Flooring installation vs carpet cleaning

Should you replace your flooring or just clean what you have? Compare costs, when each makes sense, and the decision framework.

New flooring installation ($3–$12 per sq ft installed, or $3,000–$12,000 for 1,000 sq ft) is a major renovation: removing old flooring, preparing the subfloor, and installing new hardwood, LVP, tile, or carpet. It takes 2–5 days and disrupts daily life. Professional carpet cleaning ($120–$300 for an average home) takes 2–4 hours with minimal disruption and extends carpet life by 3–5 years. The decision framework is simple: if your carpet is less than 8 years old, has no permanent stains, no odor that cleaning can't remove, and no wear-through in high-traffic areas — professional cleaning is the right call. If carpet is matted in high-traffic lanes, has permanent stains or pet damage in the pad, is over 10 years old, or you want to switch to hard flooring — replacement is the better investment. Carpet cleaning costs 2–5% of replacement and buys years of life.