Rugs, Carpets and Carpeting - Carpet Prices and Quality

I have been looking in the stores at carpet and finally found one that appears to be nice quality for the price. However, as I am a novice at this I would like to dig a little deeper and just make sure I am getting value for money.

The store quoted me a set price for carpet, installation and padding. The carpet is a berber by Shaw and someone I know said he could give me a phone number where I could call to North Carolina to get carpet. Well, the store where I found this carpet told me they get it from NC, too. That tells me, though, there must be a reasonable markup on the carpet as well.

I happen to have the sample at home here - not just a square piece cut out but the actual carpet sample that hangs on the rack in the store. Knowing I have this information, is there a way I can compare prices by perhaps getting it direct from NC?

What information do I need from this carpet sample in order to order it directly - and does anyone know if Shaw has a warehouse of their own in the south from which I could order it?

Some things to remember:

1. ALL businesses (or the vast majority at least) mark up their materials and services from their wholesale costs.
2. You may find the savings not as much as you might think. Remember you are looking to buy maybe 1000 sq feet, whereas carpet places buy it by the truckload.
3. Who is going to install the carpet you buy yourself? You may find that the store you are dealing with will either (a) Not want to install what you buy elsewhere, or (b) will charge more for the installation since they will make nothing on the cost of the materials.
4. How will you get warranty/guarantee work done, if necessary?

Don't get me wrong, I try to get my best price on stuff, too; but I'm not sure I would mail-order carpeting from out of state for installation locally.

Try an internet search for that style and color of Shaw carpet. Try Google.

iFloor.com may have it, or one of the many internet dealers, but most samples are private labeled, to make price shopping almost impossible. It will be the same carpet, but just named and numbered differently.

Then go to cfiInstallers.com and click on the "Find an installer" link.:)

A one price fits all installation, without even seeing the job at hand, by the subcontracted installer(very few are employees these days!), is asking for a rushed and underbid installation. Many corners get cut during the installation this way.:mad:

A couple of points to consider:

Carpet is heavy and bulky. Shipping costs will erode, if not eliminate any savings from dealing with an out of town discounter.

A major manufacturer like Shaw probably has several dealers in your area. They can all get the carpet you like, usually from the same distributor. You should be able to get 3 local quotes to insure the price is fair.

With a Berber carpet, I would be more concerned with expert installation than a $1 or $2/yard difference in price. Sloppy seams that wouldn't be noticeable in a plush will stick out like sore thumbs in a Berber and you'll be living with them for a long time. The best installers can charge a premium and still have more business than they can handle.

One of my pet peeves in this business is stores who quote a single price for carpet, pad and installation -- then they start tacking on the extras (extras for concrete, extra for furniture, extra for steps, extra for trims). Don't get me wrong, I think all of these deserve a separate price -- including the carpet, the pad and the basic installation. Lumping them all together makes it difficult for the shopper to shop.

Most carpet is made in that region of the country. Nothing new or unique about that. The problem that occurs to me is, who will you go to if the carpet has a flaw or damage that you don't see until you unroll it -- and the delivery person is long gone. If you buy locally, you have but a phone call to make and they should take care of the situation for you with little or no hassle on your part.

Many installers, like myself, also sell carpet. It bothers me that customers don't call me to offer my samples or prices on materials, but they want a deal on the installation. Quantity pricing only works for materials, not labor. It takes the same effort and overhead to sell a lot of material, so I can offer a better price on quantity materials. However, it takes a lot more work to install 150sy of material than it does 50sy, so why would I want to make less money per unit (per hour, per sq. yard, whatever)? And on top of that, you want me to miss out on most of my profit by taking the material sale away too?

You stated it yourself, you are a novice at this. Think of the long term value and the immediate headaches involved. Stop thinking strictly dollars. Price shoppers generally get what they pay for.

Dang Jim, that was on the money!:D

What range do you guys think would be a good rule of thumb for pro replacing carpet? Looks like we have about 175 sq ft of berber to replace. Any kind of idea of what to expect would be helpful.

Thanks

Are you positive you want another berber? What will keep your dog from digging another hole in it?:eek: We have labs, and one room with berber. I personally won't replace my carpet with berber again. It's too easy to get their toenails caught in it. If you do go with a berber, get the best one you can afford. Better quality berbers usually have the loops glued in stronger. Take a sample home and see how hard it is to pull the loops out. Shop around, get lots of price quotes, and ask if they have something sitting on the shelf for awhile, they might make you a deal on it.:D Also ask about remnants or roll ends, this will usually get you a better price. Just be aware that you will not get the same carpet. Even if you find the same pattern the dyelots will most likely be different.

The house is only 4 years old, so the rest is still in good shape. We want it to still match, even though this room is seperate (split plan). The first store didn't carry it and sent us to HD. They had a match for $2/ft including installation. It's not a big room, so it won't be as expensive as I thought.
The dog is staying outside during the day now. No chance of him sneaking into the room and getting accidentally shut in. It's a small mutt, and he doesn't have trouble with walking on the carpet. In another house, when we had a cat, it was an issue, so I know what you mean with the berber.

Originally posted by Carpets Done Wright
Try an internet search for that style and color of Shaw carpet. Try Google.

iFloor.com may have it, or one of the many internet dealers, but most samples are private labeled, to make price shopping almost impossible. It will be the same carpet, but just named and numbered differently.

Then go to cfiInstallers.com and click on the "Find an installer" link.:)

A one price fits all installation, without even seeing the job at hand, by the subcontracted installer(very few are employees these days!), is asking for a rushed and underbid installation. Many corners get cut during the installation this way.:mad:

I went to this link but it took me to newflooring.com - I couldn't find a link for installers.

Go to www.cfiinstallers.com and put your zip code in the search box and click go.

www.cfiinstallers.com