Flooring jobs look simple until you get to the edges. A good price accounts for what comes out, what goes down underneath, and every transition.
Scope it first. Use the plans if you have them, then walk every room. Note what is there now and whether it comes out, the subfloor condition, which way boards will run, stairs, closets, and every doorway where the new floor meets another surface. Decide who moves furniture and appliances, and write down what you are not including.
Measure in the right unit. Flooring and removal are priced per square foot. Measure each room on its own and add them up, then note any stairs and transitions as separate items.
Labor is hours times wage. Estimate how many square feet your crew lays in a day for each product, since nail-down hardwood goes slower than click-together floating floors. Turn that into hours per square foot and multiply by the wage you actually pay, payroll costs included. Price removal and floor prep as their own steps.
Material from public prices. Price flooring, underlayment, adhesive or fasteners, and trim from current retail or list prices you can look up. Add waste for cuts, pattern direction and bad boards. Diagonal layouts and small rooms waste more.
Overhead, profit and contingency. Add your overhead and a profit you decided on ahead of time, as separate lines over direct cost. Carry a contingency for what you find under the old floor, like soft spots, high spots or old adhesive.
First-job checklist
- Existing floor, and who removes and hauls it
- Subfloor flatness and moisture
- Underlayment or vapor barrier the product requires
- Transitions, thresholds and baseboard or shoe molding
- Door clearances and appliance moves
- Time for the material to acclimate, if the maker calls for it
Common mistakes
- Leaving out removal and disposal
- Forgetting floor leveling until the old floor is up
- Ordering exactly the measured area with no waste
- Missing transitions and trim in the material list