So you also have some sort of thing for wooden floors or let’s say natural elements, and thus have decided to upgrade your existing flooring with an adorable looking hardwood floor treatment. It is, by all means, really tasteful and aesthetic for you!
Besides the major pondering of How much does Hardwood flooring cost, there are various other dimensions too, that require a reasonable attention of yours. This, fair enough, is to ensure the fact that you pay a fair price for the entire treatment. And most importantly, to have a sound idea of what exactly you’re spending on.
A general hardwood flooring installation project costs around $6 to $12 per square foot
Let’s get down to acknowledging what else matters too, and how to deal with those aspects.
Cost Deciding Factors For Hardwood Flooring
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Since you’re up for having a hardwood flooring installation in your place (s), it’s extremely essential for you to know about which factors combine to sum up the overall project expenses. And the same goes for the need to learn about what roles do these factors play in a successful conduct of the floor treatment within your place.
Before proceeding further, it’s important to know that Hardwood Flooring only comes within two versions and their comprehension will be the starting point of our debate!
The Two Main Types Of Hardwood Flooring
Solid Hardwood Flooring
Solid Hardwood features original wood species, and this purest form of wood can last for decades.
- It’s the truly exotic and expensive treatment, however the instant and everlasting beautification is totally worth the investment
- Besides species, there are multiple quality and thickness levels available and you can also have your hardwood floors refinished for as much as 12 times during their entire lifespan
Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Under the very label of “engineered”, there comes flooring that features multiple layers, i.e. a core layer, a base and the outermost thin covering of real wood.
- There are multiple and vast number of species available within Engineered hardwood flooring
- The possibility of getting engineered hardwood floors is indeterminable because that’s a varying factor depending on the floor’s condition
Solid Vs Engineered Hardwood Pricing Comparison
| Type of Hardwood Flooring | Cost |
| Solid Hardwood Flooring | $8 to $15 per square foot |
| Engineered Hardwood Flooring | $2.5 to $10 per square foot |
Hardwood Flooring Cost According To Square Footage
For sure, the surface area of your working site will decide the money you’ll be paying in order to get it treated. You can easily relate your room coverage requirements with the table given below.
| Surface Area (In square feet) | Hardwood Flooring Cost |
| 100 sq. ft | $300 to $450 |
| 150 sq. ft | $450 to $600 |
| 200 sq. ft | $600 to $900 |
| 300 sq. ft | $900 to $1,125 |
| 500 sq. ft | $2,500 to $5,000 |
| 1,000 sq. ft | $6,115 to $10,140 |
Hardwood Flooring Cost According To The Wood Species
Since we are dealing with wood, segregation based on species is a mandatory aspect. The material cost varies under the type of species and whether it is an exotic/rare one to get.
Acacia
Acacia is a notable eco-conscious species due to various qualities, such as least carbon footprint and fastest growth. There are multiple color options available, ranging from medium-toned ones to the deep colored ones and go amazingly well with many interiors.
The pricing of Acacia Hardwood Flooring ranges between $2.90 and $5.25 for a square foot.
Maple
Maple is quite a famous choice for modern interiors and is a relatively harder choice than other options such as oak or pine. Its medium-density structure features a sleek and well-polished surface texture. The all-natural tones of Maple look fabulous in all large and small spaces.
Maple Hardwood Flooring costs around $6.25 to $10 per square foot.
Red Oak
Red Oak is a beauty staple and gold standard species that comes with a super promising durability. The adorable and consistent grain finish is a popular choice for a vast majority of areas and the cost is really affordable, as well.
Red Oak Hardwood Flooring costs about $3 to $5.75 per square foot.
Pine
Pine is a quite low-cost hardwood flooring choice to consider and the softest one, as well. Due to the very factor of softness, it isn’t a recommended choice for areas with high extents of footfalls as it is prone to scratches and dents. Besides, the refinishing is quite demanding, too.
The cost for Pine Hardwood Flooring ranges between $1.25 and $2.10 per square foot.
Hickory
Hickory is the hardest and most durable wood species, featuring a Janka scale hardness rating of 1820. This way, it undeniably becomes the best choice for all areas with heavy footfall. As for the appearance, hickory wood floors come with an attractive distressed finish.
For a Hickory Hardwood Flooring treatment, you’ll need to pay between $4.15 and $7.15 per square foot.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a quite sustainable wood species due to its higher durability and amazing resistance to termites. There is the least likelihood for Bamboo wood flooring to develop scratches or other types of damages, thus making it a much more favorable choice amongst other options.
The price for Bamboo Hardwood Flooring lies between $4.50 and $6.50 per square foot.
Mahogany
Mahogany is an amazingly elegant choice to flaunt within all the presentable spaces for the best personalized decors. The rich and deep toned reddish-brown color of mahogany seems beyond inviting and there are multiple grain-textured options available, as well.
Mahogany Hardwood Flooring costs somewhere between $6.45 and $7.50 per square foot.
Walnut
Walnut, with its popular versions of Brazilian Walnut and American Walnut, is a highly aesthetic and long-term favorable choice to go for. The adorable grains and richer stains of Walnut are amazingly long-lasting, thus adding to the overall durability factor.
The cost for Walnut Hardwood Flooring ranges from $8.25 all the way to $10.50 per square foot.
Ash
Ash is quite a suitable choice for residential interiors with a Janka scale rating of 1320. This makes Ash hardwood flooring a mid-range and effectively stable choice to consider and the bold-toned grain design perfectly pairs up with all the modern interior decors.
The price for Ash Hardwood Flooring goes from $5.75 to $8.25 per square foot
Hardwood Flooring Cost Regarding Finishes
Finishing is a crucial requirement of Hardwood Floors in order to keep all the moisture, scraping, scratching and scuffing damage at bay.
You can either choose the flooring that has already been finished, and in most cases, the materials include aluminum, acrylic resin or wax. Such floorings are meant to sustain for up to 10 years without the need for finishing again.
However, if you go for an unfinished type of flooring, you’ll need to not just spend on the finishing post the installation, but also such floors require finishing again and again over the course of their lifespans.
These are the main types of finishes for Hardwood Floors
Prefinished
Otherwise known as “Factory Finished Floors”, these floorings are processed with all the essential finishing treatment during their manufacturing and thus any additional procedure isn’t needed on-site. Mostly, it’s the surface finish that is used to sand such floors.
The cost for standard types of prefinished floors is around $3 per square foot and as for the exotic types, the price starts from $10 per square foot
Unfinished
“Unfinished” refers to those hardwood floors that have not been treated prior to the installation. And such floors have to be finished with either a penetrating finish or a surface one, in order to make the flooring damage-free and ready for utilization.
The price for Unfinished Hardwood Floors goes around $2 per square foot to $6 per square foot
Oil Wood
The floors that are treated with oil finish tend to be the most durable and moisture-resistant ones. Several specified finishing oils can be used for this purpose and they are made to rub and sync well into the wood grain, to ensure a perfect and prolonged preservation.
Hardwood floorings requiring oil wood finishing products cost around $3 to $5 per square foot.
Polyurethane Finish
This kind of finishing is done using a Polyurethane resin and comes with a vast versatility to suit multiple types of floors, even the soft ones, too. The application of polyurethane resin increases the durability extent of hardwood flooring, while keeping mold and moisture damage at bay.
Polyurethane finish for hardwood floors costs around $2 to $3 per square foot.
Penetrating Finish
As suggested by the name, a penetrating finish is meant to go deeply into the seal and wood, preserving it for the longest periods of time. However, it’s an important condition to always make use of the penetrating finish if it has been used once and not to switch to other solutions such as a surface finish.
The cost of penetrating floor finish ranges between $10 to $12 per square foot.
Surface Finish
Surface finish is usually a wax and thus isn’t too time-consuming when it comes to application and the same goes for the floor drying time, as well. One drawback of the surface finish is the frequent requirement for reapplications, i.e. it isn’t a sustainable solution.
The cost for Surface finish is usually $5 to $10 per square foot.
Labor Cost For Hardwood Flooring Installation
The labor cost to install hardwood floors, in general, goes around $3 to $6 for a square foot. The labor cost makes up a total of 50% of the entire project cost when you get it done through a professional contractor.
Hardwood Flooring Cost Regarding The Method Of Installation
Let’s take a look at those ways in which you or your hired professionals will be installing the hardwood flooring, as the pricing, too, is meant to vary alongside.
Parquet
Within the Parquet Flooring style, short pieces (planks) of wood are laid together, forming intricate geometric mosaic patterns. This adorable and high-end treatment requires expert-grade proficiency and must only be overtaken by experienced contractors.
Parquet Style Hardwood Flooring installation costs around $11 to $15 per square foot, while including the labor, as well.
Click And Lock
Click and lock is the hardwood flooring installation method that does not require any nails or glue and it’s easy enough to be considered as a convenient DIY project. Besides, it’s highly budget-friendly and suitable for nearly all types of underlayments, too.
The click and lock method of flooring installation costs up to $10 to $14 per square foot, with the addition of fitting labor, too.
Herringbone
Herringbone patterned flooring installation involves hardwood fitting in a zigzag manner and it turns out to be extremely entrancing. Glue as well as nails are used to securely fit hardwood flooring atop the subfloor and the cost is likely to increase only in the case of misconducts.
The cost of Herringbone Style Parquet Flooring installation ranges from $16 to $22 per square foot, with labor cost, too.
Plank
It’s the standard as well as traditional method of hardwood flooring installation, which involves the fitting of wood pieces within various measurements of thickness and lengths. If you go for wide and long planks, you’re likely to pay more and vice versa.
Plank Hardwood flooring installation usually costs around $15 to $20 per square foot while also adding the labor cost.
Hardwood Flooring Cost According To Thickness
The extent of the thickness of your flooring can greatly impact the overall amount you’re about to pay for the treatment, just the way it influences the build quality, functionality and life expectancy.
| Hardwood Flooring Thickness (in inches) | Pricing |
| 3/4 inches | $3 to $6 per square foot |
| 5/16 inches | $2 to $5 per square foot |
| 7/8 inches | $3 to $7 per square foot |
However, according to some experts, it’s the Veneer thickness that matters and not the entire thickness of the floor.
This idea also gets supported by the fact that only a flooring having a thick wear layer will allow you to sand it in the long-term and you can’t possibly go for refinishing, if your chosen floor has way too thin to wear.
So be as generous as possible when it comes to hardwood floor thickness!
Hardwood Flooring Cost Regarding Measurement Dimensions
One general phenomenon experienced with hardwood flooring is the cost increment with that of the requirement of planks. As for the measurements, they fluctuate from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Length
According to the intended look (aesthetics), the planks can either be short or long, to maintain uniformity all along. However, if you’ve a thing for classical floor patterns, you’ll be needing longer planks of about 3 feet.
| Hardwood Plank Length (in feet) | Material Cost (per square foot) |
| 1’ to 2’ | $2 to $5 |
| 3’ to 5’ | $3 to $6 |
| 6’ to 7’ | $3 to $8 |
P.S. Spending on way too big planks is a truly bad idea as this gives rise to a lot of stuff and ultimately money wastage.
Width
2 to 3 inches is the standard plank width when it comes to hardwood flooring measurement. Plank width not only influences the entire project expenses but also the resultant aesthetics of your flooring treatment. Wider planks give off a significantly enhanced uniformity.
| Hardwood Plank Width (in inches) | Material Cost (per square foot) |
| 1’’ | $2 to $4 |
| 2’’ | $3 to $5 |
| 3’’ | $3 to $6 |
| 4’’ | $4 to $6 |
| 5’’ | $4 to $7 |
| 6’’ | $6 to $9 |
P.S. For those of non-standard measurements, plank width causes a huge impact over the entire expenses of the project.
Hardwood Flooring Price In Terms Of Appearance
Since Hardwood floors, of course, are a legit matter of aesthetics, appearance plays a vital role in coming up with a final choice. And it is needless to say that besides the most inviting interior embellishment, hardwood floors do offer a priceless satisfaction!
Colors
- The color or stain of hardwood flooring is an entirely personal choice, and it doesn’t really affect the overall expenses a lot.
- However, you’re meant to come across varying prices as well as distinctive looks of similar color category at different manufacturing brands.
- To put it the other way, a particular stuff (such as a wood species) appears differently at different brands.
- And you get to explore extensive choice catalogs and samples at Big Box retailers and renowned brands.
Styles
- Since its wood floors we are dealing with, there are two main options of the physical styling, i.e. a classical rustic/hand-scraped look and the smoothly finished one.
- Hardwood planks with a rustic or weathered look are meant to be more costly because that vintage beauty requires extraordinary skill. And if you’re obsessed with traditional styling, you’ve got to pay more.
- Smooth hardwood planks are generally inexpensive because that’s more of a modern concept. Still, you can get multiple choices to pick the most suitable one out of.
Cost Of Hardwood Flooring Installation On Stairs
Stairs definitely are trickier than flat floors and this implies the need to spend more, in order to get them treated, beautified and preserved well.
While adding the labor cost, the overall pricing for treating stairs with hardwood ranges from $100 to $200 per step. For a 10 to 12 step flight of stairs, you can anticipate paying around $1,000 to $2,400, on the whole.
Cost Of Refinishing Hardwood Floors
Refinishing hardwood floors is always an effective approach towards increasing both the extent of functionality and life expectancy. Moreover, refinishing also revives the floor’s beauty, thus an affordable alternative to settle for, rather than the entire replacement.
Labor cost makes up the most of the refinishing expenses and while including the materials too, thus to put a figure on, you’ll have to spend around $3 to $8 on a square foot.
Hardwood Flooring Vs Laminate Flooring
Our hardwood flooring debate is certainly incomplete until and unless there are some of the comparisons with the rest of the flooring choices, too. Besides, comparing two counterparts is always a crucial point of buying guides, as it helps a lot in settling for the right choice.
With that said, ahead is a mainstream and precise comparison of Hardwood flooring with Laminate flooring, based on major deciding factors.
| Hardwood Flooring | Laminate Flooring |
| Hardwood is what’s made up entirely of the wood and there are no other materials included except for if it’s the engineered thing | Laminate is somewhat of a hybrid product, featuring a core construction from wood byproducts |
| The durability factor of Hardwood has no endpoint, at all | Laminate comes with a limited durability |
| Hardwood is a demanding product when it comes to installation | Laminate features rather easy and quick installation |
| Hardwood is something you can refinish multiple times during the entire usage | It is technically impossible to refinish Laminate |
| Hardwood Flooring costs around $4 to $12 for a square foot | Laminate Flooring costs around $1 to $3 for a square foot |
Hardwood Flooring Installation
Hardwood Flooring, by all means, is one of the major home decor and upgrade treatments. And while you might mind paying a pretty penny for it in the first place, you’re absolutely going to be really happy with your decision in the long-run, considering all the aesthetic uplifting, practical functional and the most promising sustainability.
Professional Vs DIY; Which One To Go For?
Before even indulging in any prolonged (and unnecessary!) debate, one ultimate verdict statement at this point is to ALWAYS CONSIDER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, whenever you’re about to have a flooring treatment involving hardwood.
- The first and foremost reason for seeking professional help is that there is a lot more to deal with than you can possibly think of. And from a flawless installation all the way to the right conduct of the post-installation procedures, there are major troubles waiting for you, so it’s best to settle for a safer approach.
- The cost of necessary tools/equipment, essential accessories and the highest possibility of misconducts should be enough to restrain you from a DIY attempt, and eventually ending up with mishaps, injuries and wastages. Not to mention the demanding removal of the former flooring, too.
- Still, if you prefer and enjoy DIYs more than the hiring of services, you can always go for that, as well. Engineered wood floors are a quicker and more convenient-to-handle option in this regard.
Let’s have a quick pricing estimate, as well.
| Type Of Flooring | Professional Installation | DIY Installation |
| Solid Hardwood Flooring | Starting from $8 per square foot | Around $12.50 per square foot |
| Engineered Hardwood Flooring | $6.50 to $9 per square foot | Around $13.72 per square foot |
Hardwood Flooring Cost By Brands
These are the best recommendations to purchase Hardwood flooring from
Lowes
Lowes hardwood flooring starts from $3.09 per square foot, with varying prices for both engineered and solid hardwood floors.
Home Depot
The solid hardwood floor material cost from Home Depot starts from $3.80 per square foot with up to $3.50 per square foot for engineered hardwood flooring.
Bruce
The cost of solid hardwood floors from Bruce starts from $5 per square foot and, as for the engineered versions, the price ranges between $4 and $6 per square foot.
Bellawood
The price of Bellawood Hardwood floors ranges from $4.69 per square foot to $12.29 per square foot for solid hardwood. As for the pricing of Engineered hardwood floors, it ranges between $3.99 per square foot to $6.79 per square foot.
Shaw
Shaw hardwood floors cost around $14.69 per square foot for engineered versions and about $14.19 for solid wood types.
Mohawk
Engineered Hardwood flooring from Mohawk starts from $4.59 per square foot and for the solid hardwood types, one standard pricing is $5.79 per square foot.
Kahrs
The cost of Kahrs Hardwood flooring ranges from $4 to $15 for a square foot.
Somerset
One general price range for Somerset Hardwood Flooring is around $4.39 – $8.29 per square foot.
Hardwood Flooring Installation Cost By Brands/Retailers
| Brands/Retailers | Installation Cost |
| Lowes | $3.50 per square foot |
| Home Depot | $4 to $6 per square foot |
| Bruce | $3 to $5 per square foot |
| Bellawood | $3 to $8 per square foot |
| Armstrong | $6 to $10 per square foot |
FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does It Cost To Install 800 Square Feet Of Hardwood Floors?
The pricing for hardwood floor installation starts from $6 per square foot to $11 per square foot, for an initial estimate. For that of the detailed projects and high-end products involved, the overall cost can exceed up to $23 per square foot, with $12 per square foot as a starting price for both installation and materials.
How Much Does It Cost To Remove Carpet And Install Hardwood?
The labor cost for getting carpet removal and hardwood installation sums up to a rate of $4.25 to $9.25 per square foot. As far as the addition of the wood is concerned, the overall cost is likely to increase up to $4 per square foot.
Does Replacing Carpet With Hardwood Increase Value?
Investing in hardwood floors is a guaranteed approach to increasing the value of your property and it’s a significantly more cost-effective choice as compared to carpeting treatment. Moreover, for a rough estimate, you can literally expect up to a good 75% return on the investment with hardwood floors installed in your place.
How Long Does It Take To Install Hardwood Flooring?
In general, hardwood flooring installation is a project requiring around 1 to 3 days, varying in accordance with the on-site situation. If you get to hire a team of 2 persons, you can expect them to lay around 750 sq. ft to 1,000 sq. ft of hardwood flooring over the course of the day.
How Much Does It Cost To Install Engineered Hardwood?
Getting professional engineered hardwood flooring installation services can cost you around $3 to $8 per square foot. However, if you’re settling for a rather easy-to-handle version of Hardwood flooring, such as the click-together one, chances are that you can get done with the entire project yourself without professional assistance.
How Long Does Hardwood Flooring Need To Acclimate?
One thumb rule for hardwood floor acclimation is to let the process take place for 3 days at least, and never begin the usage before this timespan. Acclimation period is necessary in order to sync the moisture content of the wood with its surrounding temperature and humidity, making it settle the right and sustainable way.
Can I Install Hardwood Flooring On Plywood?
Hardwood Flooring can totally be installed atop a Plywood subfloor, as long as it is utterly clean, dry and free from major damages and any fasteners, too. Always go for an above-grade installation of hardwood flooring over plywood, or at least the one that is 3/4 inches higher.
What To Do With Leftover Hardwood Flooring?
There are several ways to upcycle leftover hardwood flooring, instead of disposing it. You can utilize the remnants as super firm bench/counter/table tops. Besides, leftover hardwood flooring makes amazing wall shelves, wall signs and coastal wall arts (the best of DIYs!). Apart from that, you can use it as doormats, wallpapers, ceiling covering and general ornamentation of any sort.
Which Direction To Lay Hardwood Flooring?
Always proceed with the plank fitting in a parallel direction to the longest wall. Continuing going parallel the entire way as long as you don’t face any potential hurdles such as sagging joists. A parallel laid Hardwood flooring looks the most adorable, and the finishing seems ideally well-done, too.
How Much Extra Hardwood Flooring To Buy?
Buying up to 5% extra is the most mainstream approach for hardwood flooring, as it works most of the time. However, in certain other particular cases, you can go as much as around 15% in terms of additional hardwood flooring purchase. This safe-side proves favorable in future when there are fixes and repairs required.
What Is The Recommended Underlayment For Hardwood Flooring?
Foam and cork are the best suitable underlayment materials for both solid and engineered hardwood flooring. Besides, according to several manufacturers, you should only settle for cork as a more preferable option because it prevents wear and tear a lot more than foam underlay.