Carpeting stairs in Seattle costs $30 per step in labor at Wills Flooring, so a straight 13-step staircase is 13 x $30 = $390, plus the carpet and pad. Landings and pie-shaped winders each count as a step. Pulling the old carpet, pad and staples out adds $0.45 per sq ft, about $27 on a 13-step flight. The carpet and pad themselves are quoted at the free in-home estimate, because material is what really moves the number.
Seattle is a staircase city. Wallingford and Ballard split-levels have a short run up and a short run down, Queen Anne and Capitol Hill houses have steep, narrow flights with a turn, and every townhome from Beacon Hill to Magnolia has three floors of stairs. Stairs are quoted differently from rooms, so here is what goes into the number and how to count your own steps.
Why stairs are priced per step instead of per square foot
Every step is cut and fitted by hand
A bedroom is one big piece stretched to the walls. A staircase is thirteen or more small pieces, each cut, padded, stapled at the crotch of the riser and trimmed to the stringer. Labor per square foot is several times a flat room, which is why stairs are counted by the step.
Waste is high
Carpet comes 12 ft wide. A 3 ft stair uses strips cut from that roll, and patterns have to be matched on every step. A staircase eats a surprising amount of carpet for its footprint, and that waste shows up on the material line.
Shape changes everything
A pie-shaped winder takes twice as long as a straight tread, and an open-sided stair means wrapping the nosing around the end of each tread. The rate stays $30, but the day gets longer, so tell us the shape when you call.
Old Seattle stairs are rarely square
Craftsman and Tudor staircases have settled for a century. Treads are out of level, risers vary in height and nosings are worn round. Good installers pad and stretch to hide it. Fast installers leave puckers you see every time you climb.
The five things that move a Seattle stair carpet quote
| Factor | What it does to the total | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tread count and landings | Adds $30 per unit | Every step is a unit of labor, and a landing counts as one. Sixteen steps plus a landing is 17 x $30 = $510. |
| Winder or pie treads | No change to the rate | A pie step is patterned, cut and matched individually, so it takes longer, but we still bill it at $30. The time shows up in the schedule, not the price. |
| Open sides or exposed nosing | No change to the rate | The carpet wraps under the nosing and the edge is finished by hand. It is slower work at the same per-step price. |
| Wrap method | No change to the rate | Hollywood tucks the carpet tight under each nosing for a tailored look and takes longer than a waterfall drape. Both are $30 per step. |
| Fiber, pattern and pad | The real swing | Material is the biggest variable in any carpet quote. Patterns need matching on every step, and a staircase wastes more carpet than its footprint suggests. |
| Tear-out and disposal | Adds $0.45 per sq ft | Old carpet, tack strip and hundreds of staples. A 13-step flight measures about 60 sq ft, so roughly $27 to strip and haul away. |
The $30 per step and $0.45 per sq ft tear-out are published Wills Flooring labor rates. Carpet and pad are quoted at the free in-home estimate after we count every tread.
Scope your Seattle stair carpet project
Carpet Installation Calculator
Real Wills Flooring labor pricing. Carpet and pad are quoted separately once you pick the style you like.
Waterfall vs Hollywood: the look and the labor
Waterfall
Choose waterfall when
- You want the lower labor cost and a softer, more casual look
- The carpet is a Berber or loop that does not bend crisply
- Nosings are worn round on an older Seattle staircase
- The stairs are enclosed on both sides
Hollywood (cap and band)
Choose Hollywood when
- You want the tailored, upholstered look buyers expect in Queen Anne or Magnolia
- The carpet is a cut pile or a pattern that shows the nosing line
- One or both sides are open with a banister
- You are pairing carpet stairs with hardwood floors above and below
How stair carpet compares to hardwood or vinyl plank on stairs
Stairs are the one place where the three floors we install are easy to compare, because all three are billed per step. Wills Flooring installs hardwood on stairs at $125 per stair, vinyl plank or laminate at $100 per stair and carpet at $30 per step, labor only. On a 13-step Seattle staircase that is $1,625, $1,300 or $390. Material narrows the gap, since hardwood treads cost more than a strip of carpet, but carpet stays the cheapest way to cover a flight.
Seattle condo and townhome note: Many Capitol Hill and Belltown buildings require carpet on stairs and upper floors for sound. If your HOA has an acoustic rule, ask for the required pad rating before you shop. We bring the spec sheet for the building manager and handle the elevator reservation on install day.
What a Seattle stair install day looks like
- Tear-out, 1–2 hoursOld carpet, pad, tack strip and staples come out. On 1920s to 1950s houses we check whether the treads are fir or oak you might want refinished instead.
- Pad and tack strip, about 1 hourNew pad is cut and stapled per tread with a gap at the nosing. Tack strip goes at the crotch of each riser for a stretch-in stair.
- Carpet, 2–4 hours for 13 stepsEach step is stretched with a knee kicker, stapled, and trimmed. Hollywood wraps add time. Pie treads and open sides add more.
- Landings and cleanupLandings are seamed last so the pattern runs true. You can walk on the stairs immediately.A straight run is done by early afternoon; a turned, open staircase is a full day.
How to get an honest stair carpet quote in Seattle
- Count your treads before anyone visits. Include landings and note which steps are pie-shaped or open on a side. At $30 a step, that count is most of your labor number.
- Ask for the wrap method on the quote. Waterfall and Hollywood should be named, because they are different amounts of work and look different.
- Pick a stair-rated carpet. Dense low pile, nylon or triexta, holds up to the concentrated wear on stair nosings far better than a soft plush. Our best carpet for stairs post explains why.
- Ask what is under the old carpet. Many Ballard and Wallingford stairs hide finished fir treads. Refinishing them at $55 to $75 per tread is sometimes the better call than new carpet.
- Insist on a firm written number. We measure every step, bring the samples and write the price on the spot, backed by a 1-year workmanship warranty. See what the carpet installation visit includes.
Stair carpet questions from Seattle homeowners
From split-levels in Wallingford to three-story townhomes in Beacon Hill.
How is carpet for stairs priced?
How much carpet do I need for 13 stairs?
Is it cheaper to carpet stairs or install hardwood on them?
What is the difference between waterfall and Hollywood stair carpet?
How long does it take to carpet a staircase?
Do Seattle condos require carpet on stairs?
Get every step counted and priced
We measure each tread, bring stair-rated samples and hand you a firm written price on the spot. Free, anywhere in Seattle, including condos.
Wills Flooring serves Seattle, Everett, Sammamish, Lynnwood, Edmonds, Kirkland, Snohomish and the rest of Snohomish and King County from our Lynnwood showroom. See our carpet installation service, published price list, the best carpet for stairs, what drives carpet installation cost and stair carpet that survives dogs.
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