Why is carpet sold by the square yard?

It's the long-standing trade unit — carpet is woven and priced by the square yard (9 sq ft). Many retailers now also quote a per-square-foot price, but the roll and the estimate still work in yards, so it helps to have both.

What is broadloom width and why does it matter?

Broadloom is carpet woven on a wide loom and sold off a roll, almost always 12 feet wide (sometimes 15). A room wider than the roll needs a seam, and the installer plans seam placement and the pile (run) direction — which is why a bit of extra is ordered.

How much extra carpet should I add?

About 10% for a simple rectangular room. Add more for stairs, long hallways, rooms wider than the roll (seams), and patterned carpet, which wastes material lining the pattern up across seams. Pile direction must be consistent, so pieces can't always be turned to fit.

Carpet Calculator

Carpet is priced by the square yard and cut from a wide roll (broadloom), so it's ordered differently from boxed flooring. Enter your room area for the square yards — and the run of broadloom — to buy.

Carpet

24.4sq yd

Broadloom: 18.3 linear ft
Room area: 200 sq ft

How these numbers are worked out

The formula

Square yards = area × (1 + waste) ÷ 9, since 1 square yard is exactly 9 square feet. Linear feet of broadloom = area × (1 + waste) ÷ roll width — how long a piece comes off a 12- or 15-foot-wide roll. Both carry the waste allowance, because carpet is cut from the roll and offcuts and seam matching are unavoidable.

Constants and sources

Square yards = area × (1 + waste) ÷ 9 (9 sq ft = 1 sq yd, exact); broadloom linear feet = area × (1 + waste) ÷ roll width. Geometry.

How it was checked

Last reviewed June 16, 2026. Before this calculator was published, its formula, constants and worked example were checked in a separate, AI-assisted review that redid the arithmetic and tested the factual claims; the site owner then approved it for publishing. No engineer or tradesperson reviews these pages. Where a figure depends on the product (a density, a coverage rate, a bag size), it is either an input you can change above or a fixed planning value stated on this page, so check it against your product's label or your supplier.

Spot a wrong number or an outdated figure? Send a correction.

Worked example

A 200 sq ft room, 12-ft broadloom, 10% waste: 200 × 1.10 = 220 sq ft → 220 ÷ 9 = 24.4 sq yd, or 220 ÷ 12 = 18.3 linear ft off a 12-ft roll.

FAQs

Why is carpet sold by the square yard?: It's the long-standing trade unit — carpet is woven and priced by the square yard (9 sq ft). Many retailers now also quote a per-square-foot price, but the roll and the estimate still work in yards, so it helps to have both.
What is broadloom width and why does it matter?: Broadloom is carpet woven on a wide loom and sold off a roll, almost always 12 feet wide (sometimes 15). A room wider than the roll needs a seam, and the installer plans seam placement and the pile (run) direction — which is why a bit of extra is ordered.
How much extra carpet should I add?: About 10% for a simple rectangular room. Add more for stairs, long hallways, rooms wider than the roll (seams), and patterned carpet, which wastes material lining the pattern up across seams. Pile direction must be consistent, so pieces can't always be turned to fit.