How Much Will Your New Floor Cost?
Enter room dimensions and material cost per square foot to get a full estimate including materials, labour, and total project cost.
Price material and labor separately — a fixed 'labor = X% of materials' rule hides huge swings between LVP and hardwood. Budget for the full installed price.
$3–8
per sq ft installed is the sweet spot for luxury vinyl plank — the best value flooring
$2–6
per sq ft is a typical installation labor rate — set yours separately from materials
+10%
waste allowance recommended on materials — more for diagonal and herringbone layouts
Planning your flooring project
LVP has changed flooring economics
Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) is now the dominant flooring choice for kitchens, bathrooms, and open-plan living areas. It's 100% waterproof (unlike laminate, which swells), extremely durable (15–25 year warranties from leading brands), click-lock DIY-friendly, and realistically mimics hardwood or stone at a fraction of the cost. If you're replacing flooring throughout a home, LVP offers the best combination of value, durability, and ease of installation.
Where flooring costs escalate
The biggest cost surprises come from: subfloor remediation (fixing squeaks, levelling, moisture barriers can add $1–3/sq ft), removing existing flooring ($1–2/sq ft for glue-down hardwood or tile), stair nosing and transitions ($20–80 per opening), and waste for complex patterns. Get a detailed quote that specifies what's included — 'supply and install' can mean very different things between contractors.
Sequence your renovation correctly
Flooring should be installed after painting but before baseboards and trim (or at minimum, new trim installed after flooring). Install flooring before kitchen cabinets go in if possible — it simplifies cuts and ensures the floor runs under appliances. Acclimate wood flooring (including engineered) in the room for 48–72 hours before installation to reduce post-install expansion and contraction.
How the Flooring Cost Calculator Works
Formula
Area = Room Length × Room Width
Material Cost = Area × (1 + Waste %) × Material $/ft²
Labor Cost = Area × Labor $/ft²
Total Cost = Material Cost + Labor CostEnter room length and width in feet, the material price per square foot for your chosen flooring, and the labor price per square foot. Material cost includes your waste allowance (extra material for cuts and breakage); labor is charged on the actual installed area.
Pricing material and labor independently is more honest than a one-size-fits-all multiplier — laminate installs cheaply while hardwood labor is far higher. Set labor to 0 for a DIY (materials-only) estimate, and remember that subfloor prep, removal of old flooring, transitions, and trim are not included here.