How big is a roll of carpet, and how is carpet sold?
You want to know the width and length of a carpet roll and how that affects what you order.
Carpet is made in long rolls of a fixed width, most commonly four metres, with some ranges also made five metres wide. You choose a roll and have a length cut from it. Our sheet vinyl comes in 2m, 3m and 4m widths. A full roll is far longer than any single room, which is why what remains at the end of a roll is sold off cheaply as a roll end.
Written for: For people who have seen carpet priced by the metre and want to understand what they are actually buying.
Width is fixed, length is yours
Think of a roll as a very long strip with a set width. The factory decides the width; you decide the length. When you buy carpet at a warehouse the roll is unwound on a cutting table and a length is measured and cut there and then. At both our warehouses that happens while you wait.
Because the width is fixed, the width of your room decides how the carpet is laid. A room narrower than the roll takes one piece with an offcut down the side. A room wider than the roll needs a join or a wider roll.
Common widths for carpet and vinyl
Four metres is the standard broadloom width in the UK and covers most bedrooms and many living rooms in one piece. Five metre rolls exist in some ranges and are useful for wide lounges and through rooms, but not every carpet is made that way, so check before you fall for one.
Sheet vinyl is sold in narrower widths as well. We stock 2m, 3m and 4m widths, which lets a small bathroom or cloakroom be cut from a 2m roll without paying for floor you do not have.
- Carpet: usually 4m wide, some ranges 5m
- Sheet vinyl: 2m, 3m and 4m widths in stock
- Carpet tiles: sold by the box rather than the roll
- Underlay: sold in rolls and bought to the floor area
How long is a full roll?
Full rolls run to tens of metres, enough to carpet several houses. The exact length varies by manufacturer and by how much of the roll has already been sold. That is the reason a warehouse holding actual rolls can often cut an awkward room with less waste than a supplier ordering in, because there is a choice of part-used rolls on the racking.
When a roll gets down to a length too short for most rooms, it becomes a roll end. The carpet is identical to the rest of the roll; only the length is limited, and the price falls to move it.
How carpet is priced from a roll
Prices are quoted per square metre, but the square metres charged are the full width of the roll multiplied by the length cut. That is why a quote for a 3m wide room from a 4m roll includes the metre you trim away. Nobody is overcharging you; the question is only whether a narrower roll, a remnant or a roll end would suit the room better.
It is also why we do not publish a single price per square metre. The honest number depends on your room and on the rolls in stock that week.
Seeing the rolls for yourself
There are thousands of carpet and vinyl rolls in stock across Maidstone and Gillingham. Walking the racking shows you the real colour of a full width, which a small sample never can. If you would rather not travel, send your room sizes and we will tell you which rolls fit with the least waste.
Find the roll that fits your room
Give us the width and length and we will match it to a roll with the least waste.
Have a look at these
Questions we get asked about this
- How wide is a standard roll of carpet?
- Four metres is the standard UK width. Some ranges are also made in five metres.
- Can I buy less than the full width?
- The carpet is cut to length from the roll, so you pay for the full width. A remnant or roll end is the way to buy a smaller piece.
- What widths does sheet vinyl come in?
- We stock sheet vinyl in 2m, 3m and 4m widths, cut while you wait.
- Can I take a length home the same day?
- Yes. Carpet is cut while you wait and collection is available from both warehouses, or most in-stock items are delivered within 1 to 3 working days.
- What payment methods can I use?
- Cash, all major credit and debit cards, Amex and bank transfer.