Hardwood flooring cost in Austin, TX
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (500 sq ft)
- $4,850 – $11,100
- Per sq ft
- $9.65 – $22
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −12%
- US $9,000
- Rank of 300 metros
- #259
- 1 = most expensive
A hardwood floor in Austin, TX usually costs $4,850 to $11,100 for 500 sq ft. That works out to about $9.65 to $22 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $1,050 less. Carpenters earn a median of $24.16 an hour in the Austin area, 17% below the US median of $29.12.
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Estimated cost for 500 sq ft in Austin, TX, standard level
$6,700 to $9,200
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 | $2,650 | $3,450 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $6,700 | $9,200 |
Cost breakdown for 500 sq ft in Austin, TX
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,800 | $4,900 | $7,050 | 62% |
| Labor | $2,000 | $3,050 | $4,050 | 38% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $4,850 | $7,950 | $11,100 | 100% |
Why Austin prices look the way they do
The wage side of the estimate leans on carpenters, who do 70% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $24.16 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Austin is 0.81 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 38% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Austin is at 93.8 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $5,250 nationally becomes $4,900 here (midpoint, 500 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 98.1: $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 Austin. The wage table below marks each row.
What local crews earn in Austin
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 Austin the blend is 0.81.
Carpenters (47-2031), 70% of the weighting: a median of $24.16 an hour, 17% below the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $23.05 and $28.01 an hour. About 2,540 work in the metro. That is 19.6 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 the Austin metro, so we used the Texas statewide median: $20.71 an hour against $27.15 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $18.22 and $22.87 an hour.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (carpenters) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $350 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $100. That is a swing of roughly 1.3% to 4.4% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has 1,293,690 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 24th 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% | $23.05 | $24.16 | $28.01 | $29.12 | 0.83 | metro |
| Floor layers (except carpet, wood and hard tiles) (47-2042) | 30% | $18.22 | $20.71 | $22.87 | $27.15 | 0.76 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.81 | |||||
How Austin compares
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 $7,800 to $8,300 across Austin and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, TXthis page | $4,850 – $11,100 | $7,950 | |
| Killeen, TX65 miles | $4,750 – $10,900 | $7,850 | −1% |
| College Station, TX75 miles | $4,750 – $10,900 | $7,800 | −2% |
| San Antonio, TX80 miles | $4,750 – $10,900 | $7,800 | −2% |
| Waco, TX95 miles | $4,850 – $11,100 | $7,950 | level |
| Houston, TX140 miles | $5,050 – $11,600 | $8,300 | +4% |
| Texas (statewide) | $4,950 – $11,300 | $8,150 | +2% |
| United States | $5,500 – $12,500 | $9,000 | +13% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Austin ranks #259 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Austin is 2% below the Texas figure.
Elsewhere in Texas
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | 4,049,800 jobs | $5,100 – $11,700 | $8,400 | +5% |
| Houston, TX | 3,289,720 jobs | $5,050 – $11,600 | $8,300 | +4% |
| San Antonio, TX | 1,126,880 jobs | $4,750 – $10,900 | $7,800 | −2% |
| El Paso, TX | 339,120 jobs | $4,600 – $10,600 | $7,600 | −4% |
| McAllen, TX | 296,700 jobs | $4,600 – $10,600 | $7,600 | −5% |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 192,580 jobs | $4,750 – $10,900 | $7,850 | −2% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Austin against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO | 1,341,320 jobs | $6,000 – $13,500 | $9,750 | +23% |
| Portland, OR | 1,208,410 jobs | $6,050 – $13,700 | $9,900 | +24% |
| Baltimore, MD | 1,356,680 jobs | $5,500 – $12,600 | $9,050 | +13% |
| Las Vegas, NV | 1,136,960 jobs | $5,400 – $12,200 | $8,800 | +10% |
Why two Austin quotes can differ
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.
Pick a size, pick a tier: hardwood flooring pricing in Austin
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Austin. 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
$4,850 to $7,350
Standard solid oak, simple layout
Standard
$6,700 to $9,200
Wider planks or a better grade, some stairs
Premium
$8,600 to $11,100
Exotic species, herringbone or complex layout
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| one room (200 sq ft) | $1,950 – $2,950 | $2,700 – $3,700 | $3,450 – $4,450 |
| main floor (500 sq ft) | $4,850 – $7,350 | $6,700 – $9,200 | $8,600 – $11,100 |
| whole house (1,200 sq ft) | $11,600 – $17,600 | $16,100 – $22,100 | $20,600 – $26,600 |
Related projects, priced for Austin
Jobs that often go together with hardwood floor are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Austin wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, kitchen remodel comes out highest (−7%) and laminate flooring lowest (−15%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate flooring | 500 sq ft | $1,650 – $5,950 | −15% |
| Tile flooring | 200 sq ft | $2,100 – $9,150 | −9% |
| Kitchen remodel | 120 sq ft | $17,200 – $29,300 | −7% |
| Bathroom remodel | 45 sq ft | $4,300 – $21,400 | −8% |
Get 3 local quotes
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Hardwood flooring in Austin: your questions
+How much does it cost to install hardwood flooring in Austin?
For 500 sq ft, expect $4,850 to $11,100 in the Austin area. A standard-spec job lands at $6,700 to $9,200. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for hardwood floor in Austin?
About $9.65 to $22 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 Austin or Killeen?
Killeen is 65 miles away. The midpoint for 500 sq ft there is $7,850, which is 1% less than Austin ($7,950). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Austin?
About 38% at the midpoint, or $3,050 out of $7,950. Materials are 62% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 42%.
+What would main floor (500 sq ft) cost in Austin?
$4,850 to $11,100. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does hardwood floor need a permit in Austin?
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 Austin area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Austin expensive for hardwood floor compared with the rest of Texas?
Austin is 2% below the Texas statewide estimate ($8,150 at the midpoint). We cover 21 metros in Texas; see the state page to compare them.
+What do carpenters earn in Austin?
The BLS median is $24.16 an hour in the Austin area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.05 to $28.01.
+What do basic and premium hardwood floor work cost in Austin?
For 500 sq ft, basic work runs $4,850 to $7,350 and premium work $8,600 to $11,100. Basic means: standard solid oak, simple layout. Premium means: exotic species, herringbone or complex layout.
Hardwood flooring near Austin
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.