Hardwood flooring cost in Idaho
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (500 sq ft)
- $5,150 – $11,700
- Per sq ft
- $10.50 – $23.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −6%
- US $9,000
- Metros covered
- 3
Across Idaho, a hardwood floor costs about $5,150 to $11,700 for 500 sq ft. Statewide, that midpoint is 6% below the US figure of $9,000. Carpenters earn a median $25.00 an hour in Idaho (US: $29.12).
Inside Idaho, the metros we cover range from $8,400 (Boise) to $8,600 (Coeur d'Alene) 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 Idaho (statewide), standard level
$7,100 to $9,750
About $14 to $19.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 40% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,200 | $5,900 |
| Labor | $2,950 | $3,850 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $7,100 | $9,750 |
Cost breakdown for 500 sq ft in Idaho
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,900 | $5,050 | $7,200 | 60% |
| Labor | $2,250 | $3,400 | $4,500 | 40% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $5,150 | $8,450 | $11,700 | 100% |
Why two Idaho 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: Idaho 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
$5,150 to $7,800
Standard solid oak, simple layout
Standard
$7,100 to $9,750
Wider planks or a better grade, some stairs
Premium
$9,100 to $11,700
Exotic species, herringbone or complex layout
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| one room (200 sq ft) | $2,050 – $3,100 | $2,850 – $3,900 | $3,650 – $4,700 |
| main floor (500 sq ft) | $5,150 – $7,800 | $7,100 – $9,750 | $9,100 – $11,700 |
| whole house (1,200 sq ft) | $12,300 – $18,700 | $17,100 – $23,400 | $21,800 – $28,100 |
Idaho versus the states around it
Idaho ranks 34 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. Idaho sits at $8,450. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | 270 miles away | $5,100 – $11,600 | $8,350 | −1% |
| Utah | 280 miles away | $5,050 – $11,500 | $8,300 | −2% |
| Oregon | 350 miles away | $5,700 – $13,000 | $9,400 | +11% |
| Washington | 380 miles away | $6,050 – $13,600 | $9,850 | +16% |
| Nevada | 460 miles away | $5,450 – $12,400 | $8,900 | +6% |
Related projects, priced for Idaho
Each project weights the trades differently, so Idaho's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, laminate flooring is −5% and bathroom remodel −9%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate flooring | 500 sq ft | $1,900 – $6,650 | −5% |
| Tile flooring | 200 sq ft | $2,150 – $9,400 | −7% |
| Kitchen remodel | 120 sq ft | $17,400 – $29,700 | −6% |
| Bathroom remodel | 45 sq ft | $4,250 – $21,100 | −9% |
Wages behind the Idaho number
Idaho'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 0.90 times the national level.
Carpenters (47-2031), 70% of the weighting: a median of $25.00 an hour, 14% below the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $21.76 and $30.25 an hour. About 8,380 work in the state. That is 97.7 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, which suggests plenty of 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 Idaho, 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 ($30.25 an hour) would add about $470 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($21.76) would take off about $290. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 857,440 jobs across Idaho (May 2025), which is 0.6% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 70% | $21.76 | $25.00 | $30.25 | $29.12 | 0.86 | 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% | 0.90 | |||||
Idaho metro-by-metro prices
1 of the 3 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $8,450, and the top-to-bottom gap is 3%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | $5,250 – $12,000 | $8,600 | +2% |
| Idaho Falls, ID | $5,150 – $11,700 | $8,450 | level |
| Boise, ID | $5,100 – $11,700 | $8,400 | −1% |
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Hardwood flooring in Idaho: your questions
+How much does it cost to install hardwood flooring in Idaho?
$5,150 to $11,700 for 500 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Idaho can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Idaho is cheapest for hardwood floor?
Boise at about $8,400 (midpoint, 500 sq ft). The priciest is Coeur d'Alene at $8,600.
+Is hardwood floor cheaper in Idaho than the US average?
It is 6% cheaper: $8,450 against $9,000 for 500 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Idaho?
About 40% ($3,400). Materials are 60%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.90x the national wage level.
+What do carpenters earn in Idaho?
The BLS statewide median is $25.00 an hour, against $29.12 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.76 to $30.25.
+Where does Idaho rank for hardwood floor costs?
34th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $8,450 for 500 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium hardwood floor work cost in Idaho?
For 500 sq ft, basic work runs $5,150 to $7,800 and premium work $9,100 to $11,700. Basic means: standard solid oak, simple layout. Premium means: exotic species, herringbone or complex layout.
Hardwood flooring by city in Idaho
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.