Carpet cleaning cost

These are averages from UK cost guides. Prices differ from firm to firm, so treat them as a guide and ask for a fixed price.

Source: Bark, carpet cleaning cost guide, last updated 8 October 2026, checked 23 October 2026. Bark’s figures exclude VAT.

Outside London and the South East, Fantastic Services’ 2026 UK price guide gives £25 to £40 for a room, £100 to £250 for a whole two or three bed home and £1.50 to £4 per square metre. It shows no update date and was checked on 23 October 2026. Its minimum charge is £50 to £70. Bark puts the typical minimum at about £70 outside London and £85 in London.

Checkatrade’s Manchester carpet cleaning page shows an average of £118, with a typical range of £89 to £160 (checked 23 October 2026).

Bark puts a three-bed house in the Midlands and North at about £240, slightly under its national average of £250 (checked 23 October 2026).

For a single firm’s prices, Fantastic Services publishes its Manchester starting prices, before its membership discount (checked 23 October 2026):

Its minimum charge for non-members is £68.

These are our starting prices for standard sizes. We confirm a fixed price before we start. The minimum charge is £60.

See our carpet cleaning service, carpet cleaning in Manchester, or the full price list.

The figures below are from Bark’s guide (excluding VAT) unless the line says otherwise.

• Size. Firms price by the room or by the square metre. Fantastic Services gives £1.50 to £4 per square metre outside London and the South East.
• Condition. Heavy soiling adds £10 to £20 a room.
• Fibre. A 100% wool carpet adds around 15%.
• Method. For a small room, foam encapsulation averages £33, dry compound cleaning £35 and hot water extraction £43. For a three-bed house the figures are £230, £250 and £260.
• Moving furniture. Adds around £28 on average.
• Stairs and rugs. Fantastic Services prices these separately: £25 to £45 for stairs and landing, and £20 to £40 for a small or medium rug, outside London and the South East.
• Where you live. Fantastic Services says London and the South East run roughly 20 to 30% above the rest of the UK. Bark puts London about 15% above its national average.

A low headline price can grow once extras are added. Bark’s average prices for add-ons, excluding VAT (checked 23 October 2026):

Three more to ask about: the minimum charge, any charge for moving furniture, and VAT. Bark’s figures exclude VAT, which is 20% on most services, so a VAT-registered firm can invoice more than a guide price suggests. Fantastic Services says its figures include VAT where applicable. Ask for the total in writing, with VAT and every extra included.

Rug Doctor machines hire from £27.99 for 24 hours and from £32.99 for 48 hours (checked 23 October 2026). Cleaning solution is bought separately.

For one or two rooms, hiring costs less than a professional visit, whose minimum charge is £50 to £70 at Fantastic Services. You move the furniture, carry the machine, fill and empty the tanks and rinse the carpet yourself. Soap left in the carpet attracts dirt back, so a poorly rinsed carpet can look dirty again sooner.

A professional brings stronger equipment, treats stains before the clean and moves the furniture.