Hardwood flooring cost in Colorado
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (500 sq ft)
- $5,400 – $12,300
- Per sq ft
- $11 – $24.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −2%
- US $9,000
- Metros covered
- 7
Colorado prices for hardwood floor: $5,400 to $12,300 for 500 sq ft, or $11 to $24.50 per sq ft without the permit. The state midpoint is 2% below the national one. Local wages for carpenters are $30.21 an hour.
Inside Colorado, the metros we cover range from $8,400 (Pueblo) to $9,050 (Denver) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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Estimated cost for 500 sq ft in Colorado (statewide), standard level
$7,450 to $10,200
About $15 to $20.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 41% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,300 | $6,050 |
| Labor | $3,150 | $4,150 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $7,450 | $10,200 |
Cost breakdown for 500 sq ft in Colorado
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,950 | $5,200 | $7,400 | 59% |
| Labor | $2,450 | $3,650 | $4,850 | 41% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $5,400 | $8,800 | $12,300 | 100% |
Colorado against its neighbors
Colorado ranks 20 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for hardwood floor, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $11,100 and the cheapest Oklahoma at $7,700, both for 500 sq ft at the midpoint. Colorado sits at $8,800. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 120 miles away | $5,250 – $11,900 | $8,600 | −3% |
| New Mexico | 340 miles away | $5,250 – $12,000 | $8,650 | −2% |
| Utah | 410 miles away | $5,050 – $11,500 | $8,300 | −6% |
| South Dakota | 440 miles away | $5,050 – $11,500 | $8,250 | −6% |
| Kansas | 450 miles away | $5,100 – $11,600 | $8,300 | −6% |
Colorado labor market for hardwood floor
Colorado's labor line is priced from 2 trades, each compared with its US median wage. After weighting by each trade's share of the work, the state comes out at 0.97 times the national level.
Carpenters (47-2031), 70% of the weighting: a median of $30.21 an hour, 4% above the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $24.97 and $35.78 an hour. About 12,740 work in the state. That is 44.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
Floor layers (except carpet, wood and hard tiles) (47-2042), 30% of the weighting: a median of $22.13 an hour, 18% below the US median of $27.15. The middle half of them earn between $21.31 and $28.18 an hour. About 240 work in the state. That is 0.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 1.5 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for carpenters ($35.78 an hour) would add about $500 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($24.97) would take off about $470. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 2,873,900 jobs across Colorado (May 2025), which is 1.8% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 70% | $24.97 | $30.21 | $35.78 | $29.12 | 1.04 | state |
| Floor layers (except carpet, wood and hard tiles) (47-2042) | 30% | $21.31 | $22.13 | $28.18 | $27.15 | 0.82 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.97 | |||||
Other Colorado jobs that often go with hardwood floor
Each project weights the trades differently, so Colorado's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, bathroom remodel is +1% and laminate flooring −6%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate flooring | 500 sq ft | $1,850 – $6,600 | −6% |
| Tile flooring | 200 sq ft | $2,450 – $10,000 | +1% |
| Kitchen remodel | 120 sq ft | $18,400 – $31,400 | level |
| Bathroom remodel | 45 sq ft | $4,750 – $23,500 | +1% |
Hardwood flooring cost by metro in Colorado
1 of the 7 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $8,800, and the top-to-bottom gap is 8%. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (500 sq ft) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO | $5,550 – $12,600 | $9,050 | +3% |
| Grand Junction, CO | $5,250 – $11,900 | $8,550 | −3% |
| Boulder, CO | $5,200 – $11,900 | $8,550 | −3% |
| Fort Collins, CO | $5,200 – $11,800 | $8,500 | −4% |
| Greeley, CO | $5,150 – $11,800 | $8,450 | −4% |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $5,150 – $11,700 | $8,450 | −4% |
| Pueblo, CO | $5,100 – $11,700 | $8,400 | −5% |
Basic, standard or premium: Colorado prices
Bands overlap on purpose, since a good standard job can cost as much as a light premium one. Below are the three bands for the default size, then a grid from one room (200 sq ft) to whole house (1,200 sq ft).
Basic
$5,400 to $8,150
Standard solid oak, simple layout
Standard
$7,450 to $10,200
Wider planks or a better grade, some stairs
Premium
$9,500 to $12,300
Exotic species, herringbone or complex layout
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| one room (200 sq ft) | $2,150 – $3,250 | $3,000 – $4,100 | $3,800 – $4,900 |
| main floor (500 sq ft) | $5,400 – $8,150 | $7,450 – $10,200 | $9,500 – $12,300 |
| whole house (1,200 sq ft) | $12,900 – $19,500 | $17,900 – $24,500 | $22,800 – $29,400 |
Why two Colorado quotes can differ
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.
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Detailed hardwood flooring report for Colorado, $9
The report lays out the hardwood flooring numbers for Colorado line by line, with the local wage and price inputs, permit and timing notes, a quote comparison sheet and the full method. Save your estimate above, preview page 1 free, and unlock the full report for $9 one-time, or get every report with CostLocal Pro.
Hardwood flooring in Colorado: your questions
+How much does it cost to install hardwood flooring in Colorado?
$5,400 to $12,300 for 500 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Colorado can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Colorado is cheapest for hardwood floor?
Pueblo at about $8,400 (midpoint, 500 sq ft). The priciest is Denver at $9,050.
+Is hardwood floor cheaper in Colorado than the US average?
It is 2% cheaper: $8,800 against $9,000 for 500 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Colorado?
About 41% ($3,650). Materials are 59%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.97x the national wage level.
+What do carpenters earn in Colorado?
The BLS statewide median is $30.21 an hour, against $29.12 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $24.97 to $35.78.
+Where does Colorado rank for hardwood floor costs?
20th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $8,800 for 500 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium hardwood floor work cost in Colorado?
For 500 sq ft, basic work runs $5,400 to $8,150 and premium work $9,500 to $12,300. Basic means: standard solid oak, simple layout. Premium means: exotic species, herringbone or complex layout.
Hardwood flooring by city in Colorado
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.