Should I hire someone to install my carpeting?

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Once you've chosen a new carpet for your home, you need to decide how you want it installed. Will you hire a professional or would you rather do it yourself? If you hire professionals, you're pretty much guaranteed that the carpet will be installed correctly (or that they'll come back and fix it if it's not). However, there are some drawbacks to professional carpet installation. Carpet installers charge between $3.50 and $6 per square yard of carpet installed. You'll also be charged if you want the installers to dispose of your old carpet or to lay down a new underpad [source: House Flipping Helper].

Contractors might be in a rush, which could lead to a shoddy job. This is because they aren't able to raise their prices quite as quickly as the cost of supplies is rising, so they need to do more jobs to make a living. If you use an independent contractor and he messes up, your warranty may not be honored, so it's better to use installer connected to the retailer that sold you the carpet, even if it's slightly more expensive.

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You might want to install your carpeting yourself because it will save you money. You'll still have to pay for the carpet and buy or rent the tools you'll need for the installation, but the rest of the expenses will be gone. You can install the carpet when it's convenient for you rather than when the company is available. You can work at your own pace, and you don't have to worry about anyone else doing a bad job. The results are in your hands.

The downside of installing carpet by yourself is that you might find that carpet installation is too difficult for you or the tools are too hard to use. If you mess up or realize the job is too hard for you, your warranty probably won't be honored. It’s a good idea to know your own capabilities and limitations before you take on such a challenging task as installing your own carpet.

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