Flooring Installation Contractors Ranked by Homeowners
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New Flooring Changes How a Room Feels — and What It’s Worth
Flooring is one of the most visible upgrades you can make in any room. It isn't part of the Zonda Cost vs. Value Report, but homes with wood floors tend to sell faster and for as much as 10% more, per a National Wood Flooring Association survey of real estate agents. Whether you’re covering worn carpet, cracked tile, or hardwood that’s been sanded one too many times, the right flooring choice pays off in both daily comfort and resale value.
National Wood Flooring Association (woodfloors.org), real estate agent survey.
What Are the Main Flooring Installation Projects, and What Does Each Cost?
Every project below is priced as an installed national range covering labor and materials. The table lists them at a glance; the cards underneath add scope, timeline, and what pushes a job toward the top of its range. Local labor rates move these figures — your city page carries the adjusted numbers.
Project Type
Typical Cost
Notes
Hardwood Installation
$8–$14/sq ft
Solid or engineered hardwood flooring
LVP / LVT Installation
$4–$8/sq ft
Luxury vinyl plank or tile — durable, waterproof
Tile Installation
$7–$15/sq ft
Ceramic, porcelain, or natural stone
Carpet Installation
$3–$7/sq ft
Standard to premium carpet with pad
Hardwood Refinishing
$3–$6/sq ft
Sand, stain, and refinish existing hardwood — lowest cost, big visual impact
Laminate Installation
$3–$6/sq ft
Budget-friendly laminate flooring
Hardwood Installation
$8–$14/sq ft
Solid hardwood is nailed or glued directly to the subfloor; engineered hardwood floats or glues over a wider range of subfloor types, including some below-grade spaces solid can't handle. A typical room takes 1–3 days, plus a waiting period before heavy furniture returns if finish is applied on-site. The premium choice for resale value and longevity — hardwood can be refinished multiple times over decades rather than replaced.
LVP / LVT Installation
$4–$8/sq ft
Luxury vinyl plank or tile clicks together over most existing subfloors, including concrete and old vinyl, without the moisture restrictions hardwood has. Most rooms install in 1–2 days. The practical pick for kitchens, bathrooms, and basements — genuinely waterproof, and durable enough for pets and high traffic.
Tile Installation
$7–$15/sq ft
Ceramic, porcelain, or natural stone tile set in mortar or adhesive, typically 2–4 days per room including grout cure time before the floor sees regular use. The standard choice for bathrooms and entryways where water resistance and durability matter most; porcelain now convincingly mimics wood or stone at a lower long-term maintenance cost than natural stone.
Carpet Installation
$3–$7/sq ft
New carpet and pad installed over the existing subfloor, usually a single day for most rooms since there's no cure time involved. Still the most comfortable and quietest option for bedrooms, and the lowest per-square-foot flooring material on this list. Not recommended for kitchens, bathrooms, or other moisture-prone areas.
Hardwood Refinishing
$3–$6/sq ft
Sanding down and re-staining or re-sealing existing hardwood rather than replacing it — a 2–4 day job including dry time, and the floor can't be walked on normally until the finish cures. Delivers one of the best value-per-dollar options on this list since it's a fraction of new-floor cost for a comparable visual result. Only works if the existing hardwood has enough wood left above the tongue-and-groove to sand safely — ask your contractor to check wear depth first.
Laminate Installation
$3–$6/sq ft
A photographic wear layer over a composite core, clicking together over an underlayment much like LVP — most rooms finish in 1–2 days. The budget-friendly way to get a wood or stone look, though it's less water-tolerant than LVP, making it a better fit for living rooms and bedrooms than kitchens or baths.
Which Flooring Installation Companies Rank Highest?
These companies are ordered by their real customer rating, taken from public review platforms and dated when we recorded it. It is not an editorial score and not a ranking of build quality — most ratings describe a single branch listing, so read the scope note on each company’s review page before comparing.
Design Center on Wheels: 3,000+ samples in your home. Strong rating across 250+ franchises.
Remy's Take
Floor Coverings International operates as a franchise network with its signature "Design Center on Wheels" mobile showroom bringing samples to your home. Because it's a franchise model, review quality varies meaningfully by which local franchisee serves your area — check reviews for your specific local franchise, not just the parent brand.
4-Part Lifetime Guarantee including pet damage. 5-day install promise in MI, IN, OH, IL, KY.
Remy's Take
Refloor's 4-Part Lifetime Guarantee (including pet damage) and 5-day install promise stand out in the Midwest markets (MI, IN, OH, IL, KY) it serves. Reviews heavily credit individual named sales reps and installers for a smooth, well-explained process — ask for your assigned rep's name and confirm scheduling directly with them.
75+ markets nationwide. Next-day carpet installation for in-stock styles.
Remy's Take
Empire Today's core pitch is convenience — a shop-at-home consultation with next-day installation available in most markets, and the widest in-stock material selection of any national flooring retailer. Reviews are split: installer-day experiences are frequently praised, while a recurring pattern involves slow warranty/service response on product issues discovered after installation. Get warranty terms and a direct service contact in writing at the time of sale.
Shop-at-home flooring with a Gold Star Installation Warranty and a 50%-credit upgrade program. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic focus.
Remy's Take
50Floor brings flooring samples directly to your home for selection and quoting, backed by a Gold Star Installation Warranty and a distinctive "Love Your Floors" program that credits 50% of your flooring cost toward a future upgrade. As with any shop-at-home flooring purchase, get your installation timeline and warranty terms confirmed in writing before you sign.
Same-week installation in AZ, TX, NV, NM, OK, CA. Lifetime labor warranty on all installs.
Remy's Take
Express Flooring serves the Southwest (AZ, TX, NV, NM, OK, CA) with same-week installation in most markets and a lifetime labor warranty. Reviews consistently praise installer professionalism and job speed; note that their stain warranty requires proof of annual professional cleaning, so keep those receipts.
Best shop-at-home flooring brand in the Northeast. Deep New England installer network.
Remy's Take
National Floors Direct built its brand in the Northeast with a "We Bring the Store to Your Door" shop-at-home model and a 15%-below-competitors price guarantee, but its confirmed active footprint now reaches well into Florida and Houston, TX too — broader than the Northeast framing suggests. Reviews are positive on sales-rep knowledge and installation speed, with a recurring theme around missed or rescheduled appointments — confirm your install date in writing and build in some schedule flexibility.
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What This Work Looks Like
Illustrative photography of this kind of installation — not photographs of jobs booked through us. Treat them as a reference for finish, scale and the visible components of the job, rather than a portfolio of work our partners completed. Your written quote should list the specification, not just images.
Homes with wood floors tend to sell faster and for as much as 10% more, according to a National Wood Flooring Association survey of real estate agents — flooring isn't part of the Zonda Cost vs. Value Report, but hardwood consistently ranks as a top-10 most-wanted feature for buyers (NAHB). The companies below are shown in order of their real customer rating, sourced from public review platforms.
✍ Reviewed by the Remodel Your Home editorial teamUpdated: August 19, 2026
Flooring Contractors, Floor Installation and What Drives the Quote
Flooring contractors, flooring installation and floor installers all describe the same service, but flooring is the one trade where the retailer and the installer are frequently different businesses with different incentives — and that shapes the price you are shown.
The advertised figure is almost always material only. Subfloor preparation, levelling, removal of the existing floor, stairs and furniture moving are commonly quoted separately, and the national advertisers carve them out explicitly in their own footnotes. A quote that comes in well above the per-square-foot number you found online is usually pricing that work.
On material: luxury vinyl plank genuinely wins on water resistance, while laminate often wins on scratch resistance and price for the performance. Anyone declaring one the universal winner is selling that one. The right answer depends on the room, whether there are pets, and budget.
Ask any flooring company for an all-in written price including subfloor prep and take-up. That single question resolves most of the gap between quotes.
Which States Do You Cover for Flooring Installation?
We cover 37 states and 100 metros. Pick your state for local costs, permit requirements and the top-rated companies serving your market.
These are the questions homeowners ask most often before starting this project - what it costs, how long it takes, what a fair quote looks like and which details change the price. Each answer below is written to stand on its own, so you can read just the one you need.
Flooring isn't tracked by the Zonda Cost vs. Value Report, but a National Wood Flooring Association survey of real estate agents found wood floors sell faster and for as much as 10% more. Refinishing existing hardwood is the lowest-cost way to get that value. New hardwood installation and LVP are increasingly accepted by buyers as well.
A single room takes 1 day. A whole-home LVP or carpet installation takes 2–4 days. Hardwood requires 48–72 hours of acclimation before installation.
LVP can be installed over most hard surfaces without removal. Carpet should always be removed. Hardwood and tile require a clean, level subfloor.
Hardwood has higher resale value and longevity (50+ years with refinishing). LVP is waterproof, more durable for families with kids or pets, and significantly cheaper.
Most flooring contractors offer financing, including promotional 0% periods for qualified buyers. Ask about terms during your free estimate.
Visible water damage, deep scratches or gouges that can't be refinished, squeaking or soft spots in the subfloor, and outdated styles that hurt resale value are the most common triggers.
LVP and laminate are common DIY options for confident homeowners. Hardwood, tile, and carpet stretching typically require professional tools and experience to avoid costly mistakes.
What Should You Know Before Getting Flooring Installation Quotes?
Get Prices from Top-Ranked Flooring Installation Contractors
✨ Visual Inspiration
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