A good carpet shop lets you see and handle the carpet before you buy, measures your home for free, gives you a written quote that lists every cost, and fits with its own trained fitters. If a shop can’t do those four things, keep looking. Below are the eight checks we’d make if we were buying carpet ourselves, after 14 years in the carpet and flooring trade, as a family-run shop on Steeley Lane in Chorley.
Carpet shop checklist
| Check | What a good shop does | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Showroom | Lets you walk on and handle full-size samples | Online-only, or small swatches only |
| 2. Home measure | Measures for free and brings samples to you | Charges to measure, or quotes from your own sizes |
| 3. Written quote | Lists carpet, underlay, gripper, door bars, fitting and uplift | One total with no breakdown |
| 4. Fitters | Uses its own fitters and tells you who is coming | “We’ll find someone” or no clear answer |
| 5. Underlay | Recommends underlay to suit the room | Leaves underlay off the quote |
| 6. Reviews | Recent reviews that name staff and fitters | Few or no reviews, or only old ones |
| 7. Range | Several brands at different price points | One supplier for everything |
| 8. Aftercare | A local shop you can call or walk into | A call centre or contact form only |
1. Does the carpet shop have a showroom?
Photos online can’t tell you how soft a saxony feels underfoot, or how a grey looks in a north-facing room. A proper carpet showroom lets you stand on full-size samples, feel the pile and compare ranges side by side. Ask whether you can take samples home. Colours change in your own light, next to your own walls and sofa.
Our showroom is at 50 Steeley Lane, Chorley PR6 0RD, with free parking outside. We’re open Monday to Saturday 10:00–17:30 and Sunday 11:00–16:00. Samples are free to borrow, and you can keep them as long as you need.
2. Do they measure your home for free?
A proper measure checks more than length and width. The fitter looks at where the joins will fall, which way the pile should run, the doorways, the stair nosings and the state of the floor underneath. Getting this wrong means visible seams or a carpet that comes up short. A good shop measures for free, because the measure protects both of you.
Be wary of quotes based on sizes you measured yourself. They nearly always miss the extra needed for pattern matching and roll widths.
3. Is the quote written and itemised?
Carpet prices are usually shown per square yard or square metre, but the carpet is only part of the cost. A fair quote lists every item separately:
- the carpet, including any extra for joins or pattern matching
- underlay
- gripper rods and door bars
- fitting
- uplift and disposal of the old floor
- moving furniture, if it’s charged separately
An itemised quote lets you compare shops fairly. If one shop’s price looks much lower, check what has been left off. We give you an instant quote over the phone or at the measure, and if you bring us a written quote from another retailer, you’ll get 10% off.
4. Who does the carpet fitting?
The best carpet in the shop will look poor if it’s badly fitted. Ask who will be coming to your house. Shops with their own fitters can tell you when they’ll arrive, how long the job will take and who to call if something isn’t right. Our own team fits most jobs within two working days of the measure, and most rooms take a day. To see each stage, read what’s included in carpet fitting.
Also ask what the fitters will and won’t do on the day. We move standard furniture as part of the job. You just need to empty wardrobes, drawers and bookcases first. Stairs and landings need particular care, so ask how the shop finishes stair nosings.
5. Do they talk to you about underlay?
Underlay makes a carpet feel softer, warmer and quieter, and it helps the pile last longer. A good shop asks how the room is used before recommending one. A busy hall and stairs need something firmer than a bedroom. If underlay isn’t mentioned at all, ask.
6. What do recent reviews say?
The best carpet shops have plenty of recent Google reviews, so look at the last year, not just the star rating. The useful ones mention the measure, the fitters by name, timekeeping and how the house was left afterwards. Reviews that only say “great service” tell you very little.
7. Is there a real choice of brands and prices?
A shop that stocks several suppliers can find a carpet to fit your budget, rather than selling you whatever it has. We stock Abingdon Flooring, Karndean Designflooring, Lifestyle Flooring, Carpet Line Direct, Witch Group, Likewise Floors, AGT and Nordikka, with carpets from £6.99 per square yard. We also sell rugs, and we supply only if you’d rather fit the carpet yourself. Ask about roll ends, which are often the best value in the shop.
8. Can you reach them after the job is done?
Carpet sometimes needs a small adjustment once it settles, such as a door that needs trimming or a seam that needs re-stretching. With a local shop you can phone or walk in and speak to the people who did the job. That’s much harder with an online retailer or a national chain, and it’s one of the main reasons to choose a local carpet shop.
What we see in local homes
Homes around Chorley vary a lot, and a good shop should ask about yours. Older terraced homes often have narrow, steep stairs and uneven boards, so the carpet needs to be dense and fitted tight on every step. New builds in Buckshaw Village and Euxton usually have concrete floors and open-plan ground floors, where many people choose LVT downstairs and carpet upstairs. If the shop doesn’t ask about your home, it can’t recommend the right carpet.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to buy carpet online?
Sometimes the price per square metre is lower online, but you still need underlay, gripper and a fitter, and you take the risk on measuring. Once those are added, a local shop with a free measure and its own fitters is often similar in price and much less hassle.
How long does it take to get carpet fitted?
With us, most jobs are fitted within two working days of the measure. Most rooms take a day, and larger jobs or full-house refits are usually scheduled over 2 to 3 days.
Do carpet shops take the old carpet away?
Most do, but check whether it’s charged. We list uplift and disposal on the quote, and it’s free for pensioners.
Who gets free carpet fitting?
At Prime Carpets and Flooring, NHS staff, teachers, police officers and charity workers get free fitting. Ask about the terms when you book.
Next steps
If you’re choosing carpet in Chorley or the surrounding area, visit our showroom on Steeley Lane or book a free home measure. We’ll bring samples to you and give you an instant quote. You can also meet our carpet fitters in Chorley, or call us on 01257 228 582.
Book a Free Home Measure
We bring samples to your home, measure every room and give you an instant quote.
