How Much Does Flooring Installation Cost?

Flooring installation costs are typically based on materials, labor, and square footage of the room. You can expect to pay from $1,000 to $10,000, or $2 to $20 per square foot. Nationally, the average cost for flooring installation is $7 per square foot, which comes out to $3,500 to replace the flooring in a 500 square foot room. 
 
Prices will vary based on the following factors: 

• Labor costs in your area
• Size of the room
• Difficulty of installing the new flooring
• The flooring type and material
• Flooring removal or subflooring costs

Below we have detailed the costs you can expect when searching for a local contractor to install new flooring in your home. 

Average Flooring Installation Cost by Material 

The cost of flooring installation varies depending on the type of flooring you choose. Affordable flooring materials include vinyl, pine hardwood, and carpet. Other types of hardwood, such as walnut or mahogany, are not as cost effective. You can also pay more for the same, higher quality materials from one brand than another. 
 
Below we’ve compiled the prices by square foot for common flooring materials, not including additional labor costs: 

• Hardwood: $6-$20
• Carpet: $1-$6
• Tile: $3-$20
• Laminate: $2.70-$11
• Vinyl: $2-$3
• Linoleum: $2-$6.50
• Bamboo: $5-$15
• Cork: $5-$12
• Concrete: $3-$8
• Engineered Hardwood: $4-16 

Labor Costs for Flooring Installation 

In addition to the cost of flooring materials, you will also have to pay for labor costs. This will usually cost between $0.60 and $4 per square foot, but prices will vary based on the type of flooring and the difficulty of installing it. An intricate tile floor will cost more than vinyl plank flooring for the same square footage because the vinyl flooring is easier to install. 
 
Real hardwood and tile floors can rack up your flooring installation costs as they are the most difficult, and take the longest amount of time, to install. Materials such as vinyl, laminate, engineered hardwood, and carpet take less time and labor, making them more budget-friendly materials to install. 

Other Cost Considerations for Flooring Installation 

Before your new floors can be installed, contractors will need to remove your current flooring. This process involves removing baseboards, flooring materials, glue, and underlayment as well as disposing of these materials. Some contractors will provide this service for free while others will charge a fee. 
 
If the contractor charges for this service, you can expect to pay $1-$3.50 per square foot, depending on the contractor, where you are located, and how the previous flooring was installed. 
 
For example, tile floor removal can cost as much as $3.50 per square foot, while you could pay $60 per hour to remove a 12x12 carpet that has been stapled down. Carpet that has been glued down will incur higher fees as it is more difficult to remove. These costs do, however, tend to be lower than flooring installation as it takes less time to remove an old floor than to install new flooring. 

Factors Affecting Cost 

Flooring installation costs vary by room size, flooring materials, flooring removal costs, labor, and your location. You will pay more per square foot for complex tile flooring installation than you will for vinyl or laminate. 

Flooring Installation Costs by Brand 

When reviewing the cost of flooring installation from top brands like Empire Today and Express Flooring, know that each brand offers different services and charges depending on difficultly of labor, flooring materials, and square footage of floors. We’ve researched the costs specific to these brands below. 

Express Flooring 

Express Flooring operates in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, and Nevada, offering a variety of flooring options such as tile, laminate, carpet, and hardwood with next-day installation. Costs vary based on the type of flooring and square footage or number of rooms, but average costs per room are around $1,500-$5,000. For instance, carpet installation for one room can cost between $2,000 and $3,000, while replacing carpet in several areas of a home would run more than $10,000. Linoleum flooring in a kitchen could cost $3,000 or more depending on the size of the room. Removing carpet and installing linoleum in one room might cost $2,500 depending on square footage. Express Flooring offers up to a 75% discount for homeowners who need flooring installed in multiple rooms as well as financing with low payments and zero interest for the first year. Customers can also expect a range of free services such as furniture moving, design consultations, and lifetime warranty. 

Explore reviews from real homeowners on Express Flooring's services.

Empire Today 

Empire Today operates in 27 states, offering next-day flooring installations, in-home consultations, and extended service plans. On average, customers can expect to pay $1-$20 per square foot, depending on the type of flooring and labor involved. Empire Today’s price estimates include furniture moving, removal and disposal of old flooring materials, new floor installation with padding or underlayment, thresholds and trim, and cleanup. Laminate installation in a 350 square foot room could cost around $3,500, while carpet removal plus vinyl flooring installation can run you about $7,000 for the same size room. For a 350 square foot room, you might pay $3,500 for laminate installation, while carpet removal and vinyl flooring installation could run you closer to $7,000. Empire Today offers 12- and 48-month financing options as well as a five-year service plan. 

Explore reviews from real homeowners on Empire Today's services.

The Bottom Line 

Flooring installation customers can expect to pay $2-$20 per square foot based on location, flooring type, and labor costs. The flooring costs we have outlined are an estimate based on Best Company team research and brand-specific costs. 
 
Homeowners who need new flooring installed in multiple rooms will pay more because of added square footage and labor, but some flooring contractors give larger discounts to customers who are looking to replace flooring in more than one room. 
 
Look out for perks such as free removal and disposal of old flooring, product protection or warranties, and free in-home consultations with a flooring expert.