How Much Does Hardwood Flooring Cost?

Hardwood flooring costs $12 to $18 per square foot installed, though prices can range from $6 to $24 per square foot depending on wood type, quality, and installation method. A typical 1,000-square-foot hardwood floor usually costs $12,000 to $18,000, making it a long-term investment that adds beauty and value to your home.

While hardwood is pricier than some alternatives, engineered wood and budget-friendly species like oak or maple can provide a similar look for less.

The following guide explores the costs of hardwood flooring based on type, style, quality of the wood, and more. Looking to install hardwood flooring? Find a local contractor to get started today.

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Hardwood Flooring

In general, the cost of hardwood flooring tends to range between $3 and $10 per square foot before labor costs.

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Carpeted Flooring

In general, the cost of carpet tends to range between $2 and $10 per square foot depending on the material and style.

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Laminate Flooring

Laminate floors will cost anywhere from $2 to $8 per square foot depending on the thickness of the fiberboard base layer.

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Average Hardwood Flooring Cost

The following table offers a quick look at the average overall cost per square foot of hardwood flooring.

Cost by Type of Hardwood Material

The type of hardwood material is a major factor that determines the cost of hardwood flooring. The table below provides a quick look at average costs for different wood materials.

Solid Hardwood

Solid hardwood refers to any kind of flooring that uses full pieces of solid wood for the flooring and is what most people probably think of when they hear the phrase “hardwood flooring.” Any flooring that uses a thin layer of hardwood supported by composite material, plywood, or anything that isn’t solid wood, doesn’t qualify as solid hardwood flooring.

Materials drive the cost of solid hardwood, with the range reflecting differences between various wood species and different grades of wood.

Engineered Hardwood

Engineered hardwood floors are more affordable than solid hardwood floors because they only have a thin layer of quality wood on top of a layer of something else—usually one or two layers of plywood.

Many people who want new hardwood floors wind up with engineered hardwood instead due to the lower upfront cost and lower cost of repairs and replacements if anything goes wrong down the road.

Parquet

Parquet flooring is made up of thin pieces of real wood arranged in intricate designs that resemble a herringbone pattern. Unlike engineered wood floors or solid hardwood floors, most of the expense of parquet flooring comes from labor. Building and arranging parquet flooring takes more work than installing other types of wood flooring, leading to longer installation times and proportionally higher installation costs.

There are two main types of parquet flooring: true parquet flooring and parquet-style flooring. Parquet tiles are designed to mimic the look of true parquet flooring but are prefabricated and generally considered less desirable.

Cost of Hardwood Flooring by Species of Trees

Hardwood flooring prices also vary significantly depending on what wood type you want. Some species are rarer than others, while others are harder and more difficult to work with. In general, rarer species and harder woods are usually more expensive than more common species and softer species.

The table below includes some typical pricing you’d expect per square foot for different common wood species.

This is far from an exhaustive list, but it covers the most common wood species used for new hardwood floors these days. Old flooring is more likely to be made from exotic wood since certain species that were popular in the past are no longer used due to environmental protection and conservation policies.

Red and White Oak

Red and white oak are different species of the same wood. Both species are relatively soft and widely available, making them fairly affordable options. On average, red and white oak cost between $2 and $7 per square foot.

White Ash

White ash is an extremely popular choice for engineered flooring due to its high durability and striking light tones. It’s easy to stain and easy to work with, making it very versatile and capable of fitting in with almost any decor. It typically costs between $5 and $7 per square foot.

Teak

Teak is a considerable upgrade over ash or oak due to its rich, golden hues and excellent natural water resistance. It’s a higher-end wood that fetches more premium prices than oak or ash. You can usually find teak flooring for around $10 to $13 per square foot.

Maple

Maple is a light, almost white-colored wood that’s featured in hardwood floors, basketball courts, and baseball bats. Costs for maple are typically reasonable, falling between $3 and $6 per square foot, on average.

Hickory

Hickory is a highly desirable species for many homeowners thanks to its interesting, swirling grain patterns. Among the pros and cons of hickory flooring is its price; it’s pretty affordable, usually costing between $4 and $8 per square foot.

Mahogany

There are many different species of mahogany, but all feature a similar deep, rich reddish color that makes it a classic choice for furniture. Mahogany floors are less common than mahogany desks and tables due to how soft the wood is. A softer wood like mahogany is easy to dent, and you’re more likely to notice nicks and scratches on a mahogany floor than one made from a harder wood. Mahogany flooring usually costs between $6 and $9 per square foot.

Brazilian Walnut

Brazilian walnut is extremely hard and durable, making it one of the best types of wood for flooring. This species is characterized by its chocolate color and even grain. On average, you can expect to pay a bit more for Brazilian Walnut flooring, between $10 and $12.

Cost by Thickness of Boards

Hardwood floors are usually 3/4” thick, although they can be as thin as 5/16” and as thick as 7/8”. There’s nothing too complex going on here; the thicker the wood needed, the more expensive the floor. The table below provides average pricing for different wood floor thicknesses that you’ll commonly see for homes.

Using thicker wood for your floors gives you more room for sanding and refinishing later, making them a good option for longevity if you can afford to spend more. Learn more about the cost of refinishing wood flooring in our in-depth article.

It’s worth noting that we’re talking about board depth, not width, in this section. Width doesn’t affect the cost nearly as much as thickness since wider floorboards don’t require more material to make. However, some companies charge more for wide plank floors if you want planks wider than the standard three inches found in most traditional hardwood floors.

Cost by Quality Grade of Hardwood

Not all hardwood flooring is created equal, even if it’s made from the same species. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to compare the quality of wood you get from different distributors and different vendors since all companies grade their own wood on a different scale. Low-grade wood from a company will always be lower quality than high-grade, but one vendor’s low-grade might qualify as another’s mid-grade.

The following table gives you an idea of how the quality of wood affects the price of hardwood flooring, assuming an average price of $6 per square foot for a hypothetical company’s mid-grade wood.

Low-Grade

Low-grade wood may have physical defects, less appealing grain patterns, and be less durable than mid and high-grade wood. Durability depends on the species of wood used but also on how the wood is cut, with flat-sawn wood being less durable than quarter-sawn wood.

Mid-Grade

Mid-grade wood has fewer visual blemishes than low-grade wood but also has what most people consider ordinary grain patterns. Most companies’ mid-grade wood looks as you’d expect, like your average piece of hardwood flooring.

High-Grade

High-grade wood is typically free from imperfections and boasts interesting and beautiful grain patterns. These pieces are selected by hand by an expert and are often sold in groups that complement one another. You’ll pay considerably more for high-grade wood from most wood flooring providers, but it’s the best option if you want to have the kind of hardwood floor that stops people in their tracks when they see it.

How Do You Calculate Hardwood Flooring Cost?

Estimating the cost of hardwood flooring is relatively straightforward, although accounting for waste is a bit of an art form. The two main factors that determine the cost of hardwood flooring are materials and labor.

Material Costs

To estimate the cost of materials for a hardwood floor, you’ll need to know the size of the space where you’re installing it. Measure the length and width of the room in feet. Don’t worry about following every twist and turn of the room if it’s not rectangular.

Next, take that number and increase it by about 10% to account for waste. Even if you hire a professional, there is bound to be some waste from making cuts and sizing the boards to fit your room’s shape and dimensions. Estimating 10% over the raw square footage you measured is a good way to account for this.

Finally, take the number you determined above—your room’s approximate dimensions plus 10%—and multiply it by the cost per square foot of the wood you chose. That number is your estimate for the total material cost.

Labor Costs

Calculating the labor cost is much easier—just ask your flooring contractor! Or, if you’re installing your wood floor yourself, do your best to estimate how much your time is worth, remembering to account for lost weekends and gas for multiple trips to the hardware store.

Related reading: Installing a Cedar Closet Floor

Main Factors To Consider When Buying Hardwood Flooring

Purchasing hardwood flooring is a big commitment. Hardwood flooring is expensive and requires more care and attention than alternative flooring options, which means it’s not ideal for homeowners looking for a low-maintenance type of flooring. If you think you want hardwood flooring but aren’t 100% sure, here are some factors to consider before you make a decision.

Children and Pets

Kids and pets wreak more havoc on hardwood floors than all of the other factors combined. Between the endless spills and drops, muddy feet and pawprints, and general wear and tear caused by skittering nails and running in the house, hardwood floors are bound to take a beating in any home with kids or pets.

Older children don’t pose as big of a threat to wood floors as younger ones, but senior dogs are often prone to accidents, making them just as risky for hardwood as puppies.

Engineered hardwood flooring is a good option for anyone who’s concerned about water damage since it’s cheaper to repair than solid wood floors. However, it’ll still be expensive. We generally don’t recommend hardwood floors to families with pets or young children.

Climate

Hardwood floors aren’t well-suited for environments that undergo rapid temperature and humidity changes. They also don’t do well in climates with high humidity (like coastal regions) or places that experience extreme heat (like tropical and subtropical regions). Wood expands and contracts when it absorbs or releases water, which means that wood flooring can warp and deform when it is subjected to damp weather. Maintaining hardwood floors is a challenge in any climate but is more difficult in hot, humid places.

Some species of wood handle temperature and humidity changes better than others. If you’re set on having Solid hardwood floors in a humid climate, consider using hickory or Australian Mahogany. Engineered wood flooring is even better, though, and opens up the possibility of using a wider range of hardwoods since the effect of expansion is limited to a thin layer instead of the entire plank.

Solid Vs. Engineered

While options like maple and oak hardwood floors aren’t super expensive, solid hardwood floors are significantly more expensive than engineered wood floors and don’t offer much more in the way of looks. If you’re after the look and feel of hardwood underfoot, you should give engineered hardwood flooring a serious look. For a substantially lower price, engineered wood floors give you most of what you’re looking for from a solid wood floor.

Maintenance

Hardwood floors require much more work than low-maintenance flooring options like laminate or tile. Proper care of hardwood floors requires occasional sanding and refinishing to keep them looking like new throughout their lifespan. You’ll also need to set aside time to dust and vacuum, and most people recommend applying a wood cleaner at least once per month.

Replacing Existing Hardwood Floors

Some people think they need to replace hardwood floors when they start showing signs of wear, but most hardwood floors can be resurfaced several times throughout their lifetimes. Sprucing up your existing floors is a fulfilling home improvement project that will save you tons of money compared to installing brand-new flooring.

Location of Wood Flooring

Installing hardwood floors in a bathroom or basement will often be slightly more expensive than installing one in a living room or bedroom. Installing a hardwood floor in a bathroom, for example, often requires a layer of polyurethane to protect it from the constant barrage of water. This raises the cost of new flooring and lengthens the project, even if you opt for prefinished boards with polyurethane applied from the factory.

Basements also pose a challenge for hardwood flooring, and it often costs more to install hardwood floors in a basement. Basements are more likely to present surprise problems that delay your installation, like rotting joists and moldy subfloors that need attention before the project can continue. You’ll also usually need extra protection from moisture in the form of underlayment and, in some cases, polyurethane.

DIY Vs. Hiring a Professional For Hardwood Flooring

We recommend hiring a professional to do hardwood flooring. Unless you have ample contracting experience and have worked with hardwood before, it’s best to skip DIY for this home project. Hardwood floors are expensive, partly due to how expensive the materials are, and it would be a shame to waste money on mistakes and ruin perfectly good pieces of wood due to inexperience. Even homeowners with plenty of DIY experience will often opt for using a professional for hardwood floors.

While hiring a professional upfront is more expensive, the money you’ll save on possible mistakes and issues that crop up down the road from an amateur installation makes it more than worth it. Hardwood floor installation costs are insignificant compared to the money you’ll save in the long run and the peace of mind you’ll have to know your floor was installed correctly.

Final Thoughts

Hardwood floors are expensive, but they can increase the value of your home. Plus, they’re beautiful, classic, and can last for years to come, especially if you maintain them well. In the end, the higher cost of hardwood floors upfront may be worth it.