I had the unexpected pleasure to install carpet from both Home Depot and Empire Carpet in the same week. Here is a summary of the experience.
Home Depot
Home Depot’s carpet installed first. The measurements were done electronically, sent to a measuring company and a computer laid out the carpet to leave the fewest remnants. Home Depot often runs “$99 installation” specials, so the installation cost was fairly small. The carpet cost ~$4.22/sqft, and I upgraded the pad to the 8lb pad for a few cents per sqft. Overall cost was about $4.80/sqft with the upgraded pad and installed. The carpet we installed was a plush carpet. It was slightly more expensive than average, but we wanted it to be soft. The result is gorgeous – a very soft, thick carpet that looks great. It’s an off-white color, and looks beautiful.
We had to wait 3 weeks for the carpet to arrive, as Home Depot ships it from Georgia. The installers were great, and did a very nice job.
Empire Carpet
Empire’s sales model is to come to your house and use a full-service salesman. They are very nice, pleasant, and don’t pressure you much. The salesman measures manually on a piece of scratch paper, and somehow those measurements get back to the installers. Despite the lack of technology, they got the right amount of carpet.
After measuring, they do try to gouge you on the price, so you have to be careful and it is a requirement to negotiate. Taking the list price would be silly. In our case, we were trying to pick the closest match carpet to the Home Depot carpet listed above. We found the one which was closest in terms of texture, softness, and color. We knew it was a slightly different color, but it was hard to tell from the small samples how close the texture would be once installed. Initially, he offered a price of $3870 for the carpet. I suggested $2000, and we settled at $2600. This worked out to a price of $4.44/sqft. I don’t know if I negotiated well or not – I wasn’t trying very hard. He said all the usual salesman things, but you just have to be persistent. I’m pretty sure that I could have had the carpet for $2000.
Empire can install the next day because they use local warehouses. In our case, they installed 2 days later. The installation was very good, although I didn’t think that their edge cutting was as good as the Home Depot installer (there was about 1/8″ gap which I didn’t think should be there on one wall).
In terms of quality, Empire’s carpet is not as good as the Home Depot carpet we picked out. It is noticeably thinner, doesn’t feel as good or as soft, and doesn’t look quite as nice. Don’t get me wrong, it looks good, just not quite as good when side-by-side to the Home Depot Carpet.
Conclusion
Home Depot is easier, cheaper, and has slightly better quality carpet. But with Home Depot they take longer to get the carpet installed. In our case, Home Depot also made a big mistake with the carpet which is why we had to have Empire finish the job. If I had more time and could do it again, I would probably go with Home Depot.
Cool that you had a good experience. It really depends on the luck of the draw of contracted installers.
Someone I knew nearly kicked out the installers as they ended up banging up the corners of the walls. They also didn’t a very good job of securing the carpet.
I am so happy I found this blog!!! I have HAD IT with Home Depot…it’s been since Memorial Day and I still do NOT have my carpet installed….duh..they are so lame with the measure/re-measure appointments….but after reading this I am going to hammer them over the head and get them to get the job done! Thanks!!
We “just” got HD carpet installed, and the communication between HD and their contracted installers was AWFUL! I just requested an estimate from Empire (5 min. ago), and now I’m nervous about that. HD was NOT easy for me, and I have NO intention of going through that again. I think their way is very flawed, at least here. So, is there any better solution than these?!?
If you have trouble with Home Depot try special services or contact the store manager. I use Home Depot carpet and installers for all my properties (a lot). I am really pleased with the product and the level of service I receive. I had 7 houses that needed to be measured for carpet and could not be at every one for each measure so they really worked with me to get it done. If you have problems with products or services at Home Depot just keep going up the management ladder for resolution.
You have to be crazy to use Empire or Home Depot for your carpet installation.
They charge retail prices and there installers are all Minority work rooms which pay very low wages so you will most likely not get a professional job. Deal Direct with a small Company so at least you know the Sub Contractors they use do quality work.
I have been installing carpet for over 10 years so take my word for it, use a smaller Company or Deal Direct. DO NOT BUY FLOORING AT EMPIRE OR HOME DEPOT.
P.S ALL THAT CARPET YOU SEE ON THE RACK IN HOME DEPOT IS SECONDS QUALITY.
Tony – getting more quotes is definitely a good idea. But I don’t believe you.
My suspicion is that there are only 4-5 major carpet manufacturers in the US. Retailers are *all* selling the same carpet under different brands, prices, and gimmicks. This includes Home Depot, Empire, and obviously the little guy.
The little guy clearly doesn’t have a manufacturing facility, clearly can’t compete w/ Empire on volume, and hence *will pay* a higher price for his carpet. You might be right that he is cheaper, I don’t know. But it seems unlikely given that a little guy pays more for the carpet to begin with.
I recently had carpet installed by Empire. The salesman came on time for the appointment to measure the floors and gave good service. The installation crew came on time also. I received good grade carpet/padding and I was pleased with service and installation that I received. The installation crew did break a lamp and told me about it…! It wasn’t a major problem. Overall I’m happy with the carpet and the service!
AND JUST FOR TONY’S INFORMATION……THEY WERE ALL MINORITY WORKERS!!!!!!
Listen I have been installing carpet for 10 years , So unless you are a professional yourself. You have no idea what you are talking about!!!!!!!
Empire Carpet and both Home Depot are a disgrace to the flooring industry.
Empire will try to rip you off and Home Depot sells carpet for the same price as a normal carpet retailer. You are helping yourself and the Integrity of the flooring industry not to use either.
Regards,
Perrotti Flooring
Quality , Value & Customer Satisfaction
Hi, Tony,
Well, with your contribution to this discussion so far, you have yet to say anything specific other than name calling. So, it sounds like sour grapes to me.
Good luck!
Toni,
There is no way that a small local carpet company can even compete with the price of either Empire or Home Depot. They haven’t been doing carpet like empire for 50 years and that is completely a liberal local view, support the locals! 9 out of 10 business’s fail in the first year, then over 90% of the ones that made it will be out of business within 5 years. California is even harder on the small business owner than that. Good luck trying to get customer service of any kind from the small guy, if he’s still around.
Go to home depot and see if they don’t have minority workers standing in groups waiting to get picked up to install. Keep searching on the net or just go into Home Depot or Lowes and see how they operate, poorly all around. Nothing but disasters when I have ever dealt with them on anything, carpet, windows, blinds, tile …….. and I own a carpet cleaning company and had heard nothing but complaints from HD/Lowes customers. Climbing the management ladder to get anything done, plan on it. Is it really worth saving a hundred dollars, not for me! I can’t stand even going into those places.
I have had two floors installed by Empire and they did a great job. One laminate job in TX and one hand scraped glue down floor in Huntington Beach and they were great. They buy in such volume and that’s the advantage of getting better prices for their carpet, laminate,etc.
Called the day before and had them installed the next day. Had two transitions pieces come loose and they sent someone to fix them the next day, twice.
Empire for me and my customers until they prove me wrong!
Ok keep using empire or home depot. I am just telling the truth. How do you think Empire pays for all there advertising, salesman, overhead etc. They will truly try to rip you off. If you are getting a quote from Empire make sure you get a square yard installed price and then get another one with a comparable flooring product . As for Home Depot they are at least honest with there pricing, but you are rolling the dice with the installation. Good Luck to All.
I work with Empire Carpet in Indianapolis. I have been with them for 6 months now and I am very happy with what I do and the service I provide. I have read all the comments here and I am amused. The guy that owns the carpet outlet wants to tell you what we are.
Well, I can tell you that I used to be in the mortgage business and the customer service, pricing and quality we provide is wonderful!
I go into homes on a regular basis and Empire has installed carpet for their relatives and friends and they are all very happy. I have only recieved one complaint from a customer and we were out there next day, got him taken care of. Indianapolis is the number one office in the country when it comes to customer service and I can back that up!!
If you know someone in the area that needs excellent service and great pricing on next day service please have them give me a call 317-514-3499..Larry Shaw Empire Carpet
I chose to go with Home Depot and I am very happy with the service I am receiving. I saved around $900 going with them over the “little guy” in town. You can’t beat the install price.
PS. Tony, I looked at your website. Anyone can cut and copy pictures and then advertise them as their own. You sound like an a** anyway. Who would want to invite you into their home?
At Home Depot you are required to put 90% down before installation. Once you are happy with the install you sign the papers and pay the rest. Have you signed off saying they did a good job? I can see them giving you a hard time if you signed off on it. If you did not sign the papers go back to HD and start talking and keep talking until the job is done right. These installers are contracted through HD and HD doesn’t want to get a bad name because of someone elses bad work. Sounds like any problem on this board isn’t with HD but with the installers.
Almost everyone here has it wrong. I worked ..that’s work-ed for Empire and though it was my job to sell a job for the max I could get, most jobs are in the same ball park as HD, but Empire offers much more. Only 50 bucks down! next day install, great customer service, great warranty and no questions asked three -to- ten day cancel right. You can cancel your order and get a full refund before it’s installed and there is no hassle getting your money back.
I’ll correct some of the misstatements I’ve read.
Empire DO NOT have local warehouses full or product. Carpet, etc is trucked in every morning as per costumer orders.
The installers make GOOD money, the ARE NOT Empire employees but rather contractors who make more on average than sales reps.
The carpet Empire carries IS the SAME EXACT carpet you’ll find at HD, just under a different line. There is no such thing as Empire carpet. Empire carries the most well known carpet and flooring products from manufactures such as Shaw, Mohawk etc.
Empire carpet IS NOT cheap or inferior. Again, it’s the same exact stuff everyone else sells. The cheapest line is 28 ounces, which is there for budget minded customers who refuse or can’t buy the better stuff. Everything else is better, all the way up to the best carpet (Stunning plush) at 57 ounces which a savvy customer can get installed for 40 bucks or less a yard. Expensive, yes, but you won’t get it much or any cheaper anywhere.
Empire DOES use a Sizer, like HD. When the sales rep turns in his paper work, the room dimensions go to the sizing dept in order to size and layout the carpet for minimal waste and location of seems. On top of that, Empire WILL refund any extra money should the amount of carpet ordered be excessive. One must remember the sales reps ARE NOT installers and NEED to make sure they order enough carpet for the job so when the installers get there they have what they need and there are no hold ups which only pisses both the installers and customers off.
You can’t try to match by color/style two different carpets from two different manufactures and compare them and say “Empires carpet is cheaper than HD’s”, that’s ridiculous. They both carry the same exact carpet. If the Empire carpet is cheaper, so be it, you didn’t pick the better line. But know that HD has cheaper carpet that Empire as well. It’s not Empires fault if you pick a cheaper line! or perhaps picked a Nylon over polyester etc etc etc.
Carpet is not sold by the square foot but rather the yard.
[...] and also Blinds.com for different window coverings in our house. Since my carpet review of Home Depot and Empire Carpet was so popular, it seems that people want to hear about [...]
You say HD was easier, cheaper and slightly better quality carpet. Cheaper and quality go hand in hand. You get what you pay for. You can negotiate with a sales rep in your house to get the best price. You pick the quality. HD and Empire both have carpets ranging from good to better to best. The easier is what really gets me. How is HD easier. Empire came to your house and did all paperwork, measuring, pricing, etc…while you sat on your couch. 2 days later they installed it correctly. For HD they came to your house to measure, you went to the store to get your quote and then paid in full. It took 3 weeks to get your carpet and then they screwed up the install, causing you to call a different company to finish the job. Your conclusion is ridiculous!
To add, you get what you pay for. Empire cost slightly more, but then again you did not have to wait 3 weeks for a bad installation.
To Tony, the small guys are all going out of business because they can no longer compete. Empire employs the best installers around. Why you ask? Empire, because they are a giant keeps their installers busy and pays them well. Small mom and pop shops take the scrap installers that are left over. If you are good then you are working for one of the bigger companies. Also, from a consumer’s point of view, you want the piece of mind that one of the bigger establishments can offer. No worse feeling than calling to complain about your carpet a year later and finding that mom and pop are out of business.
To Mike:
You must work at Empire
No, my conclusion stands. As a customer who is not an expert in carpet, the Empire experience is harder. While it is nice that the salesman comes to your house, it is very difficult from his tiny 4inch by 4inch samples to tell which carpet is best. At the end of the day, the carpet I picked was lower quality and cost more with Empire.
Further, the Empire model is to try to get you to pay “whatever you can pay”. The price I paid ended up being about 50% of his initial price quote. Had I not been smart enough to haggle, I would have paid a lot more. Did I haggle enough? Probably not! Why should I have to play those games?
The haggling also makes it nearly impossible for the customer to be smart about “you get what you pay for”. Sure, both HD & Empire have the same carpet, but until you start haggling, how can you know that the $5/sqft carpet at HD is actually the same quality as the $12/sqft carpet that the Empire guy is pushing?
Yes, Home Depot made a mistake in my case, but the superior, straight forward sales approach is worth a lot to me. And it was their straightforward approach which led me to being able to pick a higher quality carpet for the same price.
Dear Readers, Let me help you with some basic facts about Empire carpet, home depot carpet, Lowes, Carpet Exchange. carpet mill outlet or any other well advertised store. No matter what state you live in, they all use the same pool of installers. 50% of you will get a good experience with your installation and service and the other 50% will have problems.
There is no formal training for Carpet installers in any State, especially with customer interactions and service.
I have been an installer for 26 years and have seen it all. I have owned a successful small flooring business for 13 years now and am amazed at what these places charge for their flooring. If you believe you are getting a better price and service because they are bigger you are so wrong.
I guarantee you that if home depot charges 99.00 for installation it is a gimmick and it is written in the price somewhere.
All flooring companies big or small get their flooring from the same manufactures . The big stores Private label their products so you can’t price compare.
The best thing to do is to find a smaller floor company in your area get an estimate from them and then take the sample to a bigger store and compare there price to the same carpet.
To check out small companies ask for references from the last few jobs they have just completed. Try checking references from home depot -it will never happen. They have a good amount of volume in sales so they will hire just about anyone to install, where as a small shop will keep only the best installers because most know the good from the bad.
Small companies will work harder for your business than the bigger stores. You should be wary getting your carpet directly from installers . 80% of installers may know how to install but they will not know the difference between nylon and polyester.
Bottom line is if you want to save money and get a good job that will last . You have to do your homework and learn before you buy
good luck Al in Denver
I love that Mike says: you get what you pay for….and then argues mindlessly that the small guy CAN’T buy better bc he doesn’t have the volume. I say mindlesly bc you only have to do a nominal amount of research into the industry to know better.
#1) The “little guy” is often part of a large co-op, which pools the purchases of 1000s of other “little guys” —Carpet One and Flooring America are a few that spring to mind. Home Depot only has a flooring section, these stores buy more.
#2) Like Denver said, you are FOOLING yourself if you ‘buy’ that old hacksaw that “they are bigger so they must be cheaper” B.S.—big companies KNOW you think this, and they use this to their advantage—there is so much comparative evidence of this documented by unbiased 3rd parties.
The big stores (not just flooring) price a few very popular items low, knowing you will take that PLUS your assumption that they’re cheaper bc bigger and assume EVERYTHING is cheaper. I’m in advertising/marketing and have had a number of retail, including flooring, clients. I know THE GAME. I am always shocked that this is not, apparently, common knowledge.
#3) The “little guy” (insulting phrase I think) is almost certainly a) more experienced b) more expert c) more eager to please and d) has seen a lot of ’special flooring circumstances” and knows how to deal with them—and values your business enough to go to the extra mile. In general, their install is better, their customer service is better, the quality of their staff is better and they have better warranties that they honor more than the big guys do—these all add up to VALUE and, to me, are worth the few pennies more I may pay in price IF the price is even higher!
Of course, not ALL Independents have these qualities! That’s why shopping for flooring is such a hassle! Asking someone who has had a god experience for a reference is usually the best, but be warned: if they say: Home Depot, you need to have: the same store, the same salesperson, the same installer, the same product, etc. to increase chances you’ll have the same positive experience. These are not VARIABLES at smaller stores, but GIVENS. Personally, I’d go with a Carpet One store or a Flooring America store (they are competitors) if I couldn’t get a reference from a trusted friend….mtc
Exactly what makes purchasing flooring such an anxiety-producing and often disappointing process is that customers don’t know how important things like informed staff, excellent service, skilled installers, owner with ethics, etc ARE until they’ve gone through the process and gotten burned. Until then, they think the only thing that matters is price.
The flooring industry is a real dinosaur as a business model, and it’s the customer that suffers for it, Unfortunately, you have got to do a LOT of homework to assure you’re well-armed and can get what you really want.
As for Home Depot: As a corporation, they have been trying to do to the independent flooring retailer what they did to the hardware stores—and keep failing. Their business model simply is not designed to provide customers with the sort of information, knowledge, and service they NEED when purchasing flooring. Gotta give them credit, tho: they don’t give up! Maybe some day they’ll figure it all out and revolutionize the industry. Until then: buyer beware!
As for Empire: just google Empire Carpet and see what top hits you get: http://www.complaintsboard.com, rippoffreport.com, pissedcustomer,com and so on. ANYONE who buys from Empire gets exactly what they deserve. ANYONE who thinks “they spend a lot of money in advertising they must be reputable…”hahahaha! I am a frelance writer and spent quite a bit of years as an advertising writer. Flooring, appliances, home repair, etc. are where the scammer’s go because it’s almost impossible to “return” it, and once you’ve made such a purchase, you won’t be in the market for it for a number of years, so it’s not like they lost your “repeat” business! Empire advertises a lot because they DO NOT and CANNOT rely on word-of-mouth for their business, like independent retailers. The commercials generate a ton of volume, sales is a presure cooker, gauging is the order of the day (so the people who get screwed the most are little old ladies) the quality of the carpet is clearly inferior (just ask the 200 plus people on complaintsboard.com) etc.
Do you homework, challenge the cliches in your head (they are big, they must be cheaper) do your homework, and don’t listen to just one man’s opinion
If you like the quality of the Home Depot but not dealing with them. Call them and ask who there insatller is Name, number,lic number… They will give you the info. And you can just buy from the installer direct. I have done this on several homes I have built.
I have just purchased my first home and after closing, when I was in the house for the first time with no furniture, I decided I needed to replace the carpet. I called Empire, they came the next day, I picked out a carpet and I am scheduled to get it installed next Wednesday (4/16).
I currently have a contractor in my house painting and doing some minor renovations. He works with a number of local contractors as he has been in business for 30 years. He called his local carpet guy to see if I could get a better price from him and I couldn’t, and I also couldn’t get an install by 4/16 (since my carpet was a last minute decision, I am under a time crunch as I move in on 4/17).
I work in online market research, so I know that people are more likely to comment when they are mad, and the people who are happy just move on to the next thing and don’t think about commenting in an online forum. That is why sites like pissedconsumer contain tons of bad reviews about EVERY company.
I enjoyed reading the spirited discussion on this board, and to hear some positive comments from people who have actually had Empire install carpet. I have my fingers crossed that all will go well next Wednesday…I will let you know after how it goes.
Spirited discussion…I purchased from Empire about 2 years ago…great install great carpet…I LOVE my carpet. I just called them again yesterday, finished my quote getting which landed me on this site to determine what I should be paying for carpeting. No one seems to be able to answer that question…They are quick easy and if I pay alittle more for the convenience than so be it…they get over on me…2 years ago I got a quote from HD of course the carpet I couldn’t compare or the padding…bottom line HD was more expensive and I didn’t like having to measure see them get a quote they come out and measure, etc…it just all seemed silly. Bottom line..I really don’t have answers to the price question, but I really like the job and the carpet so I’m going back. If someone can give me a quote on a 12′5″x15 room and steps..no padding except on the steps Mohawk berber that would be great.
I had a consultation with Empire last night after reading this entire blog and several other consumer websites that talked about bad experience with the company. More importantly, i read consumer guides to carpet purchasing, including the key factors to consider when buying carpet.
I found the Empire sales person to be a bit of a used car salesman. Based on my research I knew i wanted Nylon carpet, adn i wanted to understand the carpet’s construction (importants metrics are the ‘threads per inch’ and the twist ratio of the fiber as well as the stain resistance application). I found carpets i liked in H.Depot, of 5.00 twist and approx 60oz weight and i wrote down the prices and figured i’d compare that to the quality of carpet Empire brought to get a comparable based on similar carpet construction. I looked at the 4 carpet samples (3 of which were Polyester) the man brought, flipped them over to the back and that data was not shown. I asked him about that and his response was….. “Empire doesnt tell us that. In fact, i couldnt find that out if i wanted to… other people have asked before and I’ve never been able to find out”.
He kept trying to have me feel the carpet and was saying that in 10 years you will not remember the fiber construction anyways. Ummm… Excuse me but I was a ‘textile design’ major in college for 1 year studying fibers, and Carpet is ALL about the fiber. I mean, seriously what ELSE is it but fiber? The twist ratio and the way that is formed helps to define how well the carpet fibers will stand-up over time….. the “oz” of the fiber helps to define how dense it is…and theres 1 more factor i forget.
Needless to say I was not impressed. I seriously felt like i was watching an infomercial, and everytime i asked an informed question he would distract me to try hide that he never answered my question. While I believe Empire might be an OK company for some to use, but I would not feel comfortable using them based on the fact that they refuse to disclose important metrics that are essential to understanding the carpet construction and comparing products. I would also say that based on my brief testing of the carpets at H.Depot versus what Empire brought to my house… Empire’s carpets are not nearly as good.
I plan to go to H.Depot and ask them to give me their installers name so i can do BBBureau research, and also checking with another local flooring store for another opinion & further research. I’m a bit sad that this process has to be so drawn out & if i had been happy with the selection & information Empire had, I could have settled this process last night.
The Empire guy did a rough estimate (I told him my room dimensions, I never got to teh point where i wanted a detailed estimate) and he told me that i’d spend $4-5 per sq foot no matter where I bought carpet, or about $2500 for my sq footage. If i’m going to spend around $2500 on such a purhcase, and if the price will be about the same wherever i go, I plan to make sure I get the best value and quality of carpet for my money and I suggest you all do the same.
Mike, thanks for this blog posting, its entertaining and also informative !
Any comments about Lowes?
Sorry to hear about your experience. I get so upset when I hear what home depot lowe’s and Empire today, and others do, and the prices they charge. But they need to pay a middle man and still need to pay their installers the standard per square yard fee, (which is around 3.95 square yard here, so dont let the 99 dollar thing fool you. Its just an added charge to the very high price of their carpet. I never charge more than 30 dollars a square yard for the best carpet, padding and includes the installation fee, thats (3.33 a square foot, but most are much lower charged for us, because we don’t pay a middle man, and we do our own installs) I looked at what you paid and I can’t beleive they can charge that much! Try to find a wholesaler like becklers carpet and find a local carpet iinstaller, you will save a lot of money that way!
I have been in the flooring business for 18 years. I have and still installed for Empire, Costco, S&G, and many more small and big companies. As Far as Empire they pay the lowest to installers and you have to call at 4:30 am to know if you are working. As far as I know I’m the only licensed Contractor there. All the other companies that I work for require a license, insurance, and workmen’s comp, but for Empire all you need is a driver’s license. Empire does cheat the legal system by hiring mostly illegal labor and that’s against the law. .
Home Depot I have never worked for. I have tried but had no luck. What I heard was that one guy or one company does all the installs for home-depot and I have heard form installers that he pays very badly and has been reported to the labor board in many states for not paying. This is what I have heard form different people so I can’t say this is true are not but the story the same all around.
Home Depot is very clever in how the price thing to make you feel like you are getting a good deal. Here is there deal if you by carpet and pad for them you pay $199.00 for the install. Lets say you where look for a Shaw Carpet Tactesse Nylon at home depot. The cost would be $45.00 a square yard and $4.00 SY for 6lb padding. Lets say you need 100 SY Your total price from home depot would be $4900.00 +199 = 5099.00 plus tax. This is what you don’t know for the same carpet I get it for $27.00 a square yard and the 6lb padding I get it for $1.45 a SY my labor is $6.00 a SY and most likely I would mark up the product $10.00 a SY to make money on the sell. My price $44.45 a SY and no tax total price $4445.00 compare to home depot price $5099.00 plus tax and I make $1600.00 and if I had to I could lower that price too. So the small guys can offer a better price then the big guys. We have less over head and a bit more flexible. I know that $199.00 for install sure makes us feel really good though. On the average Home depot is charging you $12.00 a square yard for install plus the $199.00. they just put the install price in the product. Also Home Depot does not have a big selection and the qualities are seconds. They have what you need but nothing you really want and that goes with everything there.
I love what home depot is doing though because it allows me to charge a higher price too but just come below there price to save you money. I love it because I’m making a killing off there scam.
As an update to my discussion above, I auditioned Empire, H.Depot, and a local flooring store (Avalon Carpet, Tile in NJ) and I ended up going with Lowe’s for my carpet. It was just installed last friday and I’m very happy with my decision on carpet quality, the price i paid as well as the installation.
The carpet I chose was a Mohawk brand (I think “Nantucket” is the specific type) around $3 per sq ft including installation. When you compare that to almost $5 per sq ft which was offered by my local private flooring store ($2.50 for carpet + $1.25 installation + $0.50 ‘removal’ of old carpet + $0.75 carpet pad or something) , I think i did pretty well. Based on the fiber-content (nylon) high twist ratio and high density as well as built-in stain protection, upgraded carpet pad etc i think i did very well.
The Lowes installers were professional, did a great job as far as I can tell (considering i’ve never had carpet installed before but it looks great)…. were in & out of my house in under 5 hours which is pretty good for installing all upstairs plus a staircase and of course they moved & replaced my furniture for me.
Related to the post above, I dont care if Lowes or Hdepot bakes the cost of installation into their carpet price. I knew it wasn’t just $99 to install. There’s NO WAY installers would spend 5 hours at my house to make $99 total. There are some installation costs in the per square foot fee as well of course. But I think that Lowe’s isnt’ using their carpet & flooring department as their sole source of covering the overhead, salary of employees, store costs etc so they don’t have to swing such a high profit margin on their carpet. I do think Lowe’s is cheaper for their all-in price on carpet compared to local private sellers.
A friend of mine also used Lowe’s and was quite happy. The only reason I chose them over H.Depot is i liked their carpet quality better, and I had a 10% off coupon for my purchase.
Oh, and one more thing…..
Empire cost estimate : $2500 (bad quality polyester carpet)
Local store estimate: $3400 (overcharge on labor inmy opinion)
Lowes final cost: $2150 (after 10% off coupon, would have been $2300 or so w/out coupon)
I did not read all the resposes but my opinion……..
Every Home Depot is different and all carpet stores are different. It would be ridiculous to use this comparison unless you wet to the same two stores. Carpet is very hard to determine which one is better unless you are a professional and understand the differences and even then it is a hard thing to do. The Home Depot in my part of the country is horrible and a quality installer is not going to work at this home depot because the pay is very poor so you get poor installation. Just stay out of that big orange box and support your local retailer who generally cares about their business vs an hourly employee whom also sells a 2 x 4. The only way for a home owner to tell if they got a good job is (unless it’s obvious) is how the carpet performs over time. A good install on carpet should never get wrinkles, a proper stretched carpet will perform to the manufactures specs a carpet not installed properly will not perform and the mill will call it an installation problem. Get a few referrals from a friend or co worker.
Yes, I own my own store. I don’t advertise my work is on a referral basis.
Floor covering is the 3rd largest purchase someone makes, I can not imagine letting Home Depot be in charge of it.
The prob with Home Depot and Lowes is not the price or quality of the carpet, it is with the installation. You’re totally rolling the dice. You have no idea who is going to show up at your house and neither does the sales person selling you the carpet. I own a retail flooring store in south florida and can absolutely guarantee that the person installing your carpet is a competent professional. Also, God forbid you do have some issue down the road, good luck getting HD or Lowes to take care of you.
Before anyone uses any Home Depot Home Service they need to understand something very basic – Home Depot uses subcontractors, usually the cheapest ones they can find – and they absolutely, totally do NOT stand behind their work. If you have a problem, they will keep throwing it back to the subcontractor. This is not what they tell you when they sell you the services, of course, but it is the experience of hundreds if not thousands of dissatisfied Home Depot Home Services customers. It was our experience when we put on a roof and it leaked and had it fail independent inspection three times. Home Depot only would send the subcontractor – who subsequently disappeared – and would not pay for the work we needed done to repair it. Using a Home Depot Home Service is a total throw of the dice – if you’re very, very lucky (as the author of this blog was) you’ll get a decent job. If not, you’re on your own.
Now that I know about Empire, HD and Lowe’s, does anyone have an opinion about Smart Carpet? They are coming to my house 7/5/08 and I would like to know if anyone has used their service and if pleased with the price and results
Before I retired 2 years ago I spent many years in the flooring business. Most Mom and Pops are alligned with buying groups giving them the same power as HD or Empire. Most research showed a 10% difference in the cost no matter where you purchased. The big difference came with the service. Smaller companies have local owners who put their name on every job they sell. For the big companies it is about numbers not quality or satisfaction. Someone said that in 3 or 4 years they will be out of business. Most problems happen in the first year and try to go back to HD with a problem after 6 months and they will send you a form letter explaining why your concern is not covered. I always enjoyed buying from a local company and dealing with professionals not employees in plumbing one day and carpet the next. If you get the wrong flooring for your project, It doesn’t matter what you paid for it.
A word about Empire. I read in a trade mag that Empire had the highest profit margin in the flooring industry. So, if you are a great wheeler dealer go for the NEXT DAY pitch, if not, you are one of the many giving them record profit margins. The reason they pitch next day is so you are rushed into a sale with very little time to think it through. Who really needs carpet in one day? Surgery yes ! Carpet, give me a day or two to think about it.
HD may seem cheaper but if the cheaper labor they use is worth the time and effort to have it replaced GO FOR IT. I don’t like to fight with large companies that have no owners and lots of form letters saying “Your concern is not covered”
I may be old but I have seen the industry change and not for the best. Faster and Cheaper doesn’t always mean better. This formula works with computers not flooring.
Sam
I just had both Home Depot and Empire come and give me a quote. Home Depot used the electronic tape measure and was a nightmare, the man was here late, for over two hours, lost all the measurements in the computer, stunk of cigarettes and sat his butt on MY BED! I told him to leave, I found out this man doesn’t work for Home Depot, and what FREAKED me out (ladies) is I have no idea where this man came from. Empire sent a man, yes a sales man, but he did the measuring, correctly by hand in 10 minutes, did the math, gave me a price, we did negotiate and I signed on the dotted line. They do not line item the moving of the furniture, the disposal of the old carpet, they just come and do the job. I get the work done in 8 days (my choice) and I hope it will all be as nice as the sales experience was.
I had the unfortunate experience of using Empire. I wish I had considered Home Depot. Empire had all the small carpet samples and it was very hard to choose a good quality carpet from such small samples. I really was not pleased with the quality of the carpet I choose. I paid way too much. But I was selling the house anyway.
My complaints center around the installation. The two installers showed up on time. However, one guy seemed real hung over.These 2 guys that installed the carpet where amatures. I had just finished painting the doors and the walls.When they where done I could not believe the damage they had done to the house. The walls ,the ceiling ,the doors had all been damaged and needed repair. The base board needed sanding and restaining from all the gouges they made in the oak wood.
The carpet was about half an inch from the wall in some corners. The bathroom tile had a crack from the installer when he broke it with his hammer. And it was not laid straight at the transitions between carpet and flooring or tile.
I called Empire and told them I don’t want those guys back in my house. And they need to come fix all the problems they caused. Next day,guess who showed up. The same 2 guys that didn’t speak a lick of English came back to fix what they messed up.Problem was all I could do is point to the problem and they tried to fix it. But they could not do anything about the walls,doors,ceiling,and tile.
In the long run, Empire did not care about anything except to get their money. But,I will never use or recommend Empire for anything.
Mike M
I just want to say that most carpet comes from Dalton, Georgia. Therefore, if you’re in the Southeast, carpet will be cheaper than if you live in, say, California. You’ll have shipping charges. Whether it’s in the price per square yard/foot, you’ll have shipping charges.
If you want to locate a certified installer, go to http://www.cfi-installers.org. They are a nationwide certification organization. But regardless of who you have install, check their references first.
And previous posters are correct. All flooring companies have access to the same styles. If you just simply do your research (internet is the easiest method), you’ll find the best price/quality relationship, and come out a satisfied customer.
I USED EMPIRE TO BUY AND INSTALL OUR CARPET AND FLOORING AND WAS VERY SATISFIED. WE HAD A LEAK IN OUR BATHROOM DUE TO THE INSTALLERS LOOSENING THE TOILET LINES AND WE HAD A BAD LEAK. I CALLED EMPIRE AND THEY CAME OUT AND REPLACED THE FLOORING FOR US FREE OF CHARGE. NO QUESTIONS ASKED! I FEEL THAT WE GOT AN EXCELENT PRODUCT AND SERVICE FOR THE PRICE.
I bought carpet about a month ago at Home Depot and it has been shedding like crazy. They told me it was normal(?) and to just keep running the vacuum cleaner a couple of times a week for a few months and it will stop. It’s a mess and running the vacuum only makes it worse- the more I sweep the more it comes up. This is not normal is it? My vacuum cleaner gets stopped up every time I use it. I have called HD back several times and asked for the manufacturer to come out- Alladin Mills but they won’t come. They say it takes 6 months to stop shedding. I have never heard of such a thing- has anyone had this experience?
Well, since no one seems to be defending Home Depot, here it goes!
I’ve worked for HD for a little more than 4 years now in the flooring dept. I need to clear up some of the criticisms on here.
First, we charge $199 for install ($99 through special promotions occasionally). This includes installing the carpet and pad, removing and disposing of your old carpet and pad, and replacing damaged tack strips as needed. What it does not include is moving furniture, tack stripping a whole room with no previous tack strips, or removing flooring other than carpet. All of the things I listed as not included are available at an extra charge, but most installs I deal with do not need them anyway (besides furniture moving, but customers are usually willing to do that themselves, otherwise it is about $0.20/square foot I believe). There is a $50 deposit that is required for a measure (although there are promotions to waive that now and again) that gets applied to your install price if you decide to have HD install. If you decide not to have HD install AFTER being measured, you lost the deposit.
Second, our carpet prices ARE the best available. We do not increase the price of our carpet to make up for the low install price. To Evan, using a carpet that is $45/sq yd as an example is ridiculous. We don’t carry more than one or two carpets even priced that high. You can get a 75oz solution dyed nylon for about $28-$38/sq yd., or for a lower price/quality a polyester for about $20/sq yd. Of course HD carries a lot of other carpets inbetween, both poor quality for the price and great quality for the price, but I and all my fellow salespeople always let the customer know if the carpet they are looking at is a good deal or not.
Third, the price comparison thing everyone seems to be mentioning is confusing to me. At HD the way it works is that if you find a carpet that is similar in quality (+- 5oz face weight, same fiber type-nylon, polyester,olefin, etc) but cheaper than one we carry at the same quality, we WILL beat the price by 10%. I have had this happen only a few times as, like I said, not many are cheaper than us, and it has not been a big deal at all. I call the manager for approval, and that’s it. We do not pay attention to the name of the carpet brand, because, as we always inform our customer’s of this and has been stated numerous times above, everyone carries pretty much the same carpet under their own brand. To testify to the straightforward approach Mike mentions, I had a customer come in about a week ago. She was debating between HD and Carpet One (considered a “small guy” in our town of 50,000 with a Lowe’s and HD to compete with). I gave her the price on a carpet she chose after going over all facets of carpet quality and type with her, and the price was around $3400 out the door. I asked her what Carpet One quoted her, and she said around $3000. So, wanting to find the best deal for her, I requested that she bring in a written quote and sample of the carpet from Carpet One. When she came in the next day, I found that she was indeed quoted $3000, but this price was after a huge discount given over the stickered price on the carpet she brought in. The original quote, she eventually admitted, was $4400 from Carpet One. However, since they assured her that her out the door price for the carpet she had brought in to me was $3000, I let her know that she was getting the best deal by going with Carpet One, and I let the sale go. Before leaving, she thanked me greatly for my help, and said that I was MUCH more helpful and knowledgeable than the Carpet One salesperson. Then the customer left. This may seem like a dumb thing for a salesperson to let happen, but next time that customer goes shopping for flooring (or blinds, as that is my dept as well), where do you think she will come first?
Fourth, our installers. My district and a number of surrounding districts use a single installer. It is a subcontracted company based out of Fresno, CA that is licensed and bonded with our company. We DO back their work 100%, and I have seen a few instances at my store where we have sent our installers back out to fix seams or transitions, etc. I have only had a few complaints about our installers, and overall I receive positive feedback. I even have customers come in with photos after their install to show me how great their flooring came out.
I will conclude this long defense of HD with a personal thought. I am not a carpet installer, but HD trains their salespeople very well. It depends on the individual salesperson whether or not they will take their job seriously and genuinely care about customers. There are a few people I work with (and I know other HDs also have this problem) that just don’t care about anything, so our customers receive horrible customer service. Many of you will have a bad experience at HD, many will have a good experience at HD. My advice to you is just pay attention to the person selling you the flooring. If you go to HD and the person/store seems lacking and disorganized (and yes I admit there are HDs out there like this) then go somewhere else. Do your own research for carpet based on fiber type, face weight, density, and twist, among other things, and get a specific idea of what you want before you walk into any dealer.
I am not a fanboy of HD, as I am just working there part time to put myself through college. However, I am seeing a lot of inaccurate information and unfair criticism of HD that needs to be defended against. None of my statements are biased-my purpose is not to sell you on Home Depot, but just to inform you of your options. As previously said, HD is not always the best choice, but do not shut it out based on a few people’s bad experiences. Judge each store and each salesperson individually and without bias, and you will be happy with your flooring job.
p.s., HD associates do not work on commission, so you do not have to worry so much about being upsold on your choice. HD makes about the same amount of profit on the cheap carpet as the expensive carpets (sometimes more on the cheap carpets actually!)-believe me, I’ve checked cost vs retail on almost every type of flooring we carry.
I would NEVER use H D again. After 3 months of endless mistakes, misorders, accidents, and a talk with their VP, I told them I wanted everything they did on our house removed. He refunded all install moneys and I let them proceed…but NEVER again. Bozos!
Can anyone tell me what I should expect to pay for a good carpet and pad installed per sqr yard or foot (all inclusive)? Also, I am looking at some hardwood flooring. Does anyone have any comments or thoughts on having Empire do this for me? I have Empire coming out tomorrow and would appreciate being informed before I make any decisions. I have read all the comments and greatly appreciate this sight. Thanks Clint
A good medium grade carpet will run $26.00 +/- installed with 6# pad.
Ive risen through the ranks from installer to commercial estimator/ specifier and have 35yrs experience. Ive seen great stores and poor stores, both big box and small independent. It is not about the store name. Essentially everyone is selling the same or similar products. It is about the individual people selling and installing your floors. Ask around about your local floor-covering vendors . Ask your friends if they know anyone in the business. Ask for references and “actually call them”.
If you are flying (buying) blind. Most of the information you need is on the back of the sample. There is also plenty of info on the web about selecting the right flooring for your needs. Eg. a 7+ year wear warranty, a texture retention warranty, and an “active wear” or “3.0+” wear rating are usually signs of a good carpet for most situations.
A good flooring experience can vary not only from store to store, but from salesperson to salesperson and installer to installer.
Flooring is an expensive purchase. Do a little home work before going into the store .
Ed
In response to Patrick about HD…this is what my local store told me:
$199 install is basic install only – installing carpet and padding, it does NOT include tearing up old carpet and hauling it away. If you need that done, you pay the $6.44 sq yd install AND $3.06 sq yd tear up AND $1.89 sq yd haul away. For me…this was $199 vs 989. Did they misquote me? Huge difference from what you are saying. That also does not include moving furniture.
I have used SMART Carpet twice and everytime they have done a great job. Had Brazilian Cherry installed just three weeks ago and it looks beautiful. They beat both Home Depot and Lowes prices.
These big companies are the biggest rip off’s ever….Answer me this. Why is the salesman and the company making more money than the installer…..Everyone gets the carpet from the same manufactures , its the installer that makes the differance, and none of these companies care at all about installers: especially theses stores in question….These companies go through another company that hires installers, so how many people do you really need to pay for one job….Word to the wise get smart and buy from the installer…No middle men, less people to deal with, cause noone knows better than the installer
I used Empire last year. I was happy with their fast response and install. (I have used Home Depot in the past and so many people and steps were involved it could be frustrating).
One year later, just past the Empire warranty, the ‘high end’ carpet I purchased is rippling horribly and the hardwoods floors which were glued to a slab are popping. Empire informed me that I would have to pay to have it fixed because it is outside of their one year warranty.
With Home Depot, I never had a quality problem after installs…even after three years.
I’ll never use Empire flooring again. I’ve called them to them know, but obviously, they don’t care.
I purchased Empire carpet for my house several years ago. The customer service is excellent, but the carpet quality isn’t good…and I bought their higher end carpet. After more than 1 year, the carpet still pilled and needed to be vacuumed frequently. I know nothing about carpet…after reading this blog, I will definitely look into it further…I need new carpet in my living room in a new home and I was thinking of going with Empire again simply for convenience…but now I’m not going to.