Flooring costs explained
What actually decides the cost of your floor
Anyone quoting a per-square-foot price before seeing your subfloor is guessing. Here's what genuinely moves the number, so you can read any quote you're given, including ours, and know what you're comparing.
The three questions we get most are about laminate flooring installation cost, the cost to install vinyl plank flooring, and baseboard installation cost. People usually want a flooring installation cost per square foot they can multiply out. The honest answer is that vinyl plank flooring cost is driven far more by the state of your subfloor and the shape of your rooms than by the boards you pick, which is exactly why we measure in person and quote it free.
Why two quotes differ
The six things that move the price
Subfloor levelling
The biggest hidden variable, and the most common reason two quotes for the same room differ substantially. An unlevel subfloor needs levelling compound, materials, labour, and a day of drying before anything can be laid on top. A quote that has not accounted for it is not a real quote.
Removing the old floor
Carpet lifts quickly. Glued-down vinyl and tile do not. Tile removal is the single most labour-intensive thing we do. If one quote includes removal and disposal and another does not, they are not comparable documents.
Wear layer & AC rating
Within any product category, the durability grade is the main cost lever. A thicker wear layer or a higher AC rating costs more up front and buys years of life. This is the one place where spending more reliably pays for itself.
Room shape & obstacles
A plain rectangle is fast. Kitchen islands, bay windows, angled walls, stair nosings and lots of doorways all add cutting time. This is why per-square-foot rates vary between rooms in the same house.
Stairs
Stairs are always quoted separately, per tread, because every one is a custom fit. They can add meaningfully to a whole-home job and are worth asking any contractor about explicitly.
Moisture management
Coastal homes, basements and concrete slabs often need a vapour barrier or moisture-mitigating underlay. It costs little at install time. Skipping it is how new floors fail inside two years.
How the options compare
We don't publish prices, the honest number depends on your rooms. But the ranking below holds true almost everywhere, and it's usually what people actually want to know first.
| Service | Relative cost | Typical time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate Flooring | 1-2 days | Rentals & first homes | |
| Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring | 1-2 days | Busy family homes | |
| Baseboard Installation | 1 day typical | Finishing any new floor | |
| Molding & Trim Carpentry | 1-2 days | Renos & character upgrades | |
| Floor Repair & Refinishing | Often same day | Floors that are not as bad as they look | |
| Commercial Flooring | Phased scheduling | Property managers | |
| Deck Building & Repair | Varies by scope | Coastal homes with tired decks |
Relative only, a small tile bathroom can cost less than a large laminate main floor.
What any flooring quote should include
Ask every contractor you speak to, including us, whether these are in the number or billed later. A cheap quote is often just a shorter one.
- Removal and disposal of the existing floor
- Subfloor levelling, if the room needs it
- Underlay and any moisture barrier
- Moving furniture out and back
- Transitions, thresholds and stair nosings
- Baseboard or shoe moulding to cover the expansion gap
- Daily cleanup and final site clean
- The workmanship warranty, in writing
Cost questions
Answered directly
How much does luxury vinyl plank cost to install on Vancouver Island?
It depends on two things above all: the wear layer and plank thickness you choose, and how much levelling the subfloor needs before anything goes down. Those two variables move a vinyl plank quote more than the room size does, and neither can be judged from a photo. We measure in person and give you one written number covering material, prep and labour together, free, with no obligation.
More on luxury vinyl plank flooring →How much does laminate flooring installation cost?
Laminate is the most affordable wood-look floor we fit, and the price is driven mainly by the AC rating you choose, the shape of the room, and how much old flooring has to come out first. Rooms with lots of doorways, islands or angled walls cost more per square foot than plain rectangles because of the cutting time. We quote it properly after measuring, at no charge.
More on laminate flooring →How much does floor repair cost?
Far less than replacing a floor, which is exactly why it is worth having us look before you accept a replacement quote from anyone. The cost depends on how many boards have to come up and whether the subfloor needs attention underneath. We diagnose the actual cause first and quote the repair before starting, so you can compare it against replacing.
More on floor repair & refinishing →How much does baseboard installation cost?
Baseboard is quoted by the linear foot, so the main driver is simply how much wall you have, an average three-bedroom home runs to a few hundred feet. Beyond that, taller and more detailed profiles cost more than flat stock because the corners take longer to cope. Our quote always includes pulling the old trim, filling and caulking, not just the new boards.
More on baseboard installation →How much does crown molding installation cost?
Ceiling height and corner count drive it more than anything else. A plain square room goes quickly; a room with bay windows, angled walls or vaulted ceilings takes far longer per foot because every corner becomes a custom cut. That is why crown quotes vary so much between rooms in the same house, and why we measure rather than estimate over the phone.
More on molding & trim carpentry →How much does a new deck cost on Vancouver Island?
Material choice and height are the two big drivers. Pressure-treated framing with cedar decking is the economical route; composite decking with aluminium or glass railing sits well above it. Height matters more than most people expect, anything above roughly two feet needs guards and often engineered footings, which changes the scope substantially. We inspect and quote before any work starts.
More on deck building & repair →One number, in writing
Stop guessing. Get it measured, free.
We measure the rooms, check the subfloor, and give you one firm written number with nothing hidden behind it. No charge, no obligation, no deposit to get a quote.