Hardwood Floor Installation Cost: What You Should Expect?
If you want to install new flooring in your home, the natural elegance of wood and its warmth can have a multitude of effects. Hardwood flooring has class and beauty that causes homeowners to gravitate towards it. While there are modern materials that can feature many of the properties and benefits of wooden flooring, nothing can match the grandiose of wood. It brings a sense of elegance and luxury by enhancing your home’s ambiance. Wood has a versatile style that blends in with all types of décor.
While all the benefits of hardwood floors can seem to be overwhelming, many homeowners think this type of flooring is more expensive than floating or vinyl flooring, and are also worried about the installation cost. So, how much does hardwood floor installation cost? At International Floors, we help you find the answer to this most important question.
Overall Estimated Costs
Around 50% to 75% of the cost of installing hardwood floors will be directed towards the materials, while the rest is spent on prep work and labor.
The biggest price variable is the type of wood you choose. The aesthetic elements of style and color are important, but shouldn’t be the only factors to be considered. Your hardwood floor installation company should also consider your room’s temperature and moisture levels when guiding you in choosing the perfect wood. Hardwood flooring installation usually costs $6 to $12 per square foot (including materials and labor). More expensive jobs can cost up to $25 per square foot (for exotic woods or complex design and installation).
Choice of Wood Type
Popular and widely available wood types can cost $5 or less per square foot. Exotic varieties can cost $20 or more. High-end hardwood varieties can last for generations when taken proper care of.
The most commonly used wood types cost in the following ranges:
- Pine: $4.5 to $10 per sq.ft.
- Bamboo: $5 to $11 per sq.ft.
- Maple: $6.5 to $11 per sq.ft.
- Hickory: $6 to $13 per sq.ft.
- Read Oak: $8 to $13 per sq.ft.
- White Ash: $9 to $13 per sq.ft.
- White Oak: $8 to $15 per sq.ft.
- Brazilian Walnut: $11 to $20 per sq.ft.
The key features of these different wood types are as follows:
- Pine: Light beige to a vivid golden amber and rustic knot patterns.
- Bamboo: Pale yellow to green, highly durable and hard, and sustainable.
- Hickory: Hard density, a wide range of colors to choose from, and perfect for high-foot-traffic areas.
- Red Oak: Reddish color, highly durable, and tight and prominent grain.
- White Ash: Highly durable, pale gray to light tan, and clear grades to visible knots.
- White Oak: Creates unique warm ambiance, highly durable, and tight and exceptionally visible grain.
- Brazilian Walnut: Exceptionally durable and hard and expensive.
Floor Finish & Specialty Design
Hardwood floors finished with single-process stain and coats of polyurethane are quite common and economical. You can also get a custom stain or multi-step finish for your hardwood flooring to create looks of your preference. Custom finish will certainly increase the cost.
If you choose a non-standard shape, width, or pattern, it will also affect the hardwood floor installation cost. Some of the approximate prices of popular specialty designs are as follows:
- Wide Plan: $1.5 to $12 per sq.ft.
- Genuine Parquet: $20 to $45 per sq.ft.
- Herringbone Pattern: $12 per sq.ft.
Subfloor conditions, floor prep work, and customized layout or installation are also important factors affecting hardwood floor installation cost. If there are cases of subfloor water damage, obsolete subfloors, or improper installations, the costs will increase.
Things to Keep in Mind
When installing new hardwood flooring, it is recommended to keep the following points in mind:
- It is possible to enhance the appearance of your existing wooden floors with staining
- Refinishing your hardwood flooring can cost around half the overall value of installing a new floor
- It is recommended to avoid hardwood floors in wet areas such as basements that get flooded
So, keep all these points in mind when considering installing hardwood flooring. To get an estimate on hardwood floor installation cost, feel free to contact International Floors at 514 791-5641 or send us a message.