Carpet Layers (also called Installers) install carpeting and rugs over floors and stairs and sometimes over walls and ceilings.

JOB DUTIES

Carpet Installers may:

Study blueprints of floor sketches to find out the areas to be covered and to determine the amount of material needed  

Move furniture from the area to be carpeted and remove old carpeting where necessary  

Measure, cut, and install tackless strips along the baseboard or wall  

Cut pad to size and install it  

Measure and cut carpeting to fit along wall edges, openings and projections  

Sew or tape sections of carpeting together and seam edges where necessary  

Stretch carpet to align with walls and press carpet in place over tackless strips  

In non-tackless installations, using metal pins or adhesive to fasten carpet or carpet tiles to floor  

Fasten metal treads across door openings to hold carpet in place  

Install carpet on concrete floors  

Click here to view a video on Carpet Installers.

Work aids, tools, equipment, and materials used by a Carpet Installer may include:

OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES

864.381-010  CARPET LAYERS install carpeting over floors and stairs and sometimes over walls and ceilings.  

In addition to these specialties, you may also find it helpful to explore the following Career Exploration Scripts:

WORKING CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Carpet Installers may work alone, in a crew, or with helpers whom they supervise.

Most work is done indoors in buildings that are heated during the winter. They may be exposed to such hazards as dusty air when working with carpets or padding where there is poor ventilation. They must use care to prevent back injuries due to lifting heavy carpet rolls, or knee injuries caused by constant kneeling.

Most Installers work daytime hours, 35 to 40 hours per week. However, they may be required to work evenings or weekends when doing installation in stores or offices. Overtime work may be available or required.

Installers may have to travel out of town for some jobs.

Some Carpet Installers are members of labor unions, such as The Resilient Floor Decorators Union (part of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners). Union members must pay dues.

You Should Prefer:

• Working with your hands  

• Using special tools, processes, or methods in your work  

• Doing routine and organized work  

You Should Be Able To:

• Learn and apply carpeting techniques and principles  

• Make arithmetic calculations  

• See slight differences in shapes, shadings, and color  

• Meet set standards of accuracy  

• Rate information using standards that can be measured  

Math Problem You Should Be Able to Solve:

How many square feet of carpet will you need to carpet a 12' x 14' room?  

Reading Example You Should Be Able to Read and Comprehend:

Blueprint sketches and other job specifications.  

Writing Example You Should Be Able to Produce:

Prepare a written estimate for a client who would like to carpet 3 rooms (12'x14', 10'x10', and 9'x10').  

Thinking Skill You Should Be Able to Demonstrate:

Should be able to demonstrate excellent analytical skills in studying blueprints and work specifications.  

Those who enter this trade through an apprenticeship may have to pass an aptitude test and a physical exam. Workers who drive a truck as part of their duties may need a chauffeur's license.

EDUCATION AND PREPARATION OPPORTUNITIES

NOTE: On-The-Job Training provided by the employer or a High School Diploma or Equivalent or a High School Diploma with specific Vocational Education Classes or an Apprenticeship (usually three to four years of training beyond high school) may qualify a person for this occupation.

The following education and preparation opportunities are helpful in preparing for occupations in the Career Exploration Script:

***SCHOOL SUBJECTS***

0700 CAREERS , 0900 COMMUNICATIONS , 2200 MATH , 3200 TECHNICAL DRAWING , 3300 TECHNOLOGY

***VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS***

032 CONSTRUCTION/BUILDING MAINTENANCE

Approved vocational education programs in the Construction/Building Maintenance prepare students to erect, maintain, and repair buildings, highways, airports, and other structures using materials such as metal wood, stone, brick, glass concrete, and composition substances. Instruction is given in cost estimating, the use of hand and power tools, and in following technical specifications and blueprints. Instruction may be given in classroom, shop, or laboratory settings or at the actual location of construction projects.  

The following courses may be required for completion of this program:

CONSTRUCTION - (ON SITE)  

CONSTRUCTION - (IN SCHOOL)  

FLOOR COVERING  

High school students should consult their guidance office for more information about the specific requirements of this program at their school or area vocational education center.

***POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS***

There are no Postsecondary Programs related to this Career Exploration Script

Search for a College and/or Instructional Program

***APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES***

020 FLOOR LAYER

Many people enter occupations within this Career Exploration Script through an apprenticeship program. An apprenticeship program is a formal program that takes 3 - 5 years to complete with most of the time spent on the job.  

WHAT IS LEARNED ON THE JOB

WHAT IS LEARNED IN THE CLASSROOM

***MILITARY TRAINING PROGRAMS***

There are no Military Programs related to this Career Exploration Script.

E-Learning Courses and Programs

OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENCE AND METHODS OF ENTRY

Persons may gain experience through summer or part-time work as a helper. In addition, secondary vocational education programs in construction trades may offer a co-op portion through which experience may be gained. Carpet Installers may also be trained in an apprenticeship program.

            School-to-Work opportunities include:

informal apprenticeships  

mentorships  

job shadow experiences  

touring a local Carpet Installer employer  

internships  

volunteer work with a Carpet Installer employer  

community service work with an agency  

Common methods of entering this occupation include direct application to employers and completion of an apprenticeship. Assistance in locating a job may be obtained from local unions, high school placement offices, and Michigan Works!. Newspaper want ads may list openings. In addition, you should access and search the Internet's on-line employment services sites such as:

You should also enter an electronic resume on these on-line services.

EARNINGS AND ADVANCEMENT

Wages may be affected by geographic area, union affiliation, employer size, and the individual's experience and skills. Some Carpet Installers are paid according to the amount of carpet installed.

Nationally, in mid 2009,  base hourly wage rates for unionized Carpet Installers working in residential construction averaged about $24.36 per hour. The median weekly earnings of carpet installers in the U.S. were $590 in 2009. The median hourly earnings of "all" workers in the U.S. were $18.48 in 2009. In Michigan, the basic hourly union wage rates, including fringe benefits, for Carpet Installers in the construction industry were (early 2010):

In addition, some unionized Installers may receive a cost-of-living allowance and 1 1/2 or 2 times their basic rate for overtime.

Unionized Carpet Installers generally receive paid vacations and holidays; life, health, disability, and hospitalization insurance; and retirement plans. These benefits are usually paid for, at least in part, by the employer. Unionized employees and employers contribute to union trust funds used to pay for certain benefits.

Fringe benefits of non-unionized Installers vary depending on the employer. Self-employed Carpet Installers must pay the full cost of any fringe benefits they have.

Carpet Installers may advance to become floor covering estimators, salespersons, or supervisors. Those with sufficient business ability and finances may open their own firms.

EMPLOYMENT AND OUTLOOK

Nationally, the employment of Carpet Installers was about 51,00 in 2008. Employment is expected to decline slowly in this occupation through the year 2018.  About 35% of them were self-employed. The industry distribution for Carpet Installers looked like this:

To find employers, click Employer/Business Locator.

Carpeted plywood floors are replacing hardwood floors in many new buildings. Although employment of Carpet Installers is somewhat dependent on the level of construction activity, it is less sensitive to changes in economic conditions than most other construction crafts.

 The best opportunities will exist for those who can install both carpeting and resilient floorings. 

There are approximately 2,100 Carpet Installers employed in Michigan. Most worked in urban areas for construction floor covering contractors, retailers, and for department stores. Employment of Carpet Installers in Michigan is expected to increase more slowly than the average for all occupations through the year 2016. An average of 35 annual openings with 10 due to growth and 20 due to replacement of those who retire or leave the labor force for other reasons is expected during this period. Additional openings will occur as workers transfer to other jobs or occupations.

MICHIGAN'S EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK TO 2016

SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Copyright © 2010 Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth