How To Buy Carpet and Flooring Wisely
Carpet | Pad | Vinyl | Recommended Stores
How To Buy New Carpet Wholesale (and avoid headaches!)
Can
I Order Carpet at Dealer Cost?
I think it's important to reveal some of the common problems homeowners encounter while attempting to buy new Carpet at wholesale prices. There are various sources that offer new carpet wholesale to the general public including online and locally warehoused flooring re-sellers. There are also dozens of wholesale Carpet Warehouses located near Dalton, Georgia, famously known as the Carpet Manufacturing Capital of the World.
Anyone can buy new carpet at wholesale prices and save up to 70% across the board. Most carpet wholesalers in Dalton prefer to sell full rolls of carpet and you'll always get the lowest price per square foot by ordering a full roll. If they offer to sell you less than a full roll, you will be charged more for the carpet and maybe even a handling or cutting fee.
"You Can Find Great Deals on Carpet Closeouts, Irregulars, Specials and Overstock!"
How Much Carpet Do You Need?
If
you need to buy carpet for just a room or two, you might want to consider buying
carpet remnants from a local carpet store to save time and money, and
avoid the added cost of shipping and handling. How
To Choose Carpet Remnants
How Much Can I Save on New Carpet?
If you need carpet for your entire home, then buying from a Carpet Wholesaler might be a smart way to save a lot of moola. You just have to avoid making costly ordering mistakes and not fall victim to any type of sales scams.
For Example: To give you a basic idea about the potential savings you might enjoy, lets imagine buying just one roll of carpet that is 12 feet wide and 50 feet long (600 square feet). Let's say the regular retail price is $4.00 per square foot. Retail cost for the whole roll would be $2400. The wholesale cost with a 40% discount would be $2.40 per square foot or $1440. The shipping fee to a Local Terminal Location at 15 cents per square foot is $90. In this example, total cost including shipping and handling is $1530, making your total savings $870 for the carpet only. If you want home delivery you'll have to pay $150 more.
You
still need to pay the sales tax ($125?), purchase the correct carpet padding
($400?) and hire a qualified installer ($350?). I
created this fictitious scenario just to give you a wild estimate about how much you might
save if you are successful at buying new carpet wholesale and have it shipped from Dalton Georgia. Your actual savings could be more or less
depending on the details of your purchase. Buying
from a carpet wholesaler in Georgia is not like shopping for new carpet at
your local retail carpet store. Ordering new carpet may seem simple when you
visit their website, but there are
many hidden dangers, risks, hazards and pitfalls that you need to know about
beforehand.
"If you don't do everything just right, you might end up unhappy with the way things turn out!"
You must be willing to invest the time and energy required to learn how to avoid simple yet costly mistakes. Otherwise, you can forget about saving money, you'll be more concerned about losing money! What Grade Of Carpet Should I Buy?
Best Wholesale Carpet Sources
Carpet wholesalers are known by many different names but they all offer new carpet at deeply discounted prices. Your task is to make sure you select the right carpet at the right price and have it installed properly. If you decide to buy from a Dalton Carpet Warehouse or Online Carpet Wholesaler, you can save a lot of money but it requires investing a considerable amount of time, planning and effort on your part. Here are a few Wholesale Carpet websites for you to investigate:
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Caldwell Carpet Wholesale - https://www.caldwellcarpet.com/wholesale-carpet.htm
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Dalton Carpet - https://daltoncarpet.com/
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Warehouse Carpets - https://warehousecarpets.net/
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The Perfect Carpet - https://www.theperfectcarpet.com/faqs
(I have no business relationship or affiliation with these companies)
The Wholesale Carpet Buying Process
You can save a lot of money on new carpet if you do it right, but the key is to be well-informed. What are some of problems you might encounter during the wholesale carpet buying process?
It's
important to buy from an honest and reputable carpet wholesaler, but it's not
always easy to tell the difference between the good and the not-so-good. Most salespeople are very knowledgeable and
will help you find the product you are looking for.
Some salespeople may try to push you into buying a product you don't really want or need. If you don't know what you want to buy, they may steer you into buying what they think you should buy. This is one of those hidden dangers, risks, hazards and pitfalls I mentioned earlier.
That's why it helps if you understand the basic 5 carpet specifications; Fiber, Face-Weight, Pile Density, Pile Height and Tuft Twist. You should be able to describe the type of carpet you want to buy and the minimum manufacturing specifications you are willing to consider. Carpet Specifications Explained
Points to Remember:
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Know the level of Foot Traffic you have in your home. (low, medium, moderate, heavy)
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How long do you expect your new carpet to last? (5, 10, 15, 20 years)
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What are the Minimum Carpet Specifications that will meet your needs.
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Know the terms of the contract, shipping costs and delivery requirements.
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Include the carpet manufacturing specs in the contract. (Fiber type, face-weight, pile height etc.)
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Understand Carpet Installation cost and how to hire an independent installer.
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Know the carpet care requirements and warranty limits. Carpet Maintenance
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Understand the carpet delivery method, your responsibilities and return process.
Buying Carpet Wholesale is NOT for Everyone
You have to be willing and able to spend a significant amount of time dealing with salespeople, investigating and researching various products, comparing prices, searching for and interviewing carpet installers and preparing your home for the final event of having your carpet installed. How much is your time worth? Saving money requires making lots of phone calls, sending and receiving emails, ordering samples and keeping track of all the little details.
The process of buying from a Carpet Wholesaler can be mind-boggling and require way too much effort for some people. You might not be challenged at all, but it still takes a certain amount of time to work out all the details. It could take several weeks to get the whole job done from start to finish. If you try to do things too fast, you might overlook one small but very important detail and end up not saving as much time or money as anticipated.
What is Discounted or Second-Grade Carpet?
Giant carpet manufacturers like Mohawk and Shaw make thousands of rolls of carpet every month. They have strict manufacturing specifications they adhere to. If they make a roll of carpet that doesn't pass quality control, they will sell it as "seconds".
What are Carpet Seconds?
Any carpet outlet store or retail carpet dealer can purchase "second grade" rolls of carpet at a significant discount from the carpet manufacturer. These rolls of carpet all have something wrong with them. It could be a color streaking problem or the dye was off-color from the original sample. There could be missing tufts or other surface defects, or the backing could be defective in some way. You may never know why the manufacturer sold it as second-grade goods. There could be multiple reasons why a particular roll of carpet will be marked as a seconds and sold without warranty.
Why Do Wholesale Carpet Prices Vary So Much?
Sometimes Carpet makers will discontinue a certain type, style or color and offer sell-off what they have left in stock to make room for a new style or color. In this case, there is nothing wrong with these rolls of carpet and they are still considered first-quality goods. The discounted price for these rolls won't be quite as attractive as second-grade carpets with an obvious manufacturing defect.
The carpet manufacturer offers these rolls of carpet to any carpet outlet store or retailer for a price they determine, and trust me, they know how to place an accurate value on any roll of carpet. Less than wholesale prices? You can save even more if you buy carpet that has a noticeable flaw or defect. Maybe having a small but noticeable defect doesn't matter much to you because the carpet is to be installed in a rental property.
How to Buy Carpet at a Discount
Competition in the discount carpet business is fierce, so in order to compete for your business, wholesale carpet outlets advertise heavily and they use the internet to attract customers from all over the world. There are literally hundreds of carpet outlet and reseller stores in the state of Georgia, with billboards lined up all the way down their interstate highways. They all have detailed websites with photos and descriptions of their products. There are a few ground rules you need to be aware of before you start shopping for discounted carpet.
First, I never recommend buying carpet from any online source that does not have a physical location (showroom) and a good reputation verifiable through the local Better Business Bureau. Some Dalton Georgia carpet sellers are well-known due national media attention, but that doesn't mean you should let your guard down.
Second, Don't believe everything a carpet salesperson tells you. No matter what questions you might ask, they might just tell you what you want to hear. "Sure, we can do that for you, no problem!" If promises are made, no matter how insignificant, get it in writing before you sign on the dotted line.
Free Carpet Samples Mailed to You
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Free carpet samples or swatches may be shipped to you from the manufacturer or the wholesaler.
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Some come with warranties and specifications listed.
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Carpet sample sizes are usually 6"x 6" with available colors 2" x 3".
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You can order a limited number of free carpet samples.
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Additional samples are available for an additional cost.
Carpet Wholesalers Have Product Limitations
Dalton Carpet Retail Outlet Stores sell DISCOUNTED products other than Carpet,
including sheet vinyl, hardwoods, plastic laminate, ceramic tile, luxury vinyl
tile (LVT), and area rugs... all at deep discounts. However, they may not
have the exact same products you ordered today still available tomorrow. If you
are ordering flooring other than carpet make sure you order enough extra pieces
to accommodate for pattern match, color variances, breakage and mis-cuts. You
don't want to run out and not be able to get more of the exact same product.
Many products they feature are second-quality goods, close-outs, roll ends, unique specials, cabin-grade wood products, promotional goods, ceramic tile closeouts, luxury vinyl tiles, carpet tiles, waterproof vinyl tiles, vinyl tile planks, laminate flooring and many other types of floor coverings you may want to buy. Once they sell out, you probably can't get any more of that exact same product, color, dye-lot, price or quantity in the future. Regardless of what type of flooring you buy, you need to be absolutely sure about your choices because there are usually no refunds on any discounted or second grade products or special-offer goods.
No Carpet Warranty Coverage
You don't get a manufacturers warranty on discounted carpet. That's why it was sold at wholesale. Buying discounted from a Carpet Wholesaler has serious limitations and trade-offs! But mistakes do happen and sometimes the wrong carpet can be delivered to you by mistake. This can be a real nightmare to deal with. The first thing to do is to call the Carpet Wholesaler and explain the problem. Maybe they have an easy way to handle situations like this without making it too difficult. If they don't offer a way to resolve the issue it may be a real nightmare to resolve. This is one of those hidden dangers, risks, hazards and pitfalls I mentioned earlier.
Did You Read The Fine Print?
They hired lawyers to write their sales contracts and you might need to be a lawyer to understand everything it says. I may be going out on a limb here but I think all sales contracts for discounted carpet and flooring products all basically say the same thing: No Refunds.
First-Quality Carpet Warranty Coverage
Never assume you have warranty coverage. This is a hazy area where Carpet Wholesalers have different in-house warranty policies, if any at all. Make sure you understand what warranty coverage you get with the product you are ordering. But in most situations if you purchase "First-Quality Goods" and want a refund for an issue covered under warranty, you may be allowed to return your carpet as long as you bought the full roll and the material has not been cut. If the carpet is determined to be defective, return shipping costs may be covered and restocking fees may be waived.
Special orders usually are non-refundable for any reason but in certain situation may be returned if found defective. You may have to pay a re-stocking fee of up to 70% and be responsible for return shipping costs. It may not worth returning the material if you forfeit more than 90% of the original cost.
Return Shipping Costs
Is the carpet you ordered is not what you expected. What can go wrong? The wrong color, the wrong style, you ordered a 45-ounce carpet and a 38-ounce carpet showed up. It could be an honest mistake or it could be the old bait and switch trick. If the carpet I receive is not what I ordered then I can send it back right? Maybe, but will you still want to return it after you discover what it takes to do so? Probably not.
Shipping a roll of carpet back to the place where you bought it can cost you hundreds of dollars and can be very difficult and time consuming for you. Just because you originally paid $80 to have the carpet shipped to you, does not mean that it will only cost you $80 to ship it back. Every carpet wholesaler has a special arrangement with their local shipping company, but you don't. It could easily cost you $300 to ship a roll of carpet back to where it came from!
"You are also responsible for getting the roll of carpet wrapped up properly and loaded into the delivery truck."
When the shipping truck arrives... They stop at the end of your driveway.
It is your responsibility to pull the roll of carpet out of your garage
(assuming that's where it is) and lift it up and into the back of the delivery
truck. This is not an easy task because most rolls of carpet weigh in at several
hundred pounds and the rear deck of the delivery truck is over four feet high.
The trucking company does not show up with a forklift to lift your carpet into the back of the truck. The truck driver will not lift a finger to help you either, it's not his job. Truck drivers always claim to have a bad back which is why they say they are unable to help you load your heavy roll of carpet. You are responsible for getting the roll of carpet loaded into the back of the truck. Have at least 4 strong friends ready to help or you might end up having a bad back too.
This is a common situation where carpet wholesalers know they have you over a barrel. They know that after you discover how much it's going to cost to ship the carpet back and the amount of physical effort it's going to take to load the carpet into the delivery truck, you will likely change your mind about returning it. This is a common problem for unsuspecting homeowners. Maybe you can sell the unwanted roll of carpet to someone locally, try putting an ad on Marketplace or Craigslist. This is another one of those hidden dangers, risks, hazards and pitfalls I mentioned earlier.
A Safer and Easier Way to Buy New Carpet?
What
to expect when buying Carpet locally: Have
you ever been inside a local retail Carpet showroom? You've likely seen the
racks and displays of carpet samples. There are lots of choices to be made. It
can be a bit overwhelming but my Free Carpet Shopping Form can
help you choose wisely and ask all the right questions.
Carpet
Durability vs. Longevity
Some salespeople are quick to ask new customers how much they have to spend on the project. Price is not a good way to narrow down your choices. If you narrow it down by price first, you will not be happy when your new carpet wears out way to fast. You must choose a carpet designed to handle your level of foot traffic. If you want to know about how much you need to spend on carpet and have it last as many years as you want, take a look at my Carpet and Padding Price Cart for 2024
How To Narrow Down Your Carpet Choices
The carpet shopping process begins by visiting a local carpet showroom and asking a salesperson to help you "narrow down" your carpet choices. It would be smart to first decide which Carpet Fiber will serve your needs best. So when you are asked "What Can I help You Find Today?" Tell the salesperson that you only want to consider carpet styles made of the (You Decide) fiber.
Carpet Fiber Choices: I've written several helpful articles to inform you about the various types of carpet fibers and their good and not-so-good qualities. Some fibers are way more durable than others and some fibers resist stains better and clean easier than others. There is no perfect carpet fiber so you will have to make some concessions. For example: Nylon is the most durable fiber but it's also the most costly of all synthetic fibers. There's always a trade-off of some sort. More about Carpet Fibers
Carpet Quality Explained
Next to narrow down your carpet choices even more, define your desired carpet quality based on Pile Density and fiber Face-Weight. At first this may sound daunting to you but it's not. My free Carpet Durability Guide will help you.
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Pile
density is just a number between 1000 to 6000. You could tell the
salesperson that you only want to consider carpets with a pile density of at
least 3000. This would be sufficient for medium to moderate foot-traffic
applications. -
Face-Weights range somewhere between 20 ounces and 100 ounces. A face weight of 40 ounces is considered middle of the road and is sufficient for medium to moderate foot-traffic applications.
After that you might focus on the carpet style, pattern or color you prefer. Hopefully, that should help narrow down your best carpet choices to just a few.
Making Your Final Carpet Choice
When you feel you have shopped around enough it may be time to take a few carpet samples home to think it over. You should take your time and make your final selection without being pressured. Here's what you need to do next: Be sure to ask your salesperson for itemized pricing. You need to know the cost of each carpet you are considering separate from the cost for the padding and installation. You cannot compare carpet side by side if they only give you a "one price for everything" deal.
Q.
What is the cost (per square foot) for the carpet only? This is important
so don't take no for an answer. This
would also be the best time to ask the salesperson to provide you with the manufacturing
specifications (The
Spec-Sheet) for each of the final few samples you plan to take home to
consider. Use the manufacturer's spec-sheet to compare
each of the carpet samples side by side. Use my free Carpet
Durability Guide Chart to help narrow your choice.
Once you land on the perfect carpet brand, style and color, try to get several free in-home measures and proposals (for the exact same carpet) from other local dealers and then when you are ready, place your order with the one local carpet store that you feel most comfortable doing business with.
After you have selected the perfect carpet and have placed your order, you can usually get the whole carpet job completed in about three to four weeks. The manufacturer will ship your carpet to the retailer where you bought it or to a local Terminal location. Your local carpet retailer will handle all the arrangements, including installation. On the day of installation, the installers will load up your new carpet and pad and bring it to your home to install it. They will need some room to park their truck and unload the materials, preferably a swept driveway or garage if possible. It might help if you move your own
Before
they arrive, make sure you have read the Carpet
Installation Get-Ready Checklist to see
what things you need to do before, during and after having new carpet installed.
Then you can sit back and relax while your beautiful new carpet is installed. Do
a thorough walkthrough and installation inspection with the installer so he can
immediately address any concerns you may have.
More Information:
