Written by

Tom Grupa

April 5, 2023

Laminate Flooring Installation Cost

The average cost to install laminate flooring is between $1,411 and $3,395 with most homeowners paying around $2,352 for professional installation. Laminate flooring installation costs $3 to $8 per square foot including labor and materials. Your final price depends on the floor size, materials selected, and labor costs.

Laminate Flooring Installation Cost Per Square Foot

The average cost to install laminate flooring is $3 to $8 per square foot including labor and materials. For the laminate flooring only, prices range from $0.68 to $2.59 per square foot.

Costs increase for:

• Sub-floor prep work

• New molding & baseboards

• Special flooring patterns

Cost Per Square Foot By Wood Type

Laminate flooring starts at $0.68 per square foot for Acacia, Cheery, Beech, and Maple woods. For Elm and Hickory, you can expect to pay around $1.60 per square foot.

Cost Per Square Foot By Feature

Laminate flooring costs $0.68 per square foot, while noise and water-resistant types range from $1.39 to $2.79 per square foot. Prices vary based on the type, scratch-resistance, or other properties.

Average Cost to Install Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring installation in a 330-square-foot room costs $990 to $2,640 with most homeowners spending about $1,815 when professionally installed.

• The cost of laying laminate flooring is $3 to $8 per square foot.

• A commercial level floor with radiant heating underneath costs $7 to $17 per square foot more.

Cost To Install By Room Size

The cost to install laminate flooring in a 15'x15' bedroom is $1,223 on average.

• Prices using Pergo laminate flooring with underlayment start at $3.46 per square foot with $1 per linear foot for quarter round and T-molding.

• Labor costs $1.72 per square foot.

Labor Cost To Install Laminate Flooring

The average labor cost to install laminate flooring is $1.72 per square foot. Labor costs about $568 to install laminate in a 330 square foot living room. With the average cost of installation costing $3 to $8 per square foot total, labor costs make up anywhere from 20% to 50% of your final cost.

Labor Costs for Removal & Replacement

Removal

You may need a carpenter to remove old sub-flooring which costs an average of $70 per hour. Most carpenters will be able to remove the sub-floor in a 200 square foot area in about a day at the cost of $400 to $550.

Replacing Carpet

Removing carpet costs $0.50 to $1 per square foot if no repair work is needed on the concrete below. Carpet usually won’t make for an acceptable sub-floor.

Before replacing carpet:

• You need to scrape any glue off the floor.

• Level and prep the sub-floor, which must be flat/level within 3/16” from one end of a 10’ room to the other.

• Sand or patch the sub-floor.

Laminate Flooring Vs. Hardwood

Laminate flooring costs $1 to $5 per square foot or $2 to $8 per square foot installed. Hardwood flooring costs $5 to $20 per square foot or $12 to $20 per square foot installed, depending on the availability of the wood you want.

Common to both wood flooring and hardwood flooring are the facts that both engineered wood and real wood can warp, both can grow mold, and both can be used with radiant heat. Other than that, though, they can vary considerably.

Laminate Flooring Vs. Carpet Cost

The average cost to install new carpeting is between $2 and $8 per square foot, compared to laminate flooring which costs an average of $3 to $8 per square foot installed.

The cost to carpet a 225 SF room is around $634, while laminate in the same room would cost $1,223. Compare laminate to other flooring costs in our cost guide.

Laminate Flooring Pros and Cons

While the pros of laminate floors are mentioned in the table above, the cons are as follows:

• The sub-floor will need to be perfect before installing the laminate or the differences in leveling will show up in the laminate.

• Once chosen, that’s the finish you’ll live with because you can’t customize laminate flooring.

• If repairs are needed, you might have to replace the whole floor rather than the damaged area, so it all looks similar.

• You can only refinish a laminate floor a max of 3 times, depending on the thickness of the top layer.

• You can’t change the color with a custom stain.

• It will only last a max of 30 years, usually 20.

• Resale value can be lower with laminate flooring vs. wood.

• Don’t install in humid areas like bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens or they can warp.

Molding, Trim, Stairs, & Baseboards

Baseboards will cost about $5.50 to install professionally per piece, while quarter round installation costs about $11 per piece. If you have removed your trim and don’t want it back, you might need to install quarter round or other moldings to bring a more seamless look to where the new flooring meets the wall, different flooring, or stairs.

Laminate Floor Molding

• Quarter Round Molding: Quarter round molding costs between $5 to $16 each for a 94” length. This looks like a quarter circle you sit into the right angle of the wall and floor.

• Threshold Molding: Threshold molding costs between $29 to $32 each for a 78” length. This provides a clean switch from one type of higher-level flooring to a lower one, or vice versa.

• T-Molding: T-molding costs between $29 to $36 each for a 78” length. This provides a clean switch from one type of similar-level flooring to another.

Labor Cost To Install Laminate Flooring On Stairs

Labor to install laminate flooring on stairs costs from $45 to $125 per step. Also, a flush stair nose costs between $40 to $76 each for a 78” length while a step nose costs between $18 to $96 each for a 78” length.

• Flush Stair nose: Flush stairnose costs between $40 to $76 each for a 78” length. This part provides a finished look by completing the change from wood flooring to a top stair step.

• Step Nose or Overlap Stair Nose: Step nose costs between $18 to $96 each for a 78” length. The horizontal, protruding edge of a stair that offers anti-slip properties.

Laminate Floor Trim & Baseboards

The cost to remove and reinstall your baseboards is about $75 each time, for a total of $150. If your trim no longer matches your new floor, expect to pay about $5.50 to $9 per linear foot to have it replaced and/or $1.50 per square foot to paint it a new color.

The installation work can go much faster if the baseboards have been removed in advance.

Additional Cost Factors

• Removing existing flooring will cost $0.50 to $4 per square foot.

  • Carpet or Linoleum - $0.50 to $1 per square foot.

  • Tile - $1.50 to $4 per square foot.

  • Wood - $1 to 4 per square foot.

• Moving furniture will cost $20 to $50 per room.

• Installing laminate flooring on stairs can cost $45 to $125 per step.

• Fall can be a busy time and more expensive, whereas after Christmas might open up better deals.

• Buy 10% more materials than needed to allow for waste.

• Leveling the sub-floor with a resin embossing leveler can cost $0.13 to $0.47 per square foot, with materials ranging from sheathing paper to fiberglass-reinforced aluminum foil.

• Check your flooring specifications to see if a moisture barrier ($0.44 per square foot) and underlayment (0.28 per square foot.) is added to the base of the laminate. If it’s not, that will be an additional cost for both materials and installment labor.

Best Laminate Flooring Brands

The best laminate flooring brands sold by Home Depot and Lowe’s are as follows:

Laminate Flooring Colors

Warranty Length

Uniclic® and Unilink® warranty periods are both pro rata 33 years for flooring and 25 years for accessories. Other manufacturers vary their warranties from 5 years to a lifetime, covering things like defective planks, fading, staining, and expected wear.

Many things can void the warranty:

• Not installing on a level floor

• Using the wrong cleaners or steam mops on it

• Water damage, floods, buckling

• Scratches, abuse, cuts, dents

• Commercial use

• Installation errors

If your flooring arrives in poor condition, send it back immediately, or you will not be refunded for it.

Additional Considerations

Laminate flooring is perhaps the most popular choice for those who want the look of natural wood on their floors for half the price at $0.70 to $4.50 per square foot.

Laminate flooring benefits:

• Multitude of looks and colors to choose from

• Quick installation

• Durable

• No more carpet stains

• Simulates the look and feel of wood

• Imitates the look and texture of stone floors.

Textures for Laminate Flooring

Some of the more frequently chosen textures include:

• Hand scraped: Hand-scraped boards can cost an average of $1.90 to $4.50 per square foot. By using a particular technique, laminate boards can be given a surface texture like that of a hand-scraped wood floor during the manufacturing process.

• Embossed in Register (EIR): These boards will generally average around $2.00 to $2.50 per square foot. This technique adds embossed texture in the laminate board to match the printed grain.

• Embossed or Textured: This flooring averages around $0.70 to $3.30 per square foot. While not matching the embossed look with the underlying printed grain, it still provides the authentic look of hardwood grain and

Finishes for Laminate Flooring

Finished laminate averages around $2 per square foot.. No indented texture is applied. Instead, it matches the look and feel of a varnished piece of wood. With low gloss being the most popular, the three main finishes are called:

• Matte or low gloss $0.68 to $3.33 per square foot.

• Semi-matte or medium gloss $0.68 to $2.79 per square foot.

• Glass or high gloss $1.70 to $3.55 per square foot.

Laminate Floor Edging

Choose from:

• Beveled – The plank sides are cut to an angle on the top side before meeting the jutting piece. They look like V grooves and give the flooring more of an authentic wood appearance.

• Micro-Beveled – These have a less beveled/angled edge.

• Pressed – This adds a recessed edge to planks, making it look almost like wood planks.

• Square - Plank sides are cut to a 45° -straight angle from bottom and top to a center jutting piece.

• Pillowed – Rather than sharply beveled, the edges are rounded.

Laminate Flooring Underlay

Underlayment costs $0.28 per square foot on the low end to $0.60 on the high end. Underlayment is either built-in or separate to the flooring planks you buy.

It’s a recommended addition as it:

• Absorbs sound

• Acts as a thermal barrier

• Gives a softer walk

• Can even out the floor

Don’t add a moisture barrier over an existing wood floor, because it will trap moisture and damage the subfloor. Use a foam underlayment instead, or whatever is recommended by the manufacturer of the flooring you buy.

Keep in mind that underlayment is also the word for thin plywood or fiberboard, which could already be on the planks, but the separate kind usually comes in rolls of polyethylene foam, heavy foam, or felt.

Tip: If you’re buying underlayment roll, get the roll as long as your room to avoid breaks.

Laminate Flooring Thickness

When looking at the thickness measurements of laminate flooring, keep in mind that it’s measured from top to bottom of the plank, no matter if the underlay is included or not. Even then, the thickness alone won’t tell you if you are buying quality flooring or not.

What really counts is what the core is made up of and what the durable top layer consists of. Look for the term HDF—high-density fiber—to ensure a floor of quality. Most planks come in 7–9 mm of thickness.

Benefits of Thicker Floors

• Better sound absorption

• Easier installation

• Better resistance to fracturing/impact resistance

AC Rating

Use the flooring’s AC rating to check your expected usage, or foot traffic, against what the floor was built to withstand. An impartial third party has set the standard for the five different categories of use and durability. Most sellers will not even stock AC1/2-rated flooring, hence the lack of pricing for those.

Laminate flooring FAQs

How Do You Install Pergo Flooring?

• You’ll need to level the subfloor before installing the Pergo moisture barrier and underlayment.

• Following the tongue-and-groove method, keep planks parallel to the main view of the room.

• Make sure room is left for expansion: 1/8”–1/4” based on the manufacturer’s requirements. If this isn’t done, the flooring can buckle or separate at the joints.

• Then reinstall baseboards, quarter rounds, and T-molding, and the flush stair nose and step nose on stairs.

Is It Difficult To Install Laminate Flooring?

It depends on the type of flooring you use. If it’s tongue-and-groove flooring, most homeowners have found installing laminate flooring a moderately difficult learning experience as long as they had the right tools to finish it out.

Which Is Cheaper To Install—Carpet Or Laminate Flooring?

Carpet is cheaper to install at $2 per square foot while laminate flooring is double at $4 per square foot installed.

How Long Does It Take A Professional To Lay Laminate Flooring?

A professional can usually lay 100 square feet of laminate flooring in five hours. At an average labor cost of $1.72 per square foot, a 330 square foot living room can be installed in 2 days and cost $567 for labor.

How Do I Clean And Maintain Laminate Flooring?

• Take steps to avoid scuffing by placing mats by entry doors and installing furniture protectors.

• Wipe up water quickly and don’t use a steam cleaner on it. Damp mop, if necessary, with as little water as possible.

• Don’t use cleaning solutions that leave waxy buildups or that are formulated for tile floors. They leave laminate flooring looking soapy and dull. A mild vinegar solution can work well.

• Also, avoid scouring powder or steel wool.

Can Laminate Be Installed Over An Uneven Sub-floor?

No, laminate can’t be installed over an uneven sub-floor because the flooring needs a flat surface to be able to sit correctly without buckling. You’ll have to level or sand the sub-floor first.