home Depot
$1,406
Pad 7/16 in
22.75 sq yd × $
$158

Materials total$1,564

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
195 sq ft × $1.00
$195

Materials: $1,564
Labor & extras: $195
Installed total: $1,759

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 13×15 room by roll width and direction

Roll width	Roll runs along	Seams	Sq yd	Offcuts
12 ft	15 ft wall	1	41.3	48%
12 ft	13 ft wall	1	36	40%
13 ft 6 in	15 ft wall	0	23.3	7%
13 ft 6 in	13 ft wall	1	40.5	47%
15 ft	15 ft wall	0	25.8	16%
15 ft	13 ft wall	0	22.5	4%

How this was worked out

A 15 ft roll would need only 22.5 sq yd with no seam — 13.5 sq yd less, about $527 at typical prices. Ask whether your style comes that wide before you order.

Keep the seam parallel to the main traffic path and out of doorways, and make sure every piece has the pile running the same way (CRI 105).

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 13 × 15 ft room (195 sq ft, 21.7 sq yd) takes 36 sq yd of carpet — 27 linear ft off a 12 ft roll with 1 seam.

The roll runs along the 13 ft wall: 2 drops × 13' 6" (3 in trim at each end) × 12 ft = 324 sq ft ÷ 9 = 36 sq yd.

You pay for 324 sq ft to cover 195 — 40% ends up as offcuts, mostly the unused part of the fill drop.

Pad: 22.8 sq yd (5% extra). Tack strip: 54 ft around the walls, skipping one 32 in doorway.

Cost: about $1,406 of carpet at $39.06/sq yd plus $158 of pad — roughly $1,759 installed at $1/sq ft labor.

13×15 is the classic trap: 1 ft too wide for a 12 ft roll, so the cheapest layout depends on the roll width.

Adjust it to your exact job

What are you carpeting?

Job

Room length

= 15' · 4.57 m

Room width

= 13' · 3.96 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

36sq yd of carpet

27 linear ft off a 12' roll · 324 sq ft · 1 seam · 40% ends up as offcuts

Area to cover: 21.7sq yd195 sq ft to cover
Roll length: 27linear ft12' wide
Pad: 22.8sq yd7/16 in
Tack strip: 54ftwalls minus doorways

Every roll width and direction

Carpet to order by roll width and orientation
Roll · runs	Drops	Seams	Sq yd	Offcuts
12' · 15'	2	1	41.3	48%
12' · 13'	2	1	36	40%
13' 6" · 15'	1	0	23.3	7%
13' 6" · 13'	2	1	40.5	47%
15' · 15'	1	0	25.8	16%
15' · 13'	1	0	22.5	4%

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

This cheapest layout puts the seam across the room's long way. CRI 105 prefers seams that run the length of the room, parallel to traffic — compare the options below.

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

36 sq yd Carpet, 12' roll27 linear ft off the roll · 1 seam$1,406
22.8 sq yd Carpet pad, 7/16 in$158
54 linear ft Tack stripnot across door openings
13 linear ft Hot-melt seam tape
1 doorways Carpet transition strips (to hard floor)32 in openings

Estimated total$1,564

Cost estimate

Tap a price to use your store's

Carpet (12' roll)
36 sq yd × $typical $2.79–$5.89 per sq ft at Home Depot
$1,406
Pad 7/16 in
22.75 sq yd × $
$158

Materials total$1,564

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
195 sq ft × $1.00
$195

Materials: $1,564
Labor & extras: $195
Installed total: $1,759

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

15 ft wall

41.3

48%

12 ft

13 ft wall

40%

13 ft 6 in

15 ft wall

23.3

13 ft 6 in

13 ft wall

40.5

47%

15 ft

15 ft wall

25.8

16%

15 ft

13 ft wall

22.5

How this was worked out

A 15 ft roll would need only 22.5 sq yd with no seam — 13.5 sq yd less, about $527 at typical prices. Ask whether your style comes that wide before you order.

Keep the seam parallel to the main traffic path and out of doorways, and make sure every piece has the pile running the same way (CRI 105).

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