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How do you measure carpet for stairs?

Measure each step as the depth of the tread plus the height of the riser, add the curve over the nosing, and multiply by the number of straight steps. Measure winders, half-landings and the top landing on their own, then ask the fitter to check the numbers before you order.

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By the QuoteZila editorial team. Editorial policy.

Why measure the stairs yourself?

A staircase is the hardest part of a carpet order to guess, because every step has two faces and a curve. In Cheshire, a straight flight in a Crewe terrace and a staircase with a turn in a Nantwich semi can use very different amounts of the same carpet, even with the same number of steps. QuoteZila starts in Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and anyone in the UK can post the job.

Your own measurement is a check, not the order. It lets you see whether two shops are quoting for roughly the same length, and it gives you something to say when a figure looks far too high or far too low. Our flooring fitters page covers the trade.

What do you measure on each step?

Each straight step has three parts that the carpet covers.

  • The tread. The flat part you stand on, measured from the back, where it meets the riser above, to the front edge.
  • The riser. The upright face, measured from the tread below to the underside of the nosing above.
  • The nosing. The rounded front edge of the tread. The carpet wraps over it, so allow for the curve as well as the flat.

Measure the width too, at the top, middle and bottom of the flight. Walls are not always parallel, and the widest point is the one that matters for a fitted carpet. For a runner, measure the width you want to cover and the gap you want to leave each side.

Write the numbers on a sketch rather than in a list. A drawing of the staircase seen from the side, with each step numbered, makes it easy for someone else to check.

How do you turn the numbers into a length?

For a flight of identical straight steps, add one tread and one riser, allow for the nosing, and multiply by the number of steps. Add the bottom riser if it is carpeted, and the top nosing where the stairs meet the landing.

Then add a margin for trimming and fitting. This page does not print a margin figure, because it depends on how the fitter cuts and joins the carpet. Ask them what they allow and why.

If the steps are not identical, measure each one. Older staircases are often slightly different from step to step. It takes a few more minutes and saves an awkward conversation when the last step is short.

How do you handle winders, landings and open sides?

Winders are the triangular or tapered steps where a staircase turns. Measure each one as a rectangle that would cover its widest and deepest parts, plus its riser. They are usually cut individually, so they use more carpet than a straight step of the same depth.

Half-landings and the top landing are measured like a small floor: length and width, plus any recess. Mark where the landing meets a bedroom door, because that is often where one carpet ends and another starts.

Open sides and spindles. If one side of the stairs is open, ask whether the carpet will be wrapped round the edge, finished with a binding, or stopped short as a runner. Each choice changes the cut.

A carpet that is loose, worn or lifting on the stairs is a trip risk. The NHS falls guidance lists things you could trip on, such as loose wires or rugs, among the things to avoid at home [S1]. A properly fitted stair carpet is held at every step, not just at the top and bottom.

What should you send with the job?

Send your sketch, your measurements and a photo of the staircase from the bottom and from the landing. Say whether the old carpet, underlay and gripper are still down, and whether you want them taken away.

Citizens Advice suggests getting written quotes from at least 3 different traders, and warns that some traders charge for quotes, so ask about this first [S3]. A written quote that names the length, the underlay and the number of joins is easier to compare than a single total.

Carpet fitting costs covers what changes the fitting price. Carpet installation explains what happens on the day, and Laying carpet covers a flat room if you are doing it yourself.

Jobs you might post

These are examples, not taken from real job posts.

  • "Straight flight plus a small landing. My sketch and measurements are attached. Please check them and quote for carpet, underlay and fitting, with the length written on the quote."
  • "Staircase with three winders at the bottom. Old carpet and gripper to come up and go away. Please say where the joins will be."
  • "Stair runner wanted on painted treads. Please measure and quote for binding the edges."

QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1]. Your job goes to up to five matched local businesses [QZ2].

Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.

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Questions about measuring stairs for carpet

Do I measure the stairs or let the fitter do it?

Do both. Your own numbers tell you roughly how much carpet you are buying, so you can compare one shop with another. The fitter's numbers are the ones that should go on the order, because they will cut it and they carry the cost of a short piece. Ask for the measured length to be written on the quote.

Are winders measured the same way as straight steps?

No. A winder tread is wider at one end than the other, so each one is measured at its widest and deepest point and usually cut from its own rectangle of carpet. Count winders separately on your sketch. They are the main reason two people measuring the same staircase get different totals.

Can I use one long piece for the stairs and the landing?

Sometimes, if the landing is narrow and the carpet width allows it. Often the landing is a separate cut joined at the top step. Ask the fitter where the joins will go and which way the pile will run on each piece, so the colour looks the same from the hall.

Does the old carpet affect the measurement?

Not the measurement, but it affects the job. Taking up old carpet, gripper and staples is work someone has to do. GOV.UK's waste code says that when a tradesperson does work on your property, they are responsible for the waste they produce, and its disposal cost should be included in what they charge. Ask whether that is in the quote.

Does QuoteZila check carpet fitters?

No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.

This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.

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Sources

  1. QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
  2. QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ How does getting quotes work.
  3. S1: Falls: prevention, NHS. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/falls/prevention/
  4. S2: Waste duty of care: code of practice, GOV.UK (Defra). Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice
  5. S3: Before you get building work done, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/