What It Costs
Flooring Cost in Los Angeles
What hardwood, luxury vinyl, SPC and laminate actually cost to install here — what moves the number up or down, and when refinishing beats replacing.
Quick Answer
How much does flooring cost in Los Angeles?
Most Los Angeles homes come in between $4 and $18 per square foot installed, and the material decides where you land. Laminate runs $4 to $8, luxury vinyl and SPC $5 to $10, engineered hardwood $8 to $14, and solid hardwood $10 to $18. Refinishing hardwood you already have is far cheaper at $3 to $5. Subfloor levelling, removing the old floor and stairs are priced separately. The measured quote is free.
The Short Answer
What a New Floor Costs Here
Most Los Angeles homeowners spend between $4 and $18 per square foot installed, and which end you land on depends more on the material than on anything else. Laminate sits at the bottom, solid hardwood at the top, and luxury vinyl and SPC in the middle. The table below is the range we see across the LA market — your own number comes from a measured quote, which is free.
| Floor | Material only | Installed, per sq ft | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate | $1.50–$4 | $4–$8 | Bedrooms and hallways on a budget |
| Luxury vinyl and SPC | $2–$6 | $5–$10 | Kitchens, bathrooms, homes with pets |
| Engineered hardwood | $4–$9 | $8–$14 | Real wood where humidity moves a floor |
| Solid hardwood | $6–$12 | $10–$18 | A floor you keep, and can refinish for decades |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Wide planks and exotic species push solid hardwood past $18, sometimes to $25. Labour on its own, with you supplying the material, usually runs $3 to $9 per square foot.
Before You Replace
Refinishing Costs a Fraction of a New Floor
If the hardwood under your feet is sound, sanding and refinishing it runs $3 to $5 per square foot. That is roughly a third of what the same floor costs to tear out and replace, and you keep timber that is usually better than anything sold today.
| On a 600 sq ft floor | Typical total |
|---|---|
| Refinish the existing hardwood | $1,800–$3,000 |
| Replace it with new solid hardwood | $6,000–$10,800 |
| Replace it with luxury vinyl | $3,000–$6,000 |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
It is worth checking before you commit to anything. We lift a corner in a closet and measure what is left above the tongue — if there is enough wood to sand, we will tell you, even though it is the smaller job.
What Moves the Number
Seven Things That Change Your Quote
Subfloor condition
Levelling a dipped or uneven subfloor is the most common addition to a quote. It is also the one that decides whether the finished floor creaks.
Removing the old floor
Tear-out and haul-away is separate work. Glued-down tile and old adhesive cost more to lift than a floating floor.
Stairs
Staircases are priced per tread, not per square foot. Each one is cut, fitted and nosed individually.
Plank width and species
Wide-plank and exotic timber cost more per square foot and waste more at the cuts.
Slab or raised foundation
Concrete needs a moisture test and often a barrier. Hillside homes on raised or caisson foundations need the substrate checked first.
Furniture and appliances
An empty room is quicker than one we clear as we go. Built-ins and heavy appliances add time.
Finish and sheen
Water-based coatings cost more than oil and dry faster. Matte, satin and gloss are priced the same; the number of coats is not.
A Real Example
What a 1,200 sq ft Home Looks Like
Taking a typical single-storey LA house, floors through the living areas, hallway and two bedrooms:
| Choice | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Laminate throughout | $4,800–$9,600 | Keep it out of the bathroom |
| SPC or luxury vinyl throughout | $6,000–$12,000 | Waterproof everywhere, including wet rooms |
| Engineered hardwood | $9,600–$16,800 | Real wood, far more stable near the coast |
| Solid hardwood | $12,000–$21,600 | Refinishable for decades |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Add subfloor levelling, removal of the old floor and stairs on top of those figures. A measured quote prices all of it at once, so there is nothing to discover halfway through.
The Extras
What the Common Additions Cost
Those figures cover the floor itself. Three things are priced separately on almost every job, and they are the reason two quotes for the same square footage can land far apart. Here is what each one typically adds in Los Angeles.
| Extra | Typical addition | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Taking out carpet or a floating floor | $1.50–$3 per sq ft | Includes haul-away and disposal |
| Taking out glued-down tile or vinyl | $2.50–$4 per sq ft | Old adhesive has to be scraped back to a sound surface |
| Levelling an uneven subfloor | $1–$3 per sq ft | Light skim over the areas that need it |
| Levelling a real dip or slope | $3–$6 per sq ft | Older homes that have settled, common in hillside LA |
| Stairs | $100–$250 per step | Each tread is cut, fitted and nosed by hand |
| Refinishing stairs rather than replacing | $60–$120 per step | Only where the existing treads are solid wood |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Pre-1980 homes sometimes need an asbestos test before the old floor comes up. We tell you before we start, not after.
Work Out Your Own Number
Flooring Cost Estimator
Five questions, using the same ranges published above. It gives you the window a job like yours usually falls into — enough to plan a budget before anyone comes to the house. It is not a quote, and nothing is sent anywhere unless you ask us to call.
Paying For It
Financing and What Is Included
Every quote we give covers material, underlayment, fitting, trim and transitions, and taking the waste away. Subfloor repair, old-floor removal and stair work are listed separately so you can see what each part costs rather than one lump sum. Zero-interest financing is available if you would rather spread it.
The consultation and the estimate are free, and the mobile showroom brings samples to the room they are for, which is the only way to judge a floor against your own light and cabinets.
The ranges on this page are Los Angeles market rates gathered in November 2026 and are here to help you budget. They are not a quote: every floor is priced from a measurement of your own rooms.
Keep Reading
More on What Floors Cost
Four pieces from our own jobs that go deeper than a price range — what moves a quote, and where the money is actually worth spending.
What Drives the Final Price
The seven things that move a quote up or down, in more detail than the list above.
Hardwood: Cost vs Long-Term Value
Why the most expensive floor per square foot is often the cheapest over twenty years.
Cheapest Floors That Still Look High End
Where to spend and where not to, when the budget is the starting point.
Is Luxury Vinyl Worth It?
What you get for the middle of the price range, and when it beats real wood.
Get a Real Number
A measured quote takes about half an hour and costs nothing.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (866) 429-4949 for a free consultation.
Questions
Flooring Cost FAQs
Can I work out a price without calling anyone?
Yes. The estimator on this page asks five questions — square footage, which floor, whether an old one has to come out, how the subfloor sits and how many stairs — and gives you a range built from the Los Angeles rates published above. Nothing is submitted and no details are taken. It is a planning figure, not a quote; the real number still comes from measuring the rooms.
Why is there a range rather than one price?
Because the material is only part of it. Two rooms of the same size can differ by thousands depending on what is under the old floor, whether it has to come out, and how much of the work is stairs. We price all of it in one measured quote so there are no surprises later.
Is the estimate really free?
Yes, and so is the consultation. We bring samples to your home, measure, and give you a written price. There is no charge and no obligation.
Is it cheaper to refinish than to replace?
Usually by a wide margin. Refinishing runs $3 to $5 per square foot against $10 to $18 to install new solid hardwood. The question is whether enough wood remains above the tongue to sand, which we check before quoting.
What is the cheapest floor that still lasts?
A high AC-rated laminate or a rigid-core SPC. Both handle family traffic for years, and SPC is fully waterproof, which laminate is not. Laminate is the lower price; SPC is the better floor in any room that sees water.
Does removing the old floor cost extra?
Yes, it is separate work and it is priced separately so you can see it. A floating floor lifts quickly; glued-down tile or old adhesive takes longer and costs more.
Do you offer financing?
Yes. Zero-interest financing is available, and we can go through the options when we quote.