Updated April 2026 · All 50 States
Carpet Installation Cost by State in 2026: Regional Pricing Guide
The only neutral (non-lead-gen) state-by-state pricing table for carpet installation in the US. Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data (SOC 47-2041) and regional cost-of-living adjustments.
Most expensive state
Hawaii
$5.00–$10.00/sqft
Least expensive state
Mississippi
$2.00–$4.00/sqft
National average
$2–$8/sqft
Standard nylon installed
States above national avg
12 states
CA, NY, HI, MA, NJ, CT, WA, OR...
How to use this table: The range given is for standard nylon carpet, fully installed (material + padding + labour). Get 3 local quotes and compare to your state’s benchmark. If all quotes exceed the high end of your state range by more than 25%, request itemised breakdowns.
Carpet Installation Cost: All 50 States
Standard nylon, fully installed (material + standard rebond padding + labour). Excludes old carpet removal. Data based on BLS OEWS state wage data for carpet installers (SOC 47-2041) + regional material cost adjustments.
| State | Range (installed/sqft) | Labour index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $2.00–$4.50 | 0.82x (Low) | — |
| Alaska | $4.00–$8.50 | 1.40x (High) | Remote supply chain premium |
| Arizona | $2.80–$5.80 | 0.92x (Below avg) | — |
| Arkansas | $2.00–$4.00 | 0.80x (Low) | — |
| California | $4.50–$9.00 | 1.40x (High) | Bay Area/LA premium; union markets |
| Colorado | $3.20–$6.50 | 1.05x (Average) | — |
| Connecticut | $3.80–$7.50 | 1.25x (Above avg) | — |
| Delaware | $3.20–$6.50 | 1.05x (Average) | — |
| Florida | $3.00–$6.00 | 0.95x (Average) | Competitive labour market |
| Georgia | $2.50–$5.00 | 0.85x (Below avg) | — |
| Hawaii | $5.00–$10.00 | 1.55x (High) | Material transport cost; island premium |
| Idaho | $2.60–$5.20 | 0.88x (Below avg) | — |
| Illinois | $3.20–$6.50 | 1.05x (Average) | Chicago metro premium |
| Indiana | $2.50–$5.00 | 0.85x (Below avg) | — |
| Iowa | $2.30–$4.80 | 0.82x (Low) | — |
| Kansas | $2.30–$4.80 | 0.82x (Low) | — |
| Kentucky | $2.20–$4.50 | 0.80x (Low) | — |
| Louisiana | $2.20–$4.80 | 0.83x (Low) | — |
| Maine | $3.00–$6.00 | 0.98x (Average) | — |
| Maryland | $3.50–$7.00 | 1.15x (Above avg) | DC metro influence |
| Massachusetts | $4.00–$8.00 | 1.32x (High) | Boston metro; union labour |
| Michigan | $2.80–$5.50 | 0.92x (Below avg) | — |
| Minnesota | $2.80–$5.80 | 0.93x (Below avg) | — |
| Mississippi | $2.00–$4.00 | 0.78x (Low) | Lowest labour costs nationally |
| Missouri | $2.40–$5.00 | 0.84x (Low) | — |
| Montana | $2.60–$5.20 | 0.88x (Below avg) | — |
| Nebraska | $2.30–$4.80 | 0.82x (Low) | — |
| Nevada | $3.20–$6.50 | 1.05x (Average) | Las Vegas metro |
| New Hampshire | $3.00–$6.20 | 1.00x (Average) | — |
| New Jersey | $4.00–$8.00 | 1.32x (High) | NYC metro; high COL |
| New Mexico | $2.60–$5.20 | 0.88x (Below avg) | — |
| New York | $4.00–$8.00 | 1.35x (High) | NYC premium; outer state cheaper |
| North Carolina | $2.50–$5.00 | 0.85x (Below avg) | — |
| North Dakota | $2.50–$5.00 | 0.85x (Below avg) | — |
| Ohio | $2.60–$5.20 | 0.88x (Below avg) | — |
| Oklahoma | $2.30–$4.80 | 0.82x (Low) | — |
| Oregon | $3.50–$7.00 | 1.15x (Above avg) | — |
| Pennsylvania | $3.00–$6.20 | 1.00x (Average) | — |
| Rhode Island | $3.50–$7.00 | 1.15x (Above avg) | — |
| South Carolina | $2.30–$4.80 | 0.83x (Low) | — |
| South Dakota | $2.30–$4.80 | 0.82x (Low) | — |
| Tennessee | $2.30–$4.80 | 0.83x (Low) | — |
| Texas | $2.50–$5.50 | 0.88x (Below avg) | Open-shop labour; competitive market |
| Utah | $2.80–$5.50 | 0.92x (Below avg) | — |
| Vermont | $3.00–$6.00 | 0.98x (Average) | — |
| Virginia | $3.20–$6.50 | 1.05x (Average) | Northern VA / DC suburb premium |
| Washington | $3.80–$7.50 | 1.25x (Above avg) | Seattle metro premium |
| West Virginia | $2.00–$4.20 | 0.78x (Low) | — |
| Wisconsin | $2.60–$5.20 | 0.88x (Below avg) | — |
| Wyoming | $2.50–$5.00 | 0.85x (Below avg) | — |
Regional Cost Summary
Northeast
$3.50–$8.00/sqft
1.25x avg
CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT
West Coast
$3.50–$10.00/sqft
1.15–1.55x avg
CA, HI, OR, WA (AK varies)
Mountain West
$2.60–$6.50/sqft
0.88–1.05x avg
AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY
Midwest
$2.30–$6.50/sqft
0.82–1.05x avg
IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI
South Atlantic
$2.30–$7.00/sqft
0.83–1.15x avg
DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV
Deep South
$2.00–$4.80/sqft
0.78–0.83x avg
AL, AR, KY, LA, MS, TN, OK
What Drives State-Level Price Differences
Labour market (union vs open-shop)
The biggest single driver. California, New York, and Massachusetts have strong union representation for flooring trades. Southern states are predominantly open-shop — 30–40% lower installer wages.
Cost of living index
Installer business overhead (insurance, vehicle costs, licensing fees) scales with regional COL. Hawaii's island premium is the most extreme example.
Material transport cost
Most US carpet is manufactured in Dalton, Georgia. Transport to Hawaii, Alaska, and the Pacific Northwest adds meaningful material cost.
State licensing requirements
Some states (CA, FL, AZ) require flooring contractor licensing — compliance costs are passed to customers. Many states have no such requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Four main factors drive state-level variation: (1) Labour market — states with union-dominated construction trades (CA, NY, MA) have higher installer wages. Open-shop Southern states (MS, AR, AL) have lower labour costs. (2) Cost of living — installer overhead (insurance, vehicle costs, business expenses) scales with regional COL. (3) Material transport — carpet is manufactured primarily in the Southeast (Dalton, Georgia is the carpet capital of the world). Hawaii and Alaska have meaningful transport surcharges. (4) Local licensing — some states require flooring contractor licensing (adds compliance cost) while others have no requirements.