Hardwood flooring cost in Louisiana
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (500 sq ft)
- $4,800 – $11,000
- Per sq ft
- $9.65 – $22
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −12%
- US $9,000
- Metros covered
- 9
Across Louisiana, a hardwood floor costs about $4,800 to $11,000 for 500 sq ft. Statewide, that midpoint is 12% below the US figure of $9,000. Carpenters earn a median $24.00 an hour in Louisiana (US: $29.12).
Inside Louisiana, the metros we cover range from $7,750 (Lake Charles) to $8,150 (Baton Rouge) 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 Louisiana (statewide), standard level
$6,700 to $9,150
About $13.50 to $18.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 38% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,100 | $5,750 |
| Labor | $2,600 | $3,400 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $6,700 | $9,150 |
Cost breakdown for 500 sq ft in Louisiana
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,800 | $4,900 | $7,050 | 62% |
| Labor | $2,000 | $3,000 | $4,000 | 38% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $4,800 | $7,900 | $11,000 | 100% |
Basic, standard or premium: Louisiana 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
$4,800 to $7,300
Standard solid oak, simple layout
Standard
$6,700 to $9,150
Wider planks or a better grade, some stairs
Premium
$8,550 to $11,000
Exotic species, herringbone or complex layout
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| one room (200 sq ft) | $1,950 – $2,900 | $2,650 – $3,650 | $3,400 – $4,400 |
| main floor (500 sq ft) | $4,800 – $7,300 | $6,700 – $9,150 | $8,550 – $11,000 |
| whole house (1,200 sq ft) | $11,600 – $17,500 | $16,000 – $22,000 | $20,500 – $26,500 |
Related projects, priced for Louisiana
Each project weights the trades differently, so Louisiana's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, kitchen remodel is −8% and laminate flooring −16%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate flooring | 500 sq ft | $1,650 – $5,950 | −16% |
| Tile flooring | 200 sq ft | $2,000 – $8,950 | −12% |
| Kitchen remodel | 120 sq ft | $17,100 – $29,000 | −8% |
| Bathroom remodel | 45 sq ft | $4,250 – $21,200 | −9% |
Louisiana against its neighbors
Louisiana ranks 48 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. Louisiana sits at $7,900. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 130 miles away | $4,950 – $11,300 | $8,150 | +3% |
| Alabama | 310 miles away | $4,800 – $11,000 | $7,900 | level |
| Texas | 360 miles away | $4,950 – $11,300 | $8,150 | +3% |
| Arkansas | 360 miles away | $4,750 – $10,900 | $7,800 | −2% |
| Tennessee | 460 miles away | $5,000 – $11,500 | $8,250 | +4% |
Louisiana labor market for hardwood floor
Louisiana'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 0.80 times the national level.
Carpenters (47-2031), 70% of the weighting: a median of $24.00 an hour, 18% below the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $21.03 and $28.72 an hour. About 8,990 work in the state. That is 46.5 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 $20.32 an hour, 25% below the US median of $27.15. The middle half of them earn between $19.36 and $21.53 an hour. About 70 work in the state. That is 0.4 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 ($28.72 an hour) would add about $430 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($21.03) would take off about $270. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 1,934,900 jobs across Louisiana (May 2025), which is 1.2% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 70% | $21.03 | $24.00 | $28.72 | $29.12 | 0.82 | state |
| Floor layers (except carpet, wood and hard tiles) (47-2042) | 30% | $19.36 | $20.32 | $21.53 | $27.15 | 0.75 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.80 | |||||
Hardwood flooring cost by metro in Louisiana
1 of the 9 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $7,900, and the top-to-bottom gap is 5%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | $5,000 – $11,400 | $8,150 | +3% |
| New Orleans, LA | $4,800 – $11,000 | $7,950 | level |
| Monroe, LA | $4,750 – $10,900 | $7,850 | −1% |
| Slidell, LA | $4,750 – $10,900 | $7,850 | −1% |
| Houma, LA | $4,750 – $10,900 | $7,850 | −1% |
| Lafayette, LA | $4,750 – $10,900 | $7,800 | −1% |
| Shreveport, LA | $4,750 – $10,900 | $7,800 | −2% |
| Alexandria, LA | $4,700 – $10,900 | $7,800 | −2% |
| Lake Charles, LA | $4,700 – $10,800 | $7,750 | −2% |
Why two Louisiana 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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Hardwood flooring in Louisiana: your questions
+How much does it cost to install hardwood flooring in Louisiana?
$4,800 to $11,000 for 500 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Louisiana can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Louisiana is cheapest for hardwood floor?
Lake Charles at about $7,750 (midpoint, 500 sq ft). The priciest is Baton Rouge at $8,150.
+Is hardwood floor cheaper in Louisiana than the US average?
It is 12% cheaper: $7,900 against $9,000 for 500 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Louisiana?
About 38% ($3,000). Materials are 62%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.80x the national wage level.
+What do carpenters earn in Louisiana?
The BLS statewide median is $24.00 an hour, against $29.12 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.03 to $28.72.
+Where does Louisiana rank for hardwood floor costs?
48th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $7,900 for 500 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium hardwood floor work cost in Louisiana?
For 500 sq ft, basic work runs $4,800 to $7,300 and premium work $8,550 to $11,000. Basic means: standard solid oak, simple layout. Premium means: exotic species, herringbone or complex layout.
Hardwood flooring by city in Louisiana
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.