Hardwood flooring cost in Bismarck, ND
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (500 sq ft)
- $5,100 – $11,600
- Per sq ft
- $10 – $23
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −7%
- US $9,000
- Rank of 300 metros
- #174
- 1 = most expensive
A hardwood floor in Bismarck, ND usually costs $5,100 to $11,600 for 500 sq ft. That works out to about $10 to $23 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $650 less. Carpenters earn a median of $26.28 an hour in the Bismarck area, 10% below the US median of $29.12.
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Estimated cost for 500 sq ft in Bismarck, ND, standard level
$7,050 to $9,650
About $14 to $19.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 40% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,150 | $5,900 |
| Labor | $2,900 | $3,750 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $7,050 | $9,650 |
Cost breakdown for 500 sq ft in Bismarck, ND
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,850 | $5,000 | $7,200 | 60% |
| Labor | $2,200 | $3,350 | $4,450 | 40% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $5,100 | $8,350 | $11,600 | 100% |
What is behind the Bismarck number
The wage side of the estimate leans on carpenters, who do 70% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $26.28 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Bismarck is 0.89 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 40% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Bismarck is at 95.7 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $5,250 nationally becomes $5,000 here (midpoint, 500 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 91.0: $0 to $0.
Data note: 30% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Bismarck. The wage table below marks each row.
Hardwood flooring: what moves the price in Bismarck
Permit
Flooring rarely needs a permit, so no permit fee is included in this estimate.
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.
What local crews earn in Bismarck
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 2 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For Bismarck the blend is 0.89.
Carpenters (47-2031), 70% of the weighting: a median of $26.28 an hour, 10% below the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $22.75 and $30.71 an hour. About 510 work in the metro. That is 71.6 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 the Bismarck metro, so we used the North Dakota statewide median: $23.10 an hour against $27.15 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $21.06 and $31.26 an hour.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (carpenters) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $400 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $320. That is a swing of roughly 3.8% to 4.8% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Bismarck has 71,270 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 258th by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 70% | $22.75 | $26.28 | $30.71 | $29.12 | 0.90 | metro |
| Floor layers (except carpet, wood and hard tiles) (47-2042) | 30% | $21.06 | $23.10 | $31.26 | $27.15 | 0.85 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.89 | |||||
Bismarck: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Bismarck. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from one room (200 sq ft) to whole house (1,200 sq ft).
Basic
$5,100 to $7,700
Standard solid oak, simple layout
Standard
$7,050 to $9,650
Wider planks or a better grade, some stairs
Premium
$9,000 to $11,600
Exotic species, herringbone or complex layout
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| one room (200 sq ft) | $2,050 – $3,100 | $2,800 – $3,850 | $3,600 – $4,650 |
| main floor (500 sq ft) | $5,100 – $7,700 | $7,050 – $9,650 | $9,000 – $11,600 |
| whole house (1,200 sq ft) | $12,200 – $18,500 | $16,900 – $23,200 | $21,600 – $27,900 |
Is Bismarck cheap or dear? The local comparison
Contractors rarely work more than an hour or two from home, so the neighboring metros set a rough ceiling and floor for your quotes. Midpoints for 500 sq ft range from $8,250 to $8,800 across Bismarck and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bismarck, NDthis page | $5,100 – $11,600 | $8,350 | |
| Fargo, ND190 miles | $5,200 – $11,900 | $8,550 | +2% |
| Rapid City, SD210 miles | $5,050 – $11,500 | $8,300 | −1% |
| Sioux Falls, SD305 miles | $5,100 – $11,600 | $8,350 | level |
| St. Cloud, MN325 miles | $5,400 – $12,200 | $8,800 | +6% |
| Sioux City, IA380 miles | $5,050 – $11,500 | $8,250 | −1% |
| North Dakota (statewide) | $5,200 – $11,800 | $8,500 | +2% |
| United States | $5,500 – $12,500 | $9,000 | +8% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Bismarck ranks #174 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Bismarck is 2% below the North Dakota figure.
Elsewhere in North Dakota
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fargo, ND | 148,660 jobs | $5,200 – $11,900 | $8,550 | +2% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Bismarck against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redding, CA | 71,550 jobs | $6,050 – $13,700 | $9,850 | +18% |
| Lexington Park, MD | 70,650 jobs | $5,450 – $12,400 | $8,900 | +7% |
| Bozeman, MT | 72,210 jobs | $5,200 – $11,800 | $8,500 | +2% |
| Janesville, WI | 69,870 jobs | $5,700 – $12,800 | $9,250 | +11% |
What nearby projects cost in Bismarck
Jobs that often go together with hardwood floor are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Bismarck wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, kitchen remodel comes out highest (−5%) and tile flooring lowest (−10%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate flooring | 500 sq ft | $1,800 – $6,350 | −10% |
| Tile flooring | 200 sq ft | $2,000 – $9,150 | −10% |
| Kitchen remodel | 120 sq ft | $17,600 – $29,900 | −5% |
| Bathroom remodel | 45 sq ft | $4,450 – $22,000 | −6% |
Get 3 local quotes
Tell us about the job and we will try to connect you with up to three local contractors for written quotes. It is free and you are under no obligation to hire. Your estimate of $7,050 to $9,650 for Bismarck, ND is attached.
A detailed PDF report of this estimate, $9
Multi-page report for Bismarck, ND: low, typical and high cost, a line-item breakdown of materials and labor by trade, permit notes, the best months to schedule, a quote comparison sheet, red flags, questions for contractors, checklists and every source. 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 Bismarck: your questions
+How much does it cost to install hardwood flooring in Bismarck?
For 500 sq ft, expect $5,100 to $11,600 in the Bismarck area. A standard-spec job lands at $7,050 to $9,650. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for hardwood floor in Bismarck?
About $10 to $23 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $0 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $11 to $25.
+Is hardwood floor cheaper in Bismarck or Fargo?
Fargo is 190 miles away. The midpoint for 500 sq ft there is $8,550, which is 2% more than Bismarck ($8,350). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Bismarck?
About 40% at the midpoint, or $3,350 out of $8,350. Materials are 60% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 42%.
+What would main floor (500 sq ft) cost in Bismarck?
$5,100 to $11,600. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does hardwood floor need a permit in Bismarck?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $0 for fees in the Bismarck area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Bismarck expensive for hardwood floor compared with the rest of North Dakota?
Bismarck is 2% below the North Dakota statewide estimate ($8,500 at the midpoint). We cover 2 metros in North Dakota; see the state page to compare them.
+What do carpenters earn in Bismarck?
The BLS median is $26.28 an hour in the Bismarck area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.75 to $30.71.
+What do basic and premium hardwood floor work cost in Bismarck?
For 500 sq ft, basic work runs $5,100 to $7,700 and premium work $9,000 to $11,600. Basic means: standard solid oak, simple layout. Premium means: exotic species, herringbone or complex layout.
Hardwood flooring near Bismarck
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.