How to Measure a Roll of Carpet

Co-authored by Haim Shemesh

Last Updated: September 2, 2024 References

The most accurate way to measure a roll of carpet is to simply unroll and measure it. However, the obvious method is not always the most realistic. In some situations you might have multiple rolls of carpet that need to be measured and unrolling all of them could be a hassle. Fortunately, there is a way to learn how to measure a roll of carpet without unrolling it.

Steps

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Separately, find the area of the hole in the center of the roll. Use the mathematical equation that allows you to find the area of the carpet to figure out these numbers. This equation for area is Pi times r^2. Pi is equal to approximately 3.14. The letter "r" symbolizes the radius. The radius is exactly half of the diameter.^{[2]
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Subtract the area of the hole from the area of the entire carpet.
Divide the linear length in inches by 12 to get linear feet.^{[3]
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Multiply the linear feet by the width measurement to get the final square feet measurement.
To do this, divide the square footage figure by 9.^{[4]
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Do not assume all rolls are the same size.^{[5]
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Tips

Online calculators are available to assist you when you measure rolled up carpet and other similar rolled up materials. You can also find an online conversion site to help you convert from inches to feet or square feet to square yards.

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There are measuring wands available at hardware stores that will instantly measure a roll of carpet without needing you to unroll it.

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Appropriate length units to plug into the equation are yards, feet, inches, meters, centimeters, millimeters, and the mil. However, since the final measurements is usually found in square feet or square yards, it is easier to measure in inches and feet to begin with.

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