Head to head
| Carpet (mid-grade, with pad) | LVP / vinyl plank | |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost, Amarillo | $3.58–$5.59 / sq ft | $2.50–$4 / sq ft |
| 150 sq ft bedroom | $537–$839 | $375–$600 |
| Over an Amarillo slab | Moisture test, moisture-resistant pad; traps vapor | Moisture test, flat slab; waterproof plank |
| Warmth underfoot | Warmest floor in the house | Cool on a slab in winter; rugs fix it |
| Sound | Quietest | Quiet for a hard floor, especially with attached pad |
| Allergens & dust | Holds dust and Panhandle grit; needs regular deep cleaning | Wipes clean |
| Pets | Stains and odors soak into pad | Accidents wipe up; claws can scratch softer wear layers |
| Lifespan | 5–15 years | 10–20 years |
| Resale | Neutral in bedrooms, negative in living areas | Neutral to positive |
| Slab leak recovery | Usually a total loss (carpet and pad) | Often dries out and survives |
The cost overlap, in Amarillo dollars
A 150 sq ft bedroom runs $537–$839 in mid-grade carpet with pad and $375–$600 in LVP, before removing what is there now. Carpet's range is wider in practice than the ledger shows: the cheapest polyester with a 6-lb pad is well under it, a good nylon with a moisture-barrier pad is over it. If the two bids come back close, the decision is about the room, not the money.
The slab question: what carpet does to moisture
Most Amarillo homes sit on a slab-on-ground foundation (the City of Amarillo's Panhandle Residential Foundation Manual says as much for Texas generally). Slab moisture comes from the soil, not the air, so Amarillo's dry climate doesn't settle the question. Carpet and pad are the floor covering most likely to trap that moisture: vapor moves up through the concrete, meets the pad, and stays. The results are familiar — a musty smell in one bedroom, a pad that has gone crumbly on the underside, dark staining on the slab under the tack strips at tear-out. LVP lets a slab within its moisture limit alone, and a slab leak under LVP is usually a dry-out rather than a replacement.
- Have the slab moisture-tested before either floor goes down (ASTM F2170 or F1869; the pad or plank manufacturer's limit governs).
- If carpet: specify a moisture-resistant pad — film-backed rebond or a synthetic pad — not the cheapest rebond.
- If the room has ever had a slab leak or a musty smell, LVP is the safer floor regardless of how the test reads today.
The slab foundation guide explains the tests and their typical limits by material.
Bedrooms vs. everything else
| Room | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Bedrooms | Carpet | Warmth and quiet where nobody spills; LVP if pets, allergies, or a damp slab |
| Living / family room | LVP | Traffic, spills, resale — carpet in living areas reads dated to buyers |
| Hallway & stairs | Depends | Carpet is safer and quieter on stairs; LVP on hallways where grit arrives |
| Kitchen / bath / laundry | LVP | Never carpet |
| Home office / playroom | LVP with a rug | Rolling chairs and toys; a rug adds the softness back |
| Rental property | LVP | Survives tenants; carpet is replaced every turnover |
Getting them quoted fairly
Ask for the pad grade named on the carpet bid, the moisture test on both, and old-carpet removal and tack-strip handling as separate lines. Texas has no state flooring license and the City of Amarillo issues no contractor ID numbers — check general liability insurance and Better Business Bureau standing, and involve the City of Amarillo — Building Safety Division (806-378-3041) only if the tear-out exposes slab damage. Details on each figure: the carpet and LVP cost pages; removal on the carpet removal page.
Methodology
Amarillo-specific per-square-foot ranges (hardwood installation and refinishing, LVP/vinyl, laminate, carpet, tile) are compiled from a September 2026 Amarillo-market pull; the refinishing figure comes from a dozen Amarillo quotes (AMA-004). Where no Amarillo-specific figure exists — the slab vapor barrier (a Texas statewide figure), the top of the tile range, and old-flooring removal (labeled national proxies) — the range is labeled by scope rather than filled with an invented local number. Ranges are materials + labor for a typical installation and do not include subfloor repair, furniture moving, or old-flooring removal/disposal unless stated. Rechecked quarterly.
Verified 2026-09-05. Room totals multiply the ledger's per-square-foot range by 150 sq ft and are rounded; removal and slab prep are extra. Texas does not require a state contractor license for flooring installation, refinishing, or repair — it is not a TDLR-regulated trade (TX-002). That puts more of the vetting burden on you: ask any company for proof of general liability insurance, check their standing with the Better Business Bureau, and — for work that touches the subfloor or slab — confirm whether the job needs a City of Amarillo permit before work starts. The City of Amarillo does not issue contractor ID numbers, so a company citing a "city license number" for flooring work is a vetting red flag, not a credential (AMA-001). Verify permit requirements yourself with the City of Amarillo Building Safety Division at 806-378-3041.