Had a long talk with a builder about carpet waste margins yesterday

I was doing a 1,200 square foot job in a new subdivision over in Hamilton and the general contractor pulled me aside. He asked why I always order 10% extra for waste on straight runs. Told him that's just how I was taught 12 years ago. He showed me his spreadsheet where he tracks his subs and my waste percent is way higher than the other carpet guys he uses. Got me thinking Ive been overordering for years without asking why. Does anyone here actually measure waste on simple rooms without patterns?

2 comments

2 Comments

sage_morgan7522h ago

That "just how I was taught" trap gets us all, it's amazing how many habits we keep blindly across trades and hobbies.

mia_singh2413h ago

Respectfully, that "just how I was taught" method exists for a reason though... it accounts for the weird cuts you don't see coming. Even in a straight run room, you've got doorways, closets, and off-square walls that can eat up material fast. I've seen guys try to cut waste to 5% and end up having to seam in a little patch because their room wasn't perfectly square.