Installed price by material
| Material | Installed, per sq ft |
|---|---|
| Laminate | $3–$7 |
| Luxury vinyl plank | $5–$9 |
| Ceramic tile | $7–$14 |
| Engineered hardwood | $8–$15 |
| Solid hardwood, oak or maple | $9–$18 |
| Porcelain tile | $10–$22 |
| Real projects | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1,200 sq ft main floor, vinyl plank | $6,200–$7,600 |
| 700 sq ft living and dining, solid oak | $6,300–$9,800 |
| 550 sq ft basement, vinyl plank | $3,500–$4,400 |
| 13-step hardwood staircase | $520–$975 |
What is hiding under the old floor?
Subfloor prep is the line that decides whether your quote holds. It is also the line nobody can price accurately until the old floor is up.
| Prep item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Old flooring removal and disposal | $1–$3 per sq ft, or $200–$2,000 per project; tile is the worst |
| Levelling beyond standard prep | $0.40–$1.20 per sq ft |
| Concrete levelling | $2–$4 per sq ft |
| Plywood overlay | $2–$3 per sq ft |
| Subfloor replacement | $4–$8 per sq ft |
| Moisture membrane, below grade | $1.50–$3 per sq ft |
| Transitions and trim | $500–$2,000 per project |
In an older Ontario house with a sloping floor, levelling alone can add more than the difference between laminate and engineered hardwood across the whole room. Ask every installer what they assumed about the subfloor and what happens if the assumption is wrong.
Why are two flooring quotes so different?
Four reasons, and none of them is the plank.
- One includes removal, one does not. At $1 to $3 per square foot on 1,000 square feet, that is a $1,000 to $3,000 difference on its own.
- Different subfloor assumptions. One quoted a flat, sound floor; the other walked it with a level.
- Pattern. Herringbone, chevron and diagonal layouts add 20 to 40 percent to installation.
- Room complexity. Stairs, closets and irregular rooms add 20 to 40 percent of labour time.
Ask all three companies to quote the same square footage, the same removal assumption and the same layout. Then the numbers mean something.
Which floor for which room?
- Basement. Vinyl plank, over a moisture membrane. Solid hardwood below grade is asking for trouble in an Ontario basement.
- Kitchen and bathroom. Tile or vinyl. Water and wood are a slow-motion argument.
- Main floor living space. Engineered or solid hardwood if budget allows; it is the finish buyers notice.
- Rental unit. Vinyl plank, every time. It survives tenants and it replaces plank by plank.
Red flags in a flooring quote
| What you see | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A single per-square-foot price with no breakdown | Material, labour and prep move independently and only one of them is fixed | Ask for material, labour, removal and prep as four separate lines |
| Removal not mentioned | It reappears as an extra, and tile removal is the most expensive kind | Confirm in writing who lifts and disposes of the old floor |
| No one checked the subfloor | Levelling is the most common cost surprise in flooring | Ask what they assumed and what an uneven subfloor will cost |
| Acclimation skipped | Wood and laminate need days in the room before installation or they cup and gap | Ask how many days the material will sit in the house first |
| Quantity with no waste allowance | Cuts and pattern mean 5 to 15 percent extra material is normal | Ask what waste factor is included, especially for diagonal layouts |
| Baseboards not discussed | Removing and reinstalling trim, or adding quarter round, changes how the job looks | Agree in writing what happens at the walls |
Frequently asked questions
The pattern adds 20 to 40 percent to installation labour and increases material waste from cutting. The planks cost the same; the days of work do not.
Wood and laminate should sit in the room for several days so they reach the humidity of the house. Skipping it is a common cause of gapping and cupping that appears months later.
Luxury vinyl plank over a moisture membrane. Below grade, concrete gives off moisture that will eventually reach solid hardwood, and the membrane adds $1.50 to $3 per square foot.
Roughly $1 to $3 per square foot, or $200 to $2,000 for a project. Tile removal is the most expensive because of the mortar bed underneath it.
Around $2 to $4 per square foot for click-lock laminate and vinyl, $3 to $5 for nail-down hardwood, and $5 to $10 or more for tile. Subfloor prep is charged on top of that.
Installed, laminate runs $3 to $7, vinyl plank $5 to $9, engineered hardwood $8 to $15, solid hardwood $9 to $18, and tile $7 to $22 depending on ceramic or porcelain.
Sources
- DD Interior Services, Flooring cost guide Ontario, updated 4 August 2026 — ddinteriorservices.ca
- Leo Constra, Flooring cost in Toronto, June 2026 — leoconstra.com
- Government of Ontario, Your rights when starting home renovations or repairs — ontario.ca, checked 18 September 2026
Prices are published ranges collected on 18 September 2026, not quotes.
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