How much does it cost to install flooring?
Installed flooring runs roughly $3–$20 per square foot — a wide range, because it depends almost entirely on the material. Carpet and laminate are cheapest, then vinyl, then engineered and solid hardwood, with tile at the top. For a typical 200 sq ft room, most people spend $600–$4,000 all in. Of that, installation labor is about $1.50–$5 per square foot — the part you erase by doing it yourself.
Cost by flooring material
Material is the biggest decision. These are typical installed costs (materials + labor) per square foot:
| Material | Installed / sq ft | 200 sq ft room |
|---|---|---|
| Carpet | $3–$7 | $600–$1,400 |
| Laminate | $3–$8 | $600–$1,600 |
| Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) | $3–$10 | $600–$2,000 |
| Engineered hardwood | $6–$13 | $1,200–$2,600 |
| Solid hardwood | $8–$15+ | $1,600–$3,000 |
| Tile | $7–$20 | $1,400–$4,000 |
Installation labor by room size
If you're buying the material yourself and hiring out only the install, labor alone runs about $1.50–$5.00 per square foot — the low end for floating laminate and click vinyl, the high end for nail-down hardwood and tile:
| Room size | Install labor ($1.50–$5/sq ft) |
|---|---|
| Small room — 120 sq ft | $180–$600 |
| Bedroom — 200 sq ft | $300–$1,000 |
| Living room — 320 sq ft | $480–$1,600 |
| Main floor — 800 sq ft | $1,200–$4,000 |
Estimate your square footage and material first
The flooring calculator turns your room size into square footage, boxes to buy (with a waste allowance), and an editable cost — the starting point for any quote.
Open the Flooring CalculatorWhere the money goes
The flooring itself is only part of the bill. A complete job usually includes:
- The flooring. The biggest line item, and the one set by the material you pick.
- Installation labor. About $1.50–$5 per sq ft, higher for tile and nail-down wood.
- Old floor removal. Tear-out and disposal, often $1–$3 per sq ft — sometimes a separate charge.
- Subfloor prep. Leveling, patching, or new underlayment so the finished floor lies flat and lasts.
- Trim & transitions. Baseboard or quarter-round, plus thresholds between rooms.
What changes the price
- Material grade. A premium laminate can cost more than a budget hardwood — quality tier matters as much as the material type.
- Install method. Floating click-lock floors are cheap to fit; glue- and nail-down floors and tile cost more in labor.
- Subfloor condition. An uneven or damaged subfloor adds leveling and repair before anything goes down.
- Room complexity. Lots of corners, closets, stairs, and diagonal or herringbone layouts slow the work and add waste.
- Removal & region. Hauling away the old floor and local labor rates both move the total.
DIY vs. hiring a pro
Because labor is 30–50% of a finished floor, installing it yourself is a real saving — and some floors make it easy. Laminate and click-lock LVP are the most DIY-friendly: planks snap together over the subfloor with no glue or nails. Carpet, nail-down hardwood, and tile are harder to do well — carpet needs stretching tools, hardwood needs a flooring nailer and careful acclimation, and tile needs a flat substrate, thinset, and grout work. Match the project to your skills, and remember the finish quality depends on the subfloor prep underneath. See our methodology for how we build these ranges.