Need to figure out what our max budget needs to be for new carpet for about 900 sf.
Go look at carpet; they price it by the square foot. See what kind you want. Remember to add in the price of padding and labor. Also, it's better to buy great padding, and lesser quality of carpet if you have to make a choice. The great padding can be kept when you buy carpet the second time. It really extends the life of your carpet, no matter what quality of carpet you buy. And some carpets are better for hiding stains than others. I get beige colored carpet, because it goes with about any color scheme I've come up with.
I've looked into this myself for my house. Check out Home Depot or Lowes, both have installation services. The maximum I saw there was around $4 a square foot installed. It really depends on the type and quality of the carpet. I was looking at some nice carpets that were around $3 a square foot installed. Not to luxurious but not cheap quality either.
I you were to walk into my carpet store you would see that prices fall anywhere between $3sf up to 10$ for most pieces. I would say the average installed price with a good quality pad and lifetime installation warranty would be around $5-$6.
