Flooring costs

The per-square-foot number a salesperson quotes is almost always material plus the labor to lay it. That is maybe two-thirds of the real job. The other third is tear-out ($1–$6/sq ft), subfloor repair or replacement ($2–$2.50/sq ft for repair; $3.50–$12/sq ft for full replacement), underlayment ($3.40–$5.30/sq ft), and trim. Baseboard runs about $1.74–$2.50 per linear foot and transition strips are $10–$40 each.

Stairs are priced per step and they are expensive. Hardwood stairs run roughly $100–$200 per step, and carpeted stairs run about $11–$160 per step depending on the carpet and the stair shape. A 14-step staircase can add more to a job than an entire bedroom. If your quote covers 800 square feet and says nothing about the stairs, it is not a whole-house quote.

Material-by-material, installed: luxury vinyl plank $3–$11/sq ft (materials $2–$7, labor $1–$4). Carpet $1.36–$13.58/sq ft, national average $7.47, of which padding is only $0.35–$1.14 and labor $0.74–$1.17. Solid hardwood $9–$23/sq ft installed versus engineered hardwood $8–$14/sq ft. Refinishing existing hardwood $3–$8/sq ft, which is the cheapest good-looking floor most people can buy.

Two nasty surprises deserve their own line. If mold is found under the old floor, remediation runs about $10–$25 per square foot. If the old floor is vinyl tile or sheet vinyl from a home built before the 1980s, asbestos abatement runs about $5–$20 per square foot. Neither is padding. Both are real, and both are why an honest contractor will not give you a firm all-in price until the old floor is up.

How to choose

Compare quotes on total job price, not per square foot

A $4 per square foot quote that excludes removal, prep, and trim loses to a $7 quote that includes all three. Force every bidder onto the same scope.

Ask for a written subfloor contingency

Good contractors quote an allowance: a stated per-square-foot rate for repair if they find damage, agreed before demolition. That is how you avoid negotiating with a torn-up house.

Price the stairs separately

At $100–$200 per step for hardwood, stairs are their own project. Get them on their own line so you can decide independently.

Refinish before you replace

$3–$8 per square foot to refinish against $6–$12 to install new. If your boards are sound, replacing is often just an expensive change of color.

Treat asbestos and mold as stop-work items

Abatement is $5–$20 per square foot and remediation is $10–$25. Neither belongs to your flooring crew unless they are specifically licensed for it.