Hardwood flooring cost: national prices and local ranges
Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- US range (500 sq ft)
- $5,500 – $12,500
- Per sq ft
- $11 – $25
- materials and labor
- Cheapest metro
- $7,300
- Brownsville, TX
- Priciest metro
- $11,500
- Honolulu, HI
A hardwood floor runs $5,500 to $12,500 nationally for 500 sq ft, or $11 to $25 per sq ft for materials and labor. Where you live moves that number a lot: across 300 metros the midpoint runs from $7,300 in Brownsville, TX to $11,500 in Honolulu, HI.
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Estimated cost for 500 sq ft in the US average, standard level
$7,600 to $10,400
About $15 to $21 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 42% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,350 | $6,150 |
| Labor | $3,250 | $4,250 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $7,600 | $10,400 |
Cost breakdown for 500 sq ft in the US
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $3,000 | $5,250 | $7,500 | 58% |
| Labor | $2,500 | $3,750 | $5,000 | 42% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $5,500 | $9,000 | $12,500 | 100% |
What basic, standard and premium mean
Basic
$5,500 to $8,300
Standard solid oak, simple layout
Standard
$7,600 to $10,400
Wider planks or a better grade, some stairs
Premium
$9,700 to $12,500
Exotic species, herringbone or complex layout
Cost by size and quality level
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| one room (200 sq ft) | $2,200 – $3,300 | $3,050 – $4,150 | $3,900 – $5,000 |
| main floor (500 sq ft) | $5,500 – $8,300 | $7,600 – $10,400 | $9,700 – $12,500 |
| whole house (1,200 sq ft) | $13,200 – $19,900 | $18,200 – $25,000 | $23,300 – $30,000 |
How a hardwood floor job goes, step by step
- Acclimate the wood. Boards sit in the room for several days so their moisture matches the house.
- Prepare the subfloor. Old flooring comes up; the subfloor must be flat, dry and solid.
- Nail, glue, or float. Solid hardwood is typically nailed; engineered boards can be glued or floated.
- Sand and finish, if unfinished. Site-finished floors are sanded and coated in several steps, with curing time before furniture goes back.
What changes the price of a hardwood floor
Solid versus engineered
Solid hardwood is $11-$25 per sq ft installed and engineered hardwood is $9-$20 (HomeGuide).
Materials and labor
Materials are $6-$15 per sq ft and installation labor adds $3-$10 per sq ft.
Layout
Room shape, stairs and installation method change the labor side.
Permit
Flooring rarely needs a permit, so no permit fee is included in this estimate.
Wages behind the national estimate
Carpenters (47-2031) do the largest share of the work, about 70% of the weighting. Their national median is $29.12 an hour. Among 300 metros with a published figure, the median runs from $17.13 in Brownsville, TX to $45.34 in Honolulu, HI, and the middle metro sits at $27.19. That ratio between the high and low end is 2.65 to 1, and it feeds straight into the labor line of the estimate.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 70% | $23.32 | $29.12 | $36.94 | $29.12 | 1.00 | US |
| Floor layers (except carpet, wood and hard tiles) (47-2042) | 30% | $21.95 | $27.15 | $35.50 | $27.15 | 1.00 | US |
| Blended | 100% | 1.00 | |||||
How much the price varies by city
The national midpoint of $9,000 hides a wide spread. 21 of 300 metros come in at least 10% higher and 57 at least 10% lower; 222 land in between. The cheapest, Brownsville, is at $7,300, and the dearest, Honolulu, at $11,500. Half of all metros are above $8,500.
Most expensive metros for hardwood floor
| Metro | Range | Midpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | $7,100 – $15,900 | $11,500 |
| San Jose, CA | $6,850 – $15,300 | $11,100 |
| San Francisco, CA | $6,850 – $15,300 | $11,100 |
| Kahului, HI | $6,750 – $15,200 | $11,000 |
| Anchorage, AK | $6,550 – $14,700 | $10,600 |
| Chicago, IL | $6,500 – $14,600 | $10,500 |
| Boston, MA | $6,450 – $14,400 | $10,400 |
| Napa, CA | $6,300 – $14,200 | $10,200 |
| New York, NY | $6,250 – $14,200 | $10,200 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $6,300 – $14,200 | $10,200 |
Least expensive metros for hardwood floor
| Metro | Range | Midpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Brownsville, TX | $4,400 – $10,200 | $7,300 |
| Fort Smith, AR | $4,550 – $10,600 | $7,550 |
| Laredo, TX | $4,600 – $10,600 | $7,600 |
| McAllen, TX | $4,600 – $10,600 | $7,600 |
| El Paso, TX | $4,600 – $10,600 | $7,600 |
| Texarkana, TX | $4,600 – $10,600 | $7,650 |
| Jonesboro, AR | $4,600 – $10,600 | $7,650 |
| Albany, GA | $4,600 – $10,700 | $7,650 |
| Abilene, TX | $4,650 – $10,700 | $7,650 |
| Lubbock, TX | $4,650 – $10,700 | $7,650 |
Hardwood flooring cost by state
| State | Range (500 sq ft) | Midpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $4,800 – $11,000 | $7,900 |
| Alaska | $6,550 – $14,700 | $10,600 |
| Arizona | $5,150 – $11,700 | $8,450 |
| Arkansas | $4,750 – $10,900 | $7,800 |
| California | $6,200 – $14,000 | $10,100 |
| Colorado | $5,400 – $12,300 | $8,800 |
| Connecticut | $5,400 – $12,300 | $8,850 |
| Delaware | $5,350 – $12,100 | $8,750 |
| District of Columbia | $5,750 – $13,100 | $9,400 |
| Florida | $5,150 – $11,800 | $8,450 |
| Georgia | $5,000 – $11,500 | $8,250 |
| Hawaii | $6,850 – $15,300 | $11,100 |
| Idaho | $5,150 – $11,700 | $8,450 |
| Illinois | $6,350 – $14,200 | $10,300 |
| Indiana | $5,350 – $12,100 | $8,750 |
| Iowa | $5,200 – $11,800 | $8,500 |
| Kansas | $5,100 – $11,600 | $8,300 |
| Kentucky | $5,050 – $11,600 | $8,350 |
| Louisiana | $4,800 – $11,000 | $7,900 |
| Maine | $5,400 – $12,300 | $8,850 |
| Maryland | $5,550 – $12,600 | $9,050 |
| Massachusetts | $6,200 – $13,900 | $10,000 |
| Michigan | $5,300 – $12,000 | $8,650 |
| Minnesota | $5,700 – $12,900 | $9,250 |
| Mississippi | $4,950 – $11,300 | $8,150 |
| Missouri | $5,350 – $12,200 | $8,800 |
| Montana | $5,100 – $11,600 | $8,350 |
| Nebraska | $5,050 – $11,500 | $8,250 |
| Nevada | $5,450 – $12,400 | $8,900 |
| New Hampshire | $5,500 – $12,400 | $8,950 |
| New Jersey | $5,850 – $13,300 | $9,600 |
| New Mexico | $5,250 – $12,000 | $8,650 |
| New York | $6,100 – $13,900 | $10,000 |
| North Carolina | $5,000 – $11,500 | $8,250 |
| North Dakota | $5,200 – $11,800 | $8,500 |
| Ohio | $5,350 – $12,100 | $8,750 |
| Oklahoma | $4,650 – $10,800 | $7,700 |
| Oregon | $5,700 – $13,000 | $9,400 |
| Pennsylvania | $5,500 – $12,500 | $9,000 |
| Rhode Island | $5,400 – $12,300 | $8,850 |
| South Carolina | $5,000 – $11,500 | $8,250 |
| South Dakota | $5,050 – $11,500 | $8,250 |
| Tennessee | $5,000 – $11,500 | $8,250 |
| Texas | $4,950 – $11,300 | $8,150 |
| Utah | $5,050 – $11,500 | $8,300 |
| Vermont | $5,400 – $12,300 | $8,850 |
| Virginia | $5,300 – $12,100 | $8,700 |
| Washington | $6,050 – $13,600 | $9,850 |
| West Virginia | $4,900 – $11,300 | $8,100 |
| Wisconsin | $5,300 – $12,000 | $8,700 |
| Wyoming | $5,250 – $11,900 | $8,600 |
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Hardwood flooring cost: your questions
+How much does it cost to install hardwood flooring?
$5,500 to $12,500 for 500 sq ft at national prices, including a permit of $0 to $0.
+What is the average cost per sq ft?
$11 to $25 per sq ft, materials and labor. The mid-range is about $18.
+How much does the price vary by city?
A lot. The most expensive metro we cover is 57% above the cheapest for the same 500 sq ft job. The cheapest is Brownsville, TX; the priciest is Honolulu, HI.
+How much of the cost is labor?
About 42% at the national midpoint ($3,750). Materials are 58%.
+What do carpenters earn on a hardwood flooring job?
The national BLS median is $29.12 an hour for carpenters, with the middle half earning $23.32 to $36.94. Local wages are what move this estimate from town to town.
+How much more does a premium hardwood floor job cost than a basic one?
At the national level, basic runs $5,500 to $8,300 and premium $9,700 to $12,500 for 500 sq ft. Basic means: standard solid oak, simple layout. Premium means: exotic species, herringbone or complex layout.
Related projects
Largest metros: Hardwood flooring prices
- New York, NY$10,200 midpoint
- Los Angeles, CA$10,100 midpoint
- Chicago, IL$10,500 midpoint
- Dallas, TX$8,400 midpoint
- Houston, TX$8,300 midpoint
- Washington, DC$9,150 midpoint
- Philadelphia, PA$9,200 midpoint
- Atlanta, GA$8,400 midpoint
- Miami, FL$8,800 midpoint
- Boston, MA$10,400 midpoint
- Phoenix, AZ$8,500 midpoint
- San Francisco, CA$11,100 midpoint
- Seattle, WA$9,900 midpoint
- Minneapolis, MN$9,900 midpoint
- Detroit, MI$9,050 midpoint
- Riverside, CA$9,500 midpoint
- Denver, CO$9,050 midpoint
- San Diego, CA$9,950 midpoint
- Tampa, FL$8,400 midpoint
- Orlando, FL$8,350 midpoint
- Charlotte, NC$8,400 midpoint
- Baltimore, MD$9,050 midpoint
- St. Louis, MO$9,750 midpoint
- Austin, TX$7,950 midpoint
- Portland, OR$9,900 midpoint
- Las Vegas, NV$8,800 midpoint
- San Jose, CA$11,100 midpoint
- San Antonio, TX$7,800 midpoint
- Pittsburgh, PA$9,550 midpoint
- Columbus, OH$9,100 midpoint
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.