HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION

How to hire a carpet fitter in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to carpet fitters. The checks, the questions about measuring, stairs and doors, and what to look at before you pay.

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  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a carpet fitter in five steps

  1. Get a proper measureThe fitter measures, including stairs and doorways, so the carpet order is right.
  2. Agree the underlayType and thickness named; new underlay with new carpet.
  3. Ask about old flooringWho lifts and removes it, and at what price.
  4. Plan seams and doorsWhere joins fall, and whether doors need trimming.
  5. Walk on it before payingNo ripples, seams tight, edges neat.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or register applies to carpet fitters in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and the carpet fitting needs no building regulations approval.

Ask whether the carpet fitting needs building regulations approval, and who is applying for it. gov.uk →

Old floor tiles

HSE lists floor tiles among the places asbestos can be found in older buildings, and under the Control of Asbestos Regulations the employer of whoever does the work must decide whether it needs a licence; that matters if the carpet fitting means lifting old vinyl floor tiles.

If the carpet fitting means lifting old tiles or sheet flooring in a home built before 2000, ask how they will check for asbestos. hse.gov.uk →

TrustMark

For the carpet fitting, TrustMark — the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme — is a voluntary register organised by trade, and a useful independent check where no licence exists.

Look the business up on TrustMark for the trade the carpet fitting falls under. trustmark.org.uk →

Insurance and trader status

Expect public liability cover for the carpet fitting, and ask for the insurer's name and the limit. Because you are buying from a trader, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies to the carpet fitting; agreed in your home or at a distance, it usually carries a 14-day cancellation right under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, although work you asked to begin early is paid for and made-to-measure goods are excluded (regulation 28).

Request the current insurance schedule before the carpet fitting, and look at the profile badges for trader status and ID.

VAT

HMRC puts carpet fitting, underlay and grippers included, at the standard rate of 20%; once a trader's taxable turnover passes £90,000 it must register, charge the 20% and list it apart from the price of the work.

Ask for the VAT number, and look for VAT as its own line on the carpet quote per room. gov.uk →

“Will the carpet fitter measure the rooms and stairs?”

A good answer: Yes, on site, with the carpet quantity worked out from the room shapes.

“Which underlay and grippers will you use?”

A good answer: Named, and new with a new carpet.

“Where will the seams fall?”

A good answer: Away from doorways and walkways, agreed before cutting.

“How will the stairs be fitted?”

A good answer: Waterfall or Hollywood style, explained and priced.

“Will you lift and dispose of the old carpet?”

A good answer: A price for uplift and disposal.

“Will the doors need trimming after the carpet fitting?”

A good answer: Checked in advance, with who trims them.

Getting the quote right

  • Area by room, and stairs counted separately
  • Underlay, grippers and threshold strips
  • Uplift and disposal of old flooring
  • Door trimming and furniture moving
  • Who actually attends — the fitter and any second fitter for the stairs, employed or subcontracted — and the business's VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown as its own line

Walk away if

  • Asks you to measure for the order
  • Reuses old underlay under new carpet
  • Seams across a doorway
  • Lifts old floor tiles without thinking about asbestos
  • No written price
LOW
£3
TYPICAL
£4
HIGH
£6

What a carpet fitter costs: £3–£6 per m²

Carpet fitting is priced per square metre for labour, with stairs, uplift of old flooring and minimum charges added; the carpet and underlay are usually priced separately. Carpet Fitter price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Carpet fitters near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. MeasureRooms and stairs measured on site.
  2. PrepareOld flooring lifted, floor checked, grippers fixed.
  3. UnderlayNew underlay laid and joined.
  4. FitCarpet stretched, seamed and trimmed.
  5. FinishThresholds fitted, doors checked, waste removed.

Gripper
The spiked strip that holds carpet at the edges.
Underlay
The cushioning layer under the carpet.
Power stretching
Stretching carpet tight so it does not ripple.
Waterfall stairs
Carpet running straight over the stair nosing.
Hollywood stairs
Carpet wrapped tightly around each tread.
Threshold strip
The trim where carpet meets another floor.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the invoice and the carpet detailsFor warranty claims and matching later.
Check for ripplesWalk over every room and the stairs.
Look at the edgesTight to the skirting, neat at thresholds.
Write the reviewOnly booked jobs can be reviewed on Locufy, so yours carries weight; if the carpet fitting falls short, use the make-it-right step first and the provider is asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Contact the fitter in writingExplain clearly what has gone wrong with the carpet fitting, what the quote or contract said, and when you need it put right. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 treats reasonable care and skill as part of the deal, and lets you claim a redo or a reduction when it is not met.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate the carpet fitting under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then the review goes up.
STEP 3Unapproved or dangerous workAn approval that was needed for the carpet fitting and never obtained is taken up by the council: building control in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or in Scotland the building standards service, which holds the owner responsible for the warrant. For a dispute about the carpet fitting with the trader, Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeIf the carpet fitting is still not settled, you can claim without a solicitor: the small claims track takes claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a carpet fitter: questions people ask

No licence or register applies anywhere in the UK.

No; laying carpet is not building work.

£3–£6 per square metre, typically around £4. Stairs, awkward rooms and lifting old flooring push the labour up; the carpet itself is extra. There is a line-by-line breakdown in the Carpet Fitter price guide, and the postcode box above brings up carpet fitters in your area.

With a new carpet, yes; old underlay shortens the carpet's life.

Carpet cut to your room sizes is usually outside the 14-day cancellation right under regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

Ask the fitter back to re-stretch it.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in trades & construction

How to hire: Flooring InstallerHow to hire: Laminate & Vinyl FlooringHow to hire: Hardwood Floor FittingHow to hire: Floor SandingHow to hire: Home StagingHow to hire: Door InstallerHow to hire: TilerHow to hire: Carpenter & JoinerAll 701 hiring guides →

Carpet fitters near you

Carpet fitters in LondonCarpet fitters in ManchesterCarpet fitters in BirminghamCarpet fitters in GlasgowCarpet fitters in BelfastAll carpet fitters on Locufy →Do it yourself: fitting a carpet →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HSE — deciding if asbestos work must be done by a licensed contractor
  2. HSE — asbestos: frequently asked questions
  3. TrustMark — the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme
  4. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  7. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — the 14-day cancellation period
  8. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started within the cancellation period
  9. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track limit (England and Wales)
  10. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — making a claim under simple procedure
  11. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  12. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  13. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  14. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register