If you’re considering an eco-friendly floor upgrade, then bamboo flooring may have piqued your interest. While this option may appear costly, you’ll find that the price points are well within average rates for hardwood floors in general.
In most cases, you’ll be able to have professionals install bamboo floors for under $9.50 per sq. ft, including labor and material costs. Read on to see our breakdowns of the average bamboo flooring cost, installation prices, and more. We’re confident this will help your upcoming home improvement project go far more smoothly.
How Much Is Bamboo Flooring?
Solid bamboo flooring costs between $7 and $16 per square foot after labor and material costs have been accounted for. This range accounts for the variance in the quality and durability of bamboo flooring options. A 200-square-foot room will cost between $1,400 and $3,200 with this per-square-foot cost range.
On average, bamboo flooring installation costs for labor will be between $30 and $45 per hour. This range will vary based on your exact location, the experience level of your contractors, and other tasks associated with flooring installation, including:
- Removal of old flooring
- Leveling or repairing the existing subfloor
- Outfitting odd or non-squared spaces for flooring
Average Cost of Bamboo Flooring by Type and Area
Your total project cost will vary depending on the type of bamboo flooring you use, your surface area, the contractors you hire, and more. Here, we’ve broken down your cost by flooring type and listed some identifying characteristics of each type of bamboo flooring.
Nationwide flooring installers, like LL Flooring or Empire Today (see our review of Empire Today for more detailed information), offer many of these flooring options. If not, you’ll likely be able to purchase through Home Depot or Lowe’s retailers.
Read our review of LL Flooring for more information on their cost, services, and availability.
4.7
Complimentary post-installation follow-ups
Provides convenient in-home consultations
Hundreds of flooring showrooms nationwide
4.8
Offers next-day installations on certain flooring options
Multiple financing options
Mobile showroom option for convenient at-home shopping
3.8
Natural and engineered hardwood options
Offers augmented reality visualizer tool
Provides free samples online and in-store
Bamboo Flooring Cost by Square Foot
There are several types of bamboo flooring available. Here’s a quick look at the average price for each type by square foot:
| Bamboo Type | Cost by Square Foot |
| Engineered | $1.50–$7.50 |
| Horizontal | $1.00–$5.00 |
| Strand-woven | $3.00–$6.00 |
| Vertical | $1.00–$5.00 |
Primary Factors To Consider When Buying Bamboo Flooring
Many factors affect bamboo flooring prices. Below are the main considerations to keep in mind before embarking on a bamboo flooring project.
Bamboo Type
Bamboo flooring is available in four main types—engineered, vertical, horizontal, and strand-woven—with slightly different price points for each. More mature bamboo is considered higher quality than softer alternatives, which increases prices. Strand-woven bamboo is the most expensive type you can order due to its wear-resistant properties.
Engineered Bamboo
Engineered bamboo planks are constructed similarly to laminate flooring (check out top-rated laminate flooring options) . A backing or base layer made from fiberboard or plywood forms the bulk of each plank, with a veneer of real bamboo forming the top layer. This veneer is made from strips of bamboo, which have been glued together and finished.
This bamboo flooring is relatively easy to install and maintain and presents a budget-friendly starting price of around $1 per square foot without labor costs. Engineered planks have a tongue-in-groove or click-lock installation and can be installed as a floating floor (the floor is stable without any attachment to the subfloor) or secured by gluing planks down to the subfloor.
Horizontal Bamboo
Horizontal bamboo is constructed similarly to vertical bamboo. It is comparable to oak flooring in terms of strength and is a fairly eco-friendly, less processed alternative to strand-woven flooring.
Horizontal bamboo planks are made by pressing narrow strips together, with the long side facing upward. These are glued with industrial-strength adhesive and are machined to be level. The final steps are applying lacquer as a finish and cutting tongue-in-groove slots for installation.
Both horizontal and vertical bamboo flooring are fairly common choices. Homeowners can opt to refinish these planking options, although restaining these planks will often void manufacturer warranties.
Strand-woven Bamboo
Strand-woven bamboo flooring is far and away the strongest variety of bamboo flooring. It is made by processing individual bamboo stalks and shredding them into narrow strips. These are then compressed into blocks with adhesive under great pressure and heat.
Strand-woven bamboo blocks are highly resistant to dents and scratches. However, the heavy processing this flooring material undergoes is a turnoff for some homeowners. But the processing concerns may be offset by the long 20 to 25-year lifespan this new flooring option offers.
Vertical Bamboo
Vertical bamboo planking is formed by gluing narrow strips of bamboo together so that the narrow side of each strip is facing upward. These planks are then machined to level them, with tongue-in-groove slots cut into each side for easy installation. A protective coat of lacquer is applied over each plank to give it a sleek finish and to protect it from wear and tear. These flooring products are fairly stable and can be installed in rooms with heated flooring already in place, such as bathrooms or kitchens (check out top flooring options for kitchens).
Square Footage
One of the biggest factors affecting the total cost is the square footage of any room you’re installing flooring. One of the biggest advantages of bamboo vs hardwood flooring is that bamboo material generally is cheaper per square foot than hardwood materials. Still, the larger the room, the pricier the installation, as there’s more floor to cover. Additionally, preparing and leveling your subfloor can increase the price. Most flooring contractors will fold the cost of this step into your final bill.
Other Factors To Consider
Whether you’re installing on your own or hiring a licensed professional, you’ll want to consider the following before you begin.
Labor Costs
Flooring contractors can charge between $30 and $45 per hour or $2.50–$6 per square foot. This figure is all-inclusive and accounts for the following:
- Prepping the workspace
- Cutting the baseboards
- Cleaning up
Labor costs can vary depending on your geographic area and the installers’ experience level.
Subfloor
Bamboo and moisture aren’t a great mixture, so you’ll want to ensure that your subfloor is up to code and leveled before installation. Material and labor costs will necessarily increase if your contractors have to do this for you.
Underlayment
Floating wood flooring, also known as “snap lock,” involves clicking two flooring planks together and positioning them in place. It will mean installing an underlayment, costing between $0.75 and $1 per square foot.
Underlayment is especially critical if the subfloor emits excessive moisture, such as a concrete slab or crawl space. A 3-in-1 underlayment (a thin foam pad usually created from either polyethylene or polypropylene) is highly recommended.
The most common bamboo flooring underlayment used when nailing a floor down is 15 lb. felt paper (i.e., roofing paper) or red rosin paper. Glued-down high-end flooring will not require a layer between it and the subfloor.
How To Calculate Bamboo Flooring Cost
For a do-it-yourself (DIY) price calculation, you should determine what bamboo flooring brand or type you intend to use. After you’ve made your choice:
- Measure out the dimensions of your room, hallway, or open space you plan to cover.
- Add 10% to 20% to compensate for any errors in measurement or odd cuts you may have to make.
- Multiply your square footage by the per-square-foot cost of the material used.
Your contractor costs will vary depending on the installation method. Getting a comprehensive quote from a bamboo flooring pro will consider all factors before rendering an all-inclusive cost estimate. We recommend doing this, even if you’re committed to installing your new floors yourself.
Should You Hire a Professional for Bamboo Flooring?
For the safest and most efficient installation possible, we suggest hiring a professional to cut, prepare, and install your flooring. Otherwise, you could end up with floors that aren’t aesthetically pleasing or will shift over years of use. A DIY installation will save you a lot of money, but you should consider every option, regardless of your baseline budget.
If you’re debating professional or DIY bamboo flooring installation, there are some benefits and considerations for each installation method, which can affect the bamboo flooring cost.
DIY Installation
We only recommend installing the bamboo flooring yourself if you’re experienced in manual labor. If you opt for the DIY route, we recommend floating floors. You will need to put down underlayment, but these floors will snap in place and don’t involve adhesives or nails to attach the flooring but will allow you to get a beautiful finish.
Professional Installation
The alternative to DIY installation is to hire an experienced contractor to remove your existing floor and replace it with a high-quality bamboo flooring option. Choosing flooring pros results in a more refined final product and will save you time and stress. We recommend getting a quote from a local provider before proceeding further to weigh your options properly.
Before hiring a professional, you should check for local licensing, customer reviews online, and a company website before getting quotes. Hiring a licensed pro will greatly improve the quality of your flooring. Use the tool below to be connected with a qualified professional in your area.
Read also: Review of Empire Today
Final Thoughts
Installing new flooring is an expensive home improvement undertaking. Bamboo flooring is no exception. Setting a budget and doing preliminary pricing calculations early on in the process will go a long way toward your home’s floors getting a successful upgrade.
We recommend going with professional installation due to the labor warranties most flooring contractors provide, independently from manufacturer warranties. However, if you opt for DIY bamboo flooring, you should choose a floating option with a competitive manufacturer’s warranty.
If you’re unsure about which bathroom flooring to choose, we recommend reading our article that explains in detail the ideal options for bathroom flooring.
FAQs About Bamboo Flooring Cost
What are the pros of bamboo flooring?
It’s virtually maintenance-free and easy to keep presentable with basic, non-alkaline cleaning products. It is fairly versatile and can be installed on various subfloors, including concrete, vinyl, tile, wood, and plywood. Bamboo flooring is super-durable, with average warranties extending beyond 25 years.
What are some cons of bamboo flooring?
Bamboo flooring is fairly porous, so installing it in any high-moisture area will lead to warping and a shortened lifespan. Despite being generally seen as a sustainable flooring option, the manufacturing processes for this type have little oversight overseas. This can lead to strips of bamboo containing VOCs, formaldehyde, and other harmful chemicals.
Which rooms are well-suited to bamboo flooring?
Living rooms, hallways, bedrooms, and basements are generally well-suited to bamboo flooring. Bathrooms, laundry, kitchens, and mudrooms will need far more water-resistant flooring.
How long will bamboo flooring last?
Durability is a hallmark of any quality bamboo flooring product or type. You can expect bamboo floors to last 25 years or more with proper maintenance and cleaning. Many retailers and installers will offer warranties ranging from ten years to a limited lifetime option.
What are the finish options for bamboo flooring?
The most typical choices for bamboo flooring are natural, stained, or carbonized bamboo. Natural coloring is fairly light, with each bamboo strip having a unique grain. Stains can color bamboo strips from lighter to medium-brown shades. Carbonization of bamboo planks is a unique manufacturing process that weakens the wood but gives it a darker, deeper color.
