Hardwood flooring cost in the District of Columbia
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (500 sq ft)
- $5,750 – $13,100
- Per sq ft
- $11.50 – $26
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +4%
- US $9,000
- Metros covered
- 1
What does it cost to install hardwood flooring in the District of Columbia? Plan on $5,750 to $13,100 for 500 sq ft. Wages (1.01x the US blend), materials (price index 106.5) and permit costs (109.9) put the state above the national midpoint by 4%.
District of Columbia has one metro in our dataset, Washington, 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 District of Columbia (statewide), standard level
$7,950 to $10,900
About $16 to $21.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 40% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,650 | $6,550 |
| Labor | $3,300 | $4,300 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $7,950 | $10,900 |
Cost breakdown for 500 sq ft in District of Columbia
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $3,200 | $5,600 | $8,000 | 60% |
| Labor | $2,550 | $3,800 | $5,050 | 40% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $5,750 | $9,400 | $13,100 | 100% |
District of Columbia labor market for hardwood floor
District of Columbia'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 1.01 times the national level.
Carpenters (47-2031), 70% of the weighting: a median of $29.67 an hour, in line with the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $27.48 and $36.18 an hour. About 1,540 work in the state. That is 21.9 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
Floor layers (except carpet, wood and hard tiles) (47-2042) carry 30% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for District of Columbia, 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 ($36.18 an hour) would add about $590 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($27.48) would take off about $200. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 701,920 jobs across the District of Columbia (May 2025), which is 0.5% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 70% | $27.48 | $29.67 | $36.18 | $29.12 | 1.02 | 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% | 1.01 | |||||
Why two District of Columbia 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.
Basic, standard or premium: District of Columbia 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
$5,750 to $8,650
Standard solid oak, simple layout
Standard
$7,950 to $10,900
Wider planks or a better grade, some stairs
Premium
$10,100 to $13,100
Exotic species, herringbone or complex layout
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| one room (200 sq ft) | $2,300 – $3,450 | $3,150 – $4,350 | $4,050 – $5,200 |
| main floor (500 sq ft) | $5,750 – $8,650 | $7,950 – $10,900 | $10,100 – $13,100 |
| whole house (1,200 sq ft) | $13,700 – $20,800 | $19,000 – $26,100 | $24,300 – $31,300 |
Related projects, priced for the District of Columbia
Each project weights the trades differently, so District of Columbia's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, bathroom remodel is +14% and laminate flooring +3%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate flooring | 500 sq ft | $2,050 – $7,250 | +3% |
| Tile flooring | 200 sq ft | $2,450 – $10,500 | +4% |
| Kitchen remodel | 120 sq ft | $20,000 – $34,100 | +8% |
| Bathroom remodel | 45 sq ft | $5,350 – $26,500 | +14% |
District of Columbia against its neighbors
District of Columbia ranks 9 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. District of Columbia sits at $9,400. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 50 miles away | $5,550 – $12,600 | $9,050 | −3% |
| Virginia | 110 miles away | $5,300 – $12,100 | $8,700 | −7% |
| Pennsylvania | 110 miles away | $5,500 – $12,500 | $9,000 | −4% |
| Delaware | 110 miles away | $5,350 – $12,100 | $8,750 | −7% |
| New Jersey | 160 miles away | $5,850 – $13,300 | $9,600 | +2% |
District of Columbia metro-by-metro prices
District of Columbia has one metro in our dataset, Washington, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC | $5,550 – $12,700 | $9,150 | −3% |
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Hardwood flooring in the District of Columbia: your questions
+How much does it cost to install hardwood flooring in the District of Columbia?
$5,750 to $13,100 for 500 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside the District of Columbia can sit above or below that.
+Which city in the District of Columbia is cheapest for hardwood floor?
Washington at about $9,150 (midpoint, 500 sq ft).
+Is hardwood floor cheaper in the District of Columbia than the US average?
It is 4% more expensive: $9,400 against $9,000 for 500 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in the District of Columbia?
About 40% ($3,800). Materials are 60%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.01x the national wage level.
+What do carpenters earn in the District of Columbia?
The BLS statewide median is $29.67 an hour, against $29.12 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $27.48 to $36.18.
+Where does District of Columbia rank for hardwood floor costs?
9th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $9,400 for 500 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium hardwood floor work cost in the District of Columbia?
For 500 sq ft, basic work runs $5,750 to $8,650 and premium work $10,100 to $13,100. Basic means: standard solid oak, simple layout. Premium means: exotic species, herringbone or complex layout.
Hardwood flooring by city in the District of Columbia
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.