Hardwood flooring cost in Delaware
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (500 sq ft)
- $5,350 – $12,100
- Per sq ft
- $10.50 – $24.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −3%
- US $9,000
- Metros covered
- 1
What does it cost to install hardwood flooring in Delaware? Plan on $5,350 to $12,100 for 500 sq ft. Wages (0.98x the US blend), materials (price index 96.2) and permit costs (99.8) put the state below the national midpoint by 3%.
Delaware has one metro in our dataset, Dover, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas.
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Estimated cost for 500 sq ft in Delaware (statewide), standard level
$7,400 to $10,100
About $15 to $20 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 42% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,200 | $5,900 |
| Labor | $3,200 | $4,200 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $7,400 | $10,100 |
Cost breakdown for 500 sq ft in Delaware
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,900 | $5,050 | $7,200 | 58% |
| Labor | $2,450 | $3,700 | $4,900 | 42% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $5,350 | $8,750 | $12,100 | 100% |
Why two Delaware 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.
Delaware metro-by-metro prices
Delaware has one metro in our dataset, Dover, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover, DE | $5,150 – $11,700 | $8,450 | −3% |
How Delaware compares with nearby states
Delaware ranks 23 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. Delaware sits at $8,750. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 60 miles away | $5,850 – $13,300 | $9,600 | +10% |
| Maryland | 60 miles away | $5,550 – $12,600 | $9,050 | +4% |
| Pennsylvania | 100 miles away | $5,500 – $12,500 | $9,000 | +3% |
| District of Columbia | 110 miles away | $5,750 – $13,100 | $9,400 | +7% |
| New York | 150 miles away | $6,100 – $13,900 | $10,000 | +14% |
Delaware labor market for hardwood floor
Delaware'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 0.98 times the national level.
Carpenters (47-2031), 70% of the weighting: a median of $28.46 an hour, in line with the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $23.35 and $36.24 an hour. About 2,250 work in the state. That is 46.4 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) carry 30% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for Delaware, so we used the national median: $27.15 an hour against $27.15 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $21.95 and $35.50 an hour.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for carpenters ($36.24 an hour) would add about $700 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($23.35) would take off about $460. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 484,790 jobs across Delaware (May 2025), which is 0.3% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 70% | $23.35 | $28.46 | $36.24 | $29.12 | 0.98 | state |
| Floor layers (except carpet, wood and hard tiles) (47-2042) | 30% | $21.95 | $27.15 | $35.50 | $27.15 | 1.00 | US |
| Blended | 100% | 0.98 | |||||
Related projects, priced for Delaware
Each project weights the trades differently, so Delaware's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, bathroom remodel is −1% and kitchen remodel −3%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate flooring | 500 sq ft | $1,950 – $6,850 | −2% |
| Tile flooring | 200 sq ft | $2,350 – $9,700 | −2% |
| Kitchen remodel | 120 sq ft | $17,900 – $30,500 | −3% |
| Bathroom remodel | 45 sq ft | $4,650 – $23,000 | −1% |
Basic, standard or premium: Delaware 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
$5,350 to $8,050
Standard solid oak, simple layout
Standard
$7,400 to $10,100
Wider planks or a better grade, some stairs
Premium
$9,400 to $12,100
Exotic species, herringbone or complex layout
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| one room (200 sq ft) | $2,150 – $3,200 | $2,950 – $4,050 | $3,750 – $4,850 |
| main floor (500 sq ft) | $5,350 – $8,050 | $7,400 – $10,100 | $9,400 – $12,100 |
| whole house (1,200 sq ft) | $12,800 – $19,300 | $17,700 – $24,200 | $22,600 – $29,100 |
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Detailed hardwood flooring report for Delaware, $9
The report lays out the hardwood flooring numbers for Delaware 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 Delaware: your questions
+How much does it cost to install hardwood flooring in Delaware?
$5,350 to $12,100 for 500 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Delaware can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Delaware is cheapest for hardwood floor?
Dover at about $8,450 (midpoint, 500 sq ft).
+Is hardwood floor cheaper in Delaware than the US average?
It is 3% cheaper: $8,750 against $9,000 for 500 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Delaware?
About 42% ($3,700). Materials are 58%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.98x the national wage level.
+What do carpenters earn in Delaware?
The BLS statewide median is $28.46 an hour, against $29.12 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.35 to $36.24.
+Where does Delaware rank for hardwood floor costs?
23rd most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $8,750 for 500 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium hardwood floor work cost in Delaware?
For 500 sq ft, basic work runs $5,350 to $8,050 and premium work $9,400 to $12,100. Basic means: standard solid oak, simple layout. Premium means: exotic species, herringbone or complex layout.
Hardwood flooring by city in Delaware
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.