Flooring installation cost by type and size
Estimates from this calculator's default prices with quarter round trim, one transition per room, a flat subfloor and no tear-out. Change the defaults above, especially the flooring price per sq ft, to match what you're buying.
| Flooring | Per sq ft installed | 150 sq ft room | 500 sq ft (2 rooms) | 1,000 sq ft (4 rooms) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate | $7.38 | $940–$1,410 | $2,950–$4,450 | $5,900–$8,850 |
| Vinyl plank (LVP) | $7.68 | $970–$1,460 | $3,050–$4,600 | $6,150–$9,200 |
| Engineered hardwood | $10.93 | $1,350–$2,050 | $4,350–$6,550 | $8,750–$13,100 |
| Solid hardwood, prefinished | $12.11 | $1,500–$2,250 | $4,850–$7,250 | $9,700–$14,550 |
The per sq ft column is the middle of the estimate for 500 and 1,000 sq ft. Single rooms cost a little more per sq ft because trim and transitions are spread over less floor.
Laminate flooring installation cost
For 500 sq ft of mid-grade laminate at $2.50 per sq ft, the estimate is about $2,950–$4,450, or $5.90–$8.90 per sq ft. The laminate itself is $1,375 of that, with 10% waste; foam underlayment is $150. Installation labor works out to about $3.25 per sq ft including trim and transitions. Tearing out old carpet first raises the total to about $3,550–$5,350.
Vinyl plank (LVP) installation cost
Most vinyl plank has an attached pad, so there's no separate underlayment. At $3 per sq ft, 500 sq ft comes to about $3,050–$4,600, or $6.10–$9.20 per sq ft. Click-lock LVP goes down at the same rate as laminate here, about 0.03 worker hours per sq ft.
The old floor matters as much as the new one. Removing carpet takes the same LVP job to about $3,700–$5,500, and removing ceramic tile to about $4,950–$7,450. Leveling the whole subfloor brings it to about $4,400–$6,550.
Hardwood flooring installation cost
Engineered hardwood at $4.50 per sq ft comes to about $4,350–$6,550 for 500 sq ft, with labor about $4.10 per sq ft. Prefinished solid hardwood at $5 is about $4,850–$7,250, with labor about $4.95 per sq ft because nailing down solid boards is slower. Unfinished hardwood that's sanded and finished on site costs more and isn't modeled here.
What changes the price
- The flooring you pick: material is often half or more of the total. Change the price per sq ft to the product you're looking at.
- Tear-out: carpet comes up quickly; tile is slow, heavy and dusty.
- Subfloor: click floors need a flat base. Low spots get leveling compound; damaged subfloor needs new plywood.
- Trim: new baseboard instead of quarter round adds material and time. Painting it is extra.
- Layout: stairs, closets, many doorways and herringbone or diagonal patterns take longer and waste more.
- Moving furniture and appliances: some installers charge for it.
How this estimate works
Material prices and labor rates come from our flooring calculator: laminate $2.50 per sq ft, LVP $3, engineered $4.50 and solid hardwood $5, each with 10% waste. Laminate and LVP are set for mid-grade products, a little above the calculator's defaults. Labor is 0.03 worker hours per sq ft for laminate and LVP, 0.04 for engineered and 0.05 for solid hardwood. Underlayment is $0.30 per sq ft for laminate, $0.35 for engineered and $0.075 for felt under hardwood.
Rooms are assumed square. Trim runs around each room less 3 ft per doorway, plus 10%, at $8 per 8 ft piece of quarter round ($12 for baseboard) and 0.03 hours per foot. Each room gets a $30 transition taking 15 minutes. Tear-out is 0.012 hours per sq ft for carpet, 0.025 for wood or vinyl and 0.05 for tile, plus $250 to haul it away. Leveling uses $0.60 of compound and 0.03 hours per sq ft treated. Labor is billed at $85 per worker hour, including the installer's overhead and profit, and the markup on materials is 20%. The range is the result minus 20% to plus 20%. Change any of these above.
For comparison, Homewyse lists $6.91–$11.81 per sq ft to install laminate flooring (May 2026 figures, accessed November 2026); with these defaults, 500 sq ft of laminate comes to about $7.38 per sq ft.
Getting quotes
Ask each installer to quote the same product, the same square footage with waste, tear-out and disposal, subfloor prep, trim and transitions. Some stores advertise low install prices and add these as extras.
Questions
How much does flooring installation cost per square foot?
With this calculator's typical defaults and materials included, about $7.38 per sq ft for laminate, $7.68 for vinyl plank, $10.93 for engineered hardwood and $12.11 for prefinished solid hardwood.
How much does it cost to install vinyl plank flooring in 500 sq ft?
About $3,050–$4,600 with these defaults, including $3 per sq ft LVP, trim and transitions. Removing old carpet first raises it to about $3,700–$5,500.
What does laminate installation labor cost?
In this estimate, labor for laminate works out to about $3.25 per sq ft, including quarter round and transitions, at $85 per worker hour billed.
Is it cheaper to install laminate yourself?
Yes. For 500 sq ft, materials are about $1,721 in this estimate against $2,950–$4,450 hired. Click-lock laminate and LVP are among the easier floors to install yourself.