Hardwood floor installation prices will vary a great deal depending on where you live, the type of flooring you are installing and how much cutting and fitting you need to do. For example, the picture on the left shows a fireplace that needs to have the floor fitted around it. While it is not that difficult to do, it does take time with the extra cutting and fitting and it must be done right. After all the fireplace is the focal point of the room and any mistakes will be noticed by virtually everyone. There are many examples that will affect the installation price. Discuss your plans and the details with your souse and of course the contractor to make sure that you have a clear idea of what the finished product is going to look like.
Hardwood Floor Installation Price – Price Factors
Here are a few that you may have to take into account:
- Square feet of flooring to be installed
- Fireplace cutouts as shown in the picture
- Hot and cold air registers, while pretty standard, still need to be accounted for
- Irregular rooms with angles or curving walls
- Many doorways
- Interface with other types of flooring
- Type of hardwood that is being installed
- Addition of a supporting subfloor if needed
- Removal of existing flooring
- Preparation of subfloor
- Repair of joists and support structure if needed
- Stairways
- Curved stairways require a lot more time and effort
- Cutting hardwood outdoors extends walking time
- Cutting hardwood indoors increases clean up costs
- Any unusual flooring, room size, etc in your home
While this may not be an all inclusive list, readers can quickly see that the hardwood floor installation price can vary a great deal depending on what you have to deal with.
Professional Installation vs. Do It Yourself
Most handy men can install hardwood floors themselves and save a great deal on the overall cost of your new floor. You may have to purchase or rent a few tools to make the job easier, however the money you save will more than pay for these tools. Take your time, watch YouTube videos and read lots on line. We find that many hardwood flooring suppliers will also provide courses for people planning to do their own floors. They do this to enhance their sales value and entice you to purchase the materials from them. Even if you make a few mistakes and have to redo some portions of your floor, it is still al lot cheaper than paying for someone to install the floor for you.
Using a professional to lay a hardwood floor can save a great deal of time. Compared to working evenings and weekends, have a floor installed over one or two days is preferred by many people. They do not want to put up with the mess for several weeks or longer and they want it done right. They may not also have the skills, the tools and the patience to try installing a floor themselves.
Purchasing Your Floor Materials and Installation From Your Supplier
Many suppliers either will have their own installation teams that they provide for a price to install a floor. They are either on staff or they are preferred installers with an excellent record of quality workmanship. The time to negotiate the overall price including installation is before you agree to the hardwood. Combining negotiations for the price of the hardwood and the installation can sometimes get you a better price.
Don’t buy the argument that they cannot negotiate on installation price, because the installer is not available or does not vary his price. Be prepared to walk away unless they are willing to reduce the price offered from the initial deal. It may take some tough negotiating. But after all you do not have to cut the deal until you are totally satisfied. Compare prices and compare reputation and work quality. If you need to or feel it is in your best interest, ask to speak to previous customers to confirm satisfaction levels. Also check on line for any comments that may be available.
Do your homework and there is a better chance that you will be totally satisfied with the hardwood floor installation price, the quality of the wood and the quality of the installation. After all, you will have this floor for many years and consumers want something they are going to be proud of and satisfied with for many years.
January 10th, 2013 on 3:45 pm
we found that prices for hardwood floor installation were all over the map. we got three quotes and they were all so far apart that we did not which one to choose.