Going rate on wood floor install?

[SVS]

Nearly done with 500 sq. feet of 3/4" pre finished solid red oak in our living room.

The four of us (wife and our teenage kids) are starting on fifth and hopefully final day of the project. I'd call it 140 billable "man hours". Guessing 1/3 of that went to pulling carpet, 200 feet of OLD tile at one end of room, shuffling furniture and scraping/pulling eleven gazillion staples.

Didn't ask for an install quote when we bought the flooring, but I'm curious now what the going rate might be?

It's been a good, mostly fun, family project-but I wouldn't even consider doing someone else's floor for less than 10-12 bucks a foot plus materials.

I'm going to plug this 150$ Powermate floor nailer from Menards. 1900 2" L cleats without a failure I didn't cause.

Scott

 

[strutbuster]

The going rate around here for labor just laying the hardwood is $1.00 per sf.

 

[duneslider]

That would be a 1 maybe 2 day job for me alone, even quicker if I had a second guy to make cuts and keep it racked out in front of me. Not a chance anyone would pay 10-12 a foot for install.

500ft x $10 ft = $5000. Yes please!

Going rate is different all over the country. Some markets are really flooded with "cheap" labor. When I was doing it I would have been 750-1000 for the install depending on the tear out and trim replacement, etc.

 

[Dhagan887]

$3-3.50/ft labor for an open room like that. That would include carpet removal and disposal, picking up floor, shoe mold, cleanup etc. Little more for moving lots of furniture, non-typical floor prep, etc. And a lot more for running down hallways with 47 jambs and tying everything together without transitions. it's been many a moon since I've seen anybody lay it for $1.

 

[SVS]

Kinda what I figured. Glad we did this one but damn sure don't want to get in the business.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[PoorOwner]

It's like 3x faster if you have a 2nd guy cutting the pieces you mark.

Don't pull the baseboards if you can. I swear putting in new baseboards took longer than the floor. Include paint. Nail. Fill holes 2 times and sand. and touch up 2 coats, caulk. It is really time consuming. Not having shoe molding could be worth it but still.. Respect for people who get that done in a day

 

[SVS]

Got it done. Have aches in different spots than ever before. I would have eventually got done by myself, but having wife and daughter sort and rack, and son mark and cut and push/tap/pry made it infinitely better for me.

I'd hate to meet the man who can do this project in one day by himself in a dark alley.

Moulding was garbage, whole room gets new trim once a third window and new front door are in.

Comments above about cheap labor in some areas are apperently very true. Looked back at a bid for the overall project and line item for carpet removal and disposal ONLY was $600, so $1.20 per foot. Makes $3.50 total seem an incredible bargain, when getting any tradesman to just call you back takes a miracle. This part of Nebraska has a never ending building boom seemingly, and any body who is worth having is scheduled way out.

 

[jake00]

Hardwood is what my business does, the market (chicagoland( here dictates 2.50 -3.50 a foot for installing flooring. Base and shoe is extra.. In markets with less competition, you might spend 4.50 a sqft

 

[jkeyser14]

In the Baltimore area right now the going rate is $6.50-$10 per square foot for oak 3 1/4, including material.

 

[PoorOwner]

There was an ad on craigslist advertise $1 per square feet, I was never able to get him to come out the second time to install. I would have gladly paid $300 for the 300 square feet.

 

[Zippercat]

I got quotes in Nashville last October from $3.50 to $4.50 sq ft just for install. No removal or prep, no trim after. Construction market here is nuts, more work than skilled workers.

 

[Randy B]

I just did my son's best friends house nearly 1000sq.ft. in CA. he asked the store what labor would cost. It was more than he paid for material and buying me a nice Bostitch floor nailer.His flooring was 6.25 sq. ft on sale.