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How much does carpet cleaning cost in Raleigh?

By Our research team · Last verified · Methodology

Updated November 2026Independently researched11 min read
Carpet cleaning cost

Carpet cleaning costs in Raleigh

Raleigh, NCChange location
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Normal range for Raleigh, NC
$130–$310per job

Most Raleigh carpet cleanings cost $130–$310 for three average rooms and a hallway, steam cleaned. $200 is typical, and one room on its own usually costs $100–$180 because of the minimum charge.

How we get this data
Typical
$200
Low end
$90
High end
$480
3 rooms plus a hallway
$130–$310
Per room (3+ rooms)
$40–$90
Whole 5-room house
$200–$460
Three-seat sofa
$100–$280

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Typical carpet cleaning price: Raleigh vs nearby citiesTypical price, per job. The line marks the US typical.
Raleigh, NCThis guide $200
Durham, NC $190

The typical Raleigh price is $200, in line with the US typical of $200.

Where Raleigh sits among 195 US metrosNumber of metros at each typical carpet cleaning price, per job.

Raleigh's price band

Raleigh is pricier than 68% of the 195 US metros we price for carpet cleaning work.

Carpet cleaning in Raleigh costs $130–$310 for three rooms and a hallway, typically $200. Some companies price by area instead, at about $0.20–$0.51 a square foot. A 5-room house runs $200–$460 and a large 7–8 room home $300–$710.

Thumbtack's April 2026 data puts most Raleigh carpet cleaning jobs at $159–$304, with $100 for a small, simple job and $453 for badly stained carpet in a large home.

Pick a company that uses hot water extraction with equipment on the Carpet and Rug Institute's Seal of Approval list: Mohawk's and Shaw's warranties both call for it. Tell each Raleigh company the rooms, stairs and any pet spots up front, so every quote prices the same job.

Comparing cities, or after the US-wide picture? See the national guide: Carpet cleaning cost in the USA.

Quick answer

$130–$310 to clean three rooms and a hallway in Raleigh, with $200 typical. Steam cleaning runs $40–$90 a room once you book three or more, a full staircase $40–$80, and a three-seat sofa $100–$280. Verified November 2026. Get free Raleigh quotes →

  • 3 rooms plus a hallway: $130–$310 ($200 typical)
  • Steam cleaning $40–$90 a room for 3+ rooms; one room alone $100–$180
  • Whole 5-room house $200–$460; full staircase $40–$80
  • Pet urine treatment $20–$75 a room; deep extraction $75–$280 an area
  • Three-seat sofa $100–$280; 8 × 10 synthetic rug $80–$200

Prices verified November 2026 · Cross-referenced against 73+ American pricing sources · See methodology

Detailed pricing — Carpet cleaning cost in Raleigh 2026

Labor, travel and normal pre-treatment included unless the row says otherwise. Raleigh metro, re-verified November 2026. A "room" is up to about 200–300 sq ft.

ServiceLowTypicalHigh
Carpet cleaning, 3 rooms plus a hallway (hot water extraction)per job$130per job$200$310
One room only (most companies' minimum charge)per job$100per job$130$180
Hot water extraction (steam), per room, 3 or more roomsper room$40per room$55$90
Low-moisture (dry) cleaning, per room, 3 or more roomsper room$60per room$95$150
Priced by area instead of by roomper sq ft$0.20per sq ft$0.30$0.51
Whole home, 5 rooms plus a hallway (typical 3-bedroom house)per job$200per job$280$460
Large home, 7–8 roomsper job$300per job$430$710
Extra hallway, landing or walk-in closeteach$15each$25$40
Carpeted stairs, per stepper step$2per step$4$7
Full staircase with a landingper staircase$40per staircase$55$80
Spot stain treatmentper stain$25per stain$45$100
Pet urine and odor treatment (enzyme), per roomper room$20per room$40$75
Deep pet urine extraction (urine soaked into the pad)per area$75per area$150$280
Deodorizerper room$15per room$20$40
Carpet protector (Scotchgard-type)per room$10per room$25$50
Moving heavy furnitureper room$10per room$25$75
Move-out carpet cleaning, 2-bedroom apartmentper job$180per job$280$480
Sofa, 3 seats (upholstery cleaning)per piece$100per piece$160$280
Armchair or reclinerper piece$40per piece$65$100
Sectional sofa, about 5 seatsper piece$150per piece$250$460
Area rug, synthetic, about 8 × 10 ft, cleaned in your homeper rug$80per rug$120$200
Wool or Oriental rug, washed at the cleaner's plantper sq ft$3per sq ft$5$8
Wet carpet: water extraction and dryingper job$460per job$1,250$2,000
Do-it-yourself machine rental, 24 hours, plus solutionper day$40per day$60$130
carpet cleaning jobs in Raleigh: what they costPer job, low to high with the typical price marked. Every line is in the table above.
Wet carpet: water extraction and drying $1,250$460–$2,000
Large home, 7–8 rooms $430$300–$710
Whole home, 5 rooms plus a hallway (typical 3-bedroom house) $280$200–$460
Move-out carpet cleaning, 2-bedroom apartment $280$180–$480
Carpet cleaning, 3 rooms plus a hallway (hot water extraction) $200$130–$310
One room only (most companies' minimum charge) $130$100–$180
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Prices verified November 2026 · Cross-referenced against 73+ American pricing sources · See methodology

Figures cover the Raleigh metro area. Expect the top of each range for heavy soil, pets and big rooms, and the bottom for light soil and specials.

How carpet cleaning costs vary across Raleigh

Carpet cleaning prices across Raleigh

Where you live changes the job more than the price per room. Downtown & Glenwood South means apartments, parking and elevators; areas like North Raleigh mean bigger homes, more rooms and more stairs.

Carpet cleaning prices across RaleighTypical range by part of the metro, per job. The line marks the Raleigh typical.
Downtown & Glenwood SouthTop of the city range; parking and high-rise fees $150–$320per job
Southeast RaleighClose to or a little above typical $140–$300per job
North RaleighClose to typical per job; bigger homes $130–$300per job
Cary & ApexClose to typical per job; bigger homes $130–$300per job

Downtown & Glenwood South

Top of the city range; parking and high-rise fees
Downtown, Glenwood South, Warehouse District
Per job
$150–$320 per job
Typical job
$100–$340 / 3-seat sofa cleaned

The top of the city range. Paid parking and long hose runs up to higher floors slow the crew down, and some truck-mounted machines can't reach, so a portable unit gets used instead.

Southeast Raleigh

Close to or a little above typical
Southeast Raleigh, Garner, Knightdale
Per job
$140–$300 per job
Typical job
$95–$310 / 3-seat sofa cleaned

Expect quotes near the city typical. If you're moving out, book ahead for the end of the month.

North Raleigh

Close to typical per job; bigger homes
North Hills, Brier Creek, Wake Forest
Per job
$130–$300 per job
Typical job
$85–$280 / 3-seat sofa cleaned

Per-job prices sit close to the city typical, but homes are bigger, so whole-home bills run higher. Stairs and a family room or basement are the usual extras.

Cary & Apex

Close to typical per job; bigger homes
Cary, Apex, Morrisville
Per job
$130–$300 per job
Typical job
$85–$280 / 3-seat sofa cleaned

Homes with kids and pets often need pet urine treatment or protector. Get each one priced separately.

What you'll actually pay — job by job

Real-world carpet cleaning costs in Raleigh

Here's what common carpet cleaning jobs cost in Raleigh in 2026, labor, travel and normal pre-treatment included.

Three rooms and a hallway, steam cleaned

$130–$310

The most common job: two bedrooms and a living room, or a living room, dining room and one bedroom, plus the hall. Expect $200 typical. Ask if normal traffic-lane pre-treatment is included; it should be.

Moving out of a 2-bedroom apartment

$180–$480

A move-out clean of a 2-bedroom apartment runs $180–$480. With two stubborn stains on top ($25–$100 each) the bill is about $230–$680. Keep the receipt for your landlord.

Family home: 5 rooms, stairs and protector

$290–$790

Five rooms and a hallway ($200–$460), a full staircase ($40–$80) and protector in all five rooms ($10–$50 a room) add up to about $290–$790.

Pet accidents in two rooms

$250–$740

Three rooms and a hallway ($130–$310), enzyme treatment in two of them ($20–$75 a room) and one deep extraction where urine reached the pad ($75–$280) come to about $250–$740.

Sofa and a rug, no carpet

$180–$480

A three-seat sofa ($100–$280) plus an 8 × 10 synthetic rug cleaned in your home ($80–$200) is about $180–$480. Wool and Oriental rugs go to the plant at $3–$8 a square foot.

How much does carpet cleaning cost in Raleigh?

$130–$310 for three rooms and a hallway, and $200 is what most Raleigh homeowners pay. A 5-room house runs $200–$460, and a large 7–8 room home $300–$710. One room alone is $100–$180, because of the minimum charge.

Extras are where bills grow. A full staircase adds $40–$80, each stain $25–$100, pet urine treatment $20–$75 a room, and protector $10–$50 a room. Prices re-checked against 73 sources in November 2026.

Carpet cleaning prices in Raleigh (2026) by job

Three rooms and a hallway run $130–$310, a 5-room house $200–$460, and a single room $100–$180.

Line on the quoteLowTypicalHigh
One room only (minimum charge)$100$130$180
3 rooms plus a hallway$130$200$310
5 rooms plus a hallway$200$280$460
Large home, 7–8 rooms$300$430$710
Full staircase with a landing$40$55$80
Move-out clean, 2-bedroom apartment$180$280$480
Three-seat sofa$100$160$280
Area rug, 8 × 10 synthetic, in your home$80$120$200

The minimum charge sets the floor: one room costs $130 typical, but three rooms and a hallway only $200. Book the rooms you'll need this year in one visit.

What moves a carpet cleaning quote in Raleigh:

  • How many rooms: one room hits the $100–$180 minimum; a 5-room house runs $200–$460.
  • How a room is counted: most companies count a room as up to about 200–300 sq ft. Big or L-shaped rooms can count as two.
  • Stairs: about $2–$7 a step, or $40–$80 for a full staircase.
  • Pets and stains: enzyme treatment runs $20–$75 a room; urine in the pad needs deep extraction at $75–$280 an area.
  • Method: steam (hot water extraction) runs $40–$90 a room; low-moisture (dry) cleaning $60–$150.

Ask every Raleigh company the same four things: how they count a room, what the minimum is, what the extras cost (stairs, pets, protector, furniture), and whether there's a trip or service fee. Compare the total, not the per-room headline. Get a quote for your carpet job →

Carpet cleaning cost in Raleigh by home size

Quick answer

One room costs about $100–$180, three rooms and a hallway $130–$310, a 5-room house $200–$460, and a large 7–8 room home $300–$710 in Raleigh.

Worked example: a 3-bedroom house with a living room, a family room, a hallway and one carpeted staircase with a landing. That's five rooms and a hall ($280 typical) plus the stairs ($55), about $335 in all. Protector in every room adds $125.

Set-up, travel and the minimum cost the same for any job, which is why one room costs $130 and five rooms only $280. Each extra room adds only about $40 once you pass three.

Raleigh carpet cleaning jobs compared

Job typeCostBest for
One room only (minimum charge)$100–$180 per jobA single spill or one high-traffic room
3 rooms plus a hallway (steam)$130–$310 per jobThe most common job; the deep clean carpet makers ask for
Whole home, 5 rooms plus a hallway$200–$460 per jobA yearly clean of a typical 3-bedroom house
Move-out clean, 2-bedroom apartment$180–$480 per jobRenters who need a receipt for the landlord
Low-moisture (dry) cleaning$60–$150 per roomRooms you need back fast; some wool and delicate carpet
Pet urine deep extraction$75–$280 per areaUrine that has soaked into the pad
Upholstery: three-seat sofa$100–$280 per pieceSofas whose tag says W (water) or S (solvent) cleaning
Wool or Oriental rug at the plant$3–$8 per sq ftWool, silk and hand-knotted rugs
Cost by job type in RaleighTypical range, per job.
One room only (minimum charge) $100–$180per job
3 rooms plus a hallway (steam) $130–$310per job
Whole home, 5 rooms plus a hallway $200–$460per job
Move-out clean, 2-bedroom apartment $180–$480per job
Raleigh tip: ask how big a "room" is before you compare quotes. A room priced at $55 that only covers 150 sq ft can cost more than one priced at $90 that covers 300.

Per-room price vs the full bill in Raleigh

A $55-a-room ad sounds simple: three rooms at that rate plus $25 for a hallway is $190, about the typical Raleigh bill of $200 for that job. The catch is the extras. Add protector in all three rooms ($25 each) and the typical bill is about $280.

Some companies price by area instead: $0.20–$0.51 a square foot. Three average rooms and a hallway are about 650 sq ft, or $130–$330 by area. Per-area pricing is usually the better deal for small rooms; per-room pricing for big ones.

What's included in a Raleigh carpet cleaning quote (and what costs extra)

A standard quote usually covers a walk-through, pre-treating traffic lanes, hot water extraction of the rooms you book and normal spot work. It usually leaves out:

  • Stairs, extra halls and closets: $40–$80 a staircase, $15–$40 for each extra hall or closet
  • Pet urine treatment: $20–$75 a room, or $75–$280 an area for deep extraction
  • Protector and deodorizer: $10–$50 and $15–$40 a room
  • Moving heavy furniture: $10–$75 a room, unless you clear it first

Ask whether there's a service or trip fee, and get the re-clean guarantee in writing in case spots come back.

What affects carpet cleaning costs in Raleigh

Number and size of rooms

Most companies count a room as up to about 200–300 sq ft. One room costs $100–$180 because of the minimum; three rooms and a hallway $130–$310; a 5-room house $200–$460.

Cleaning method

Hot water extraction (often called steam cleaning) runs $40–$90 a room and is the method carpet makers like Mohawk and Shaw ask for. Low-moisture (dry) cleaning runs $60–$150 a room and dries faster.

How dirty the carpet is

Light soil is a standard clean. Heavy traffic lanes, spills and stains need extra pre-treatment: about $25–$100 a stain.

Pets

Enzyme treatment for pet urine runs $20–$75 a room. If urine has soaked into the pad, deep extraction costs $75–$280 an area, and badly soaked pad may need replacing.

Stairs, halls and furniture

Stairs run about $2–$7 a step, extra halls and closets $15–$40 each, and moving heavy furniture $10–$75 a room if you don't clear it first.

Carpet type

Nylon and other synthetic carpets usually cost the least to clean. Wool, cotton and other natural fibers often cost about 30% more.

Local labor

Raleigh-area cleaning workers earn a median of about $16.82 an hour (BLS, May 2025), against $17.71 nationally. Our estimate also allows for the size of the metro, not just pay: the typical Raleigh three-room job is $200, close to the $200 national typical.

How to save money on carpet cleaning in Raleigh
  1. Book enough rooms to clear the minimum.One room costs $100–$180; three rooms and a hallway only $130–$310. Put off a single room until you can add more.
  2. Move small furniture yourself.Clearing chairs, toys and small tables before the crew arrives can save $10–$75 a room in furniture moving.
  3. Ask for the whole-home price.Five rooms and a hallway run $200–$460, which is less per room than booking three now and two later.
  4. Watch for bait specials.A very low per-room price often comes with high charges for stairs, pre-treatment or protector. Ask for the full price in writing before the crew starts.
  5. Clean on a schedule, not in a crisis.A professional clean every 12 to 18 months meets Mohawk's warranty rule and Shaw's advice. A $200 clean is far cheaper than new carpet.
  6. Blot spills right away.Fresh spills come out with water and a clean towel. Old, set-in stains need pro treatment at $25–$100 each, and some never fully come out.
Carpet cleaning cost in Raleigh: what the quote should include

Get these in writing from any Raleigh carpet cleaner before the crew starts:

  • How they count a room, and the size limit for one room
  • The method (hot water extraction or low-moisture) and the machine (truck-mounted or portable)
  • Pre-treatment of traffic lanes and normal spots
  • Prices for stairs, halls, closets and moving furniture
  • Prices for pet urine treatment, deodorizer and protector, room by room
  • Any minimum charge, service fee or trip fee
  • Expected drying time, and whether they leave fans
  • The re-clean guarantee if spots come back
Frequently asked questions — Carpet cleaning cost in Raleigh
How much does carpet cleaning cost in Raleigh?

$130–$310 for three rooms and a hallway, with $200 typical. A 5-room house runs $200–$460, and one room on its own $100–$180 because of the minimum charge.

How much is carpet cleaning per room in Raleigh?

$40–$90 a room for steam cleaning once you book three or more rooms. Below that, most companies charge a minimum of about $100–$180.

How much does it cost to clean carpeted stairs in Raleigh?

About $2–$7 a step, or $40–$80 for a full staircase with a landing.

What does pet urine removal cost in Raleigh?

$20–$75 a room for an enzyme treatment. If the urine has soaked into the pad, deep extraction costs $75–$280 an area.

How much does it cost to clean a sofa in Raleigh?

$100–$280 for a three-seat sofa, $40–$100 for an armchair, and $150–$460 for a sectional.

Is steam or dry carpet cleaning cheaper in Raleigh?

Steam (hot water extraction) usually is: $40–$90 a room against $60–$150 for low-moisture cleaning. Dry cleaning costs more but the room is usable sooner.

How much is a move-out carpet clean in Raleigh?

$180–$480 for a 2-bedroom apartment. Stains add $25–$100 each. Keep the receipt for your landlord.

How often should carpet be professionally cleaned?

Every 12 to 18 months for most homes. Shaw advises that schedule, and Mohawk's warranty asks for a professional clean at least every 18 months. Homes with pets or small kids often clean every 6 to 12 months.

Is it cheaper to rent a carpet cleaner in Raleigh?

Yes, up front: a rental machine and solution cost about $40–$130 for a day. But rental machines pull out less water and dirt, and carpet left too wet can smell or grow mold.

How long does carpet take to dry after cleaning?

Usually about 6 to 10 hours after hot water extraction, and up to a day in humid weather. Low-moisture cleaning dries faster. Fans and open windows help.

Prices verified November 2026 · Cross-referenced against 73+ American pricing sources · See methodology

Prices for the Raleigh metro area, November 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.

Our methodology
These are independent estimates from national cost guides, franchise and local price lists, Thumbtack city data and BLS wage data. No company can pay to change them, so always get two or three quotes and ask how they count a room. Last reviewed November 2026. Read our full methodology →

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