How Much is Wood Flooring? (2023)

Trying to find out how much it costs to fit wood flooring?

The average cost of installing a wooden floor is about 500-£1900, but this will depending of the type of wood floor you choose and the size of the floor.

What does this complete cost guide cover?

In this guide we look at wood flooring prices for different materials and the cost of hiring a flooring specialist to lay the wood floor.

Knowing how much wood flooring costs per square metre makes it easy to calculate an estimate for any room.

Read on below to find out how much it will likely cost you, and if you're ready, we can get you wood flooring quotes from local solid timber fitters.

How Much is Wood Flooring?

Let's talk about the average cost for an average sized room...

For an average-sized room, you’re looking at spending £1300 to have oak wood flooring fitted. The size of the floor and type used can affect the cost.

As for types these include various forms of solid wood flooring like:

• Walnut
• Oak
• Pine
• Hickory

What other types of wood flooring are available?

Another category of floorboards, namely that of engineered wood flooring, also varies in price.

Typically, the overall engineered wood flooring cost used can be a lot more expensive than other types of wood flooring.

What can affect the overall wood flooring costs?

Additional cost affecting factors include the type of wood flooring pattern you choose and your location, as where you live in the UK can determine the price of labour.

Wood Flooring Prices

Below, you can find a table including the costs of wooden floors per square metre:

Supply Costs Only

Let’s now take a look at the cost of wood flooring materials.

This is as if you were to purchase from a retailer directly:

• £35 per m² for oak.
• £45 per m² for pine.
• £60 per m² for maple.
• £70 per m² for walnut.
• £45 per m² for cherry.
• £18 to £73 per m² for engineered wood flooring.

Wood Flooring Installation Prices

Here, are he installation costs per square metre:

Additional Costs

There are many extra jobs which you may want to have undertaken when you install wood flooring:

Replace Kitchen Units Cost

One of the focal points of a kitchen is the units it contains.

There are many designs to consider, and finding the correct option for your kitchen can be challenging. For more information on the cost of kitchen units, check out our article here.

The company which supplies the kitchen units may provide a fitting service too.

However...

You should always seek at least three quotes from different fitters before making a choice. Finding a local tradesperson with quotations is easy and straightforward.

How much extra will kitchen units cost?

For an average-sized kitchen, to have units supplied and fitted will set you back about £4000.

When it comes to a small kitchen, you can expect to pay £3200 while a large kitchen, it will cost around £5000.

Carpet Laying Cost

While having floorboards installed, you may wish to have carpet fitted in other rooms. Stone tiles and hardwood flooring may have a great aesthetic, but a carpet offers a unique, soft experience to sink your feet in after a long day of hard work!

How much should you budget for?

Between labour and material costs, to have a budget carpet fitted in an average living room with the use of existing gripper rods and underlay, will cost you around £260. If you’d like to have a budget carpet fitted to a double bedroom with new gripper rods and underlay, it will likely cost about £400.

To have the same installation work performed in a lounge will land at around £590. The cost of conducting this job with furniture being replaced will price to approximately £630.

Paint Walls Cost

To have the walls painted in a room is a relatively straightforward task for any painter & decorator. In addition, it’s the sort of job that can be easily undertaken by a DIY enthusiast.

But, if you hire a professional, how much would this cost?

Ultimately, it depends on the size of the room.

To have an ordinary 4 x 3-metre room painted, including its coving and woodwork will take a few days. Most painted charge between £150 and £200 a day outside of London.

As a result, the total cost should land around £300 to £400 for labour plus £50 for the paint.

This would give you an average bill of about £400. For this same job but with old wallpaper being removed, the total cost will rise to around £500. If you’d like this work to be performed plus to have furniture replaced, you can expect to pay somewhere close to £525.

New Lighting Features Cost

There are plenty of lighting fixtures you could have added to the rooms of your home.

For example...

Ceiling lights are available in various styles and sizes; therefore, it’s possible to find one that matches your preferences and the decor of your room(s).

For a kitchen six lamp lighting grid where new wiring is required, the cost will land about £900. To have four dimmed wall lights fitted to a living room, you’re looking at paying £425, give or take.

If you want a ceiling or wall lamp replaced where no additional wiring is necessary, the total cost will only be around £100.

Replace Kitchen Sink Cost

By having a new sink fitted, you can dramatically enhance the look and feel of your kitchen. While it is not too difficult to replace a kitchen sink, it will definitely be worth your while hiring a professional for this job.

Let's discuss prices for different types of sink:

• To have new stainless steel taps and sinks fitted, you’re looking at a total cost of around £200 to £350.
• For composite sinks & taps, the price is also about £200 to £350.
• For cast iron sink & taps, approximately £475 to £950.
• Ceramic sink & taps, the cost could land anywhere from £235 to £400.

Labour Costs and Timescales

To have new wood flooring installed can be anywhere from £100 to £400 in labour costs. This is because a carpenter will likely charge around £100 to £200 per day while the work itself could take 1 to 2 days to complete.

This is included in the overall cost alongside the supplies (i.e. the wooden floorboards and any other materials such as underlay) and any waste removal expenses. If any furniture needs to be moved out of the room before work commences, this should take an hour or less while it will take a couple of hours to remove the initial floorboards.

The actual new flooring installation could take anywhere from around 4-5 hours to as much as 16-18 hours depending on the size of the room and the type of floorboards being used. The full length of the job will also vary based on the design and layout of your room. Fitting new floorboards in an irregularly shaped room, for example, can be more challenging and time-consuming.

These aforementioned time-related factors can ultimately influence the total labour cost since the longer the job takes, the more a contractor will charge. Further, due to different pay rates in different parts of the UK, where you live also matters when it comes to the labour cost.

Cost Factors of Installing Wood Flooring

There are many aspects of a wood flooring installation that can shape the total cost. In the following subsections, we will break down the details of each factor and how they’ll influence your overall bill.

Type of Wood Floor

As we showed in the supply costs section, there are plenty of wood floor types out there to choose from, each with their own approximate price tag. Popular options include laminate, engineered wood, reclaimed wood, parquet, bamboo and of course solid real wood flooring.

There are also different edging styles available such as micro bevelled, bevelled edge and square edge wood flooring. This too is a cost-affecting factor as is the finish and quality of the floorboards.

Size of Floor

Of course, the bigger the floor is, the more floorboards will be needed, and the more you’ll need to spend. For a 20 square metre area, the total cost, between labour and supply will likely be just under double that of a 10m² floor.

As for a 30 square metre surface, the cost could be anywhere from just over double to around triple the price of the same job for a 10 square metre area but only about 25-40% more than it would be for a 20 metre squared floor.

Location of Property

Contractors charge different rates depending on where you live in the UK. If you’re based in London or the south-east of England in general, you’re likely going to face higher rates than you would elsewhere in the UK.

On the other hand, Scotland and northern England tend to have lower contractor quotes than the national average.

Ease of Access

How accessible is the room and flooring? This is another essential attribute of the overall cost. If you have an irregularly shaped floorboard with difficult to reach elements, the job could take longer, and therefore your total bill will be higher.

Pattern of Wood Floor

There are also various patterns of wood flooring to choose from. These include straight, diagonal, random, herringbone, chevron, brick and basketweave patterns. Each option comes with their own prices making wood floor patterns another factor in the total cost.

What's Involved in Installing Wood Flooring?

Let’s now consider what the job entails. In each of the following steps, we’ll consider what is required to physically complete the removal of old flooring and the installation of new timber floorboards. The methods required can vary depending on the joiner, the nature of the work area and the types of wooden flooring involved.

1. Materials & Preparation

Before the installation can take place, you’ll need to find the right floorboard material/type for you and your home’s decor. You should inspect the finish, grading and quality of any floorboards before making a purchase! Another vital phase of this step is acclimating the wooden flooring.

As long as the site conditions are right, you can set down the new floorboards in boxes, flat in the installation room.

Each pack should be sealed and stacked no more than three boxes high. At a minimum, there should be a gap of 4cm between each of these piles to ensure that air is flowing around them sufficiently. Give it about seven days for the floorboards to adjust to the conditions before having a tradesperson begin the replacement work.

2. Preparing the Room

As for the actual work itself, a tradesperson or DIY enthusiast should first remove existing floor coverings and underlay. This is to make sure that there is a strong, level base ahead of fitting the new flooring. A gap will be needed around the perimeter of the installation since space for the floorboards to expand will be necessary.

3. Installing the Floorboards

There are two types of subfloors which you or a contractor may lay floorboards upon. Namely, these are plywood and concrete.

Concrete Subfloor:

Let’s first look at what installing a floorboard over a concrete subfloor involves. First, a pliable wood to concrete adhesives like Soudal Polymer or Laybond should be applied.

This should start with a single corner of the room. Then you or a tradesperson can apply two board widths of the solution along with the subfloor with the use of a 3mm toothed trowel.

Next, the first row of floorboards should be laid onto the glued area. This is best done with the tongue not facing towards the wall. 10mm spacers can be placed against the wall to make sure that the expansion gap is correctly maintained. This will also help to improve any unevenness in the wall.

For the second row being laid, the joints must be separated by a distance of at least 150mm from the initial row of flooring. In the case of long plank boards being fitted, pre-cut smaller boards are often included. This will enable the person installing the floorboards to apply a row with staggered joints easily.

This method should be continued with the glue applied two board widths wide and the floorboards being fitted such that the expansion gaps are well maintained around the perimeter.

Plywood Subfloor:

To install floorboards over a plywood subfloor, a porta-nailer, formally known as an overlay flooring nailer should be employed. 10mm spacers must be placed against the wall which runs parallel with the direction of the instalment. The first row of floorboards should then be fitted with the tongue facing away from your wall.

These floorboards can be fitted with a flooring nailer. In most cases, nails need to be added every 200mm or at least two nails should be added to boards that are shorter than 400mm. For the second row, the short end joints must be separated from the first row joints by at least 150mm.

Once more, if long plank flooring is being fitted, several pre-cut smaller boards may have come with the product allowing a row with staggered joints. The method described above should be continued until the job is complete.

4. Wrapping Things Up

Next, a pre-stain wood conditioner should be applied evenly and carefully. As for the actual wood stain, choose a shade that suits your preferences. This needs to be used along the direction of the grain.

It will give your flooring an extra shine and improve its durability! Lastly, there is the cleanup job. Old floorboards will need to be disposed of, and the room will need to be prepared and made fresh for you and other occupants of your home.

Can I Fit Wood Flooring Myself?

This job does not require the skills of a professional. While you’re more likely to get the perfect finish and it will probably be a less stressful experience if you hire a contractor, by undertaking the work DIY, you can save on costs.

You probably won’t need any planning permission for this work. However, the only exceptions are if you live in a listed building or perhaps if electrical work is necessary.

When using tools like a hammer, saw or drill, it’s essential that you take the right safety precautions. Attentiveness is, of course, one of the most critical aspects of health & safety for a DIY project. Furthermore, you should acquire a dust mask, goggles and safety gloves to undertake this work.

Hazards involved in replacing flooring are associated mainly with the tools used. There is, of course, the less severe but painfully annoying danger of doing the job incorrectly.

If you make any serious mistakes in your calculations or installation work, you run the risk of needing to hire a professional anyway to come and sort out a botched job. So be safe and ensure you know what the job entails!.

Choosing Wood Flooring

As mentioned earlier, there are plenty of wood flooring types to choose from when it comes to materials. Let’s take a look at each option in more detail. Most wood types are available in solid or ordinary timber flooring while many also have vinyl or engineered wood flooring options.

Oak Flooring Costs

Solid oak flooring is one of the most popular and attractive types available. It has a robust, stylish and beautiful appearance. Oak floorboards are available in a variety of different colours ranging from pale white to very dark.

There are also options such as those with a range of lines, knots and bands and others with natural markings that are few and far between. This type of flooring has traditionally been used to signal opulence because of its long-lasting ability as well as its capacity to age well. Oak floorboards cost approximately £35 per square metre.

Pros:

✔ Relatively cheap

✔ Very durable

✔ Range of colours, styles and finishes to choose from

Cons:

✖ Not everyone’s cup of tea

Pine Flooring Costs

This type of flooring is a classic option thanks to its affordability, durability and the various finishes that are available. It is also known for its environmental benefits and providing rooms with a homely look and feel.

In regards to the former point, pine trees grow faster than most hardwoods used for flooring like walnut or oak, meaning that pine forests can grow back quicker. While it is a widely popular option, pine isn’t right for everyone or every situation. You’re looking at paying about £45 per square metre to purchase pine wood flooring.

Pros:

✔ Not too costly

✔ Aesthetically pleasing

✔ Also durable

✔ Environmentally friendly

Cons:

✖ Finishing requirements are not very convenient

✖ Does not age as well

✖ Needs plenty of maintenance (e.g. must be vacuumed and dusted regularly)

✖ Finishing is required after installation

Maple Flooring Costs

Maple hardwood flooring is a beautiful and easy to maintain option for any room. It comes with a warm hue and light colour tone. It can fit with practically any background colour palette. It is an excellent choice if you’d like to add light and warmth to a room.

Maple flooring is also not a difficult type of flooring to look after. The finish will stay fresh if you vacuum or sweep this type of flooring regularly. Such a clean should also involve a decent mopping with the use of water and mild wood soap. One issue with maple flooring is scratching.

Due to having an exceptionally smooth grain, scratches can be noticeable. A rubbing compound wax will be needed to polish out these scratches.

Maple floorboards are also more prone to expansion and contraction in response to changing humidity levels. Further, applying a finish once the installation is complete can be a bit tricky and time-consuming. Maple floorboards cost about £60 per square metre.

Pros:

✔ Highly durable

✔ Low costing

✔ Great colour features

✔ Easily maintained

Cons:

✖ Scratches are not easy to hide

✖ Issues with humidity

✖ Staining can be challenging

Walnut Flooring Costs

This version of hardwood flooring is a particularly unique option. Its colour ranges from brown heartwood to light sapwood. While walnut is a softer type of hardwood flooring, its colour palette has a good ability to conceal dents. That is despite the material itself being prone to dents and scratches.

Since the natural colours of walnut flooring are so out of the ordinary, staining is not often applied. Its rich and beautiful brown tones make it an attractive option among consumers. Its unique visual characteristics make it difficult to replicate with any other wood species. It can, however, be fairly costly at approximately £70 per square metre.

Pros:

✔ Conceals dents

✔ Beautiful and unusual look

✔ Strong

✔ High level of shock resistance

Cons:

✖ Susceptible to scratches

✖ Softwood type

✖ Staining may not be necessary

✖ More costly option

Cherry Flooring Costs

Another softwood flooring option is cherry. As with walnut flooring, it too is rarely stained thanks to its natural and beautiful soft colours. With that said, it is also prone to scratches and dents while not having the same ability to hide marks as walnut flooring.

Despite this, it is still a popular choice. Cherry flooring has a unique trait in that it can be installed with a soft pink tone and over the course of a six to twelve-month period, will darken to a rich red.

Two of the most popular grades associated with this type of flooring are prime, which offers a more consistent look and country grade which adds plenty of character to your floorboards with a variety of colours and knots—cherry flooring costs around £45 per square metre.

Pros:

✔ Natural and beautiful soft colours

✔ Darkens from soft pink to rich red

✔ Not very costly

Cons:

✖ Vulnerable to scratching

Benefits of Wood Flooring

Hardwearing

One of the critical advantages of wood flooring is its strength and durability. While it can be dented or scratched, it is less vulnerable compared with many flooring types in general. If taken care of correctly, a hardwood surface can survive and age well over several decades. The fact that timber floorboards are long-lasting also means that it will save you money in the long-run.

Appearance

One of the biggest appeals of wood flooring is the aesthetic value it offers. It can provide warmth and an elegant touch to any room. Wood floors can even give the illusion that the room is more spacious as well as making a great first impression for any visitors.

Can Repair

These types of floors can be fixed and maintained easily. It’s also possible to refinish wooden flooring instead of simply replacing it when problems arise as you might have to with tile or carpet.

Improved Air Quality

Another benefit of wood floors is that they can enhance the quality of indoor air. Hardwood floors do not trap pollen, particulate matter, dust, animal dander or any other run of the mill allergens. If you suffer from allergies, you should strongly consider having a lumber-based floor installed.

What is Engineered Wood Flooring?

This type of wood flooring consists of several layers hence where the name comes from and since manufacturers engineer wood flooring into this type. Not only is it less costly than ordinary hardwood flooring, but it is also more resistant to temperature and humidity level variations.

Further, it is still difficult to tell apart from regular wood flooring. Engineered wood flooring can cost anywhere from £17 to £73 per square metre but generally falls in the lower end of this range.

Wood Floor Patterns

There are many patterns that wood flooring can be laid in. The cost of each design may vary if the job takes different durations, but this will largely depend on the complexity of the work.

Straight Floor Pattern Cost

This pattern is, by far the most common. It is a well-known approach to a hardwood floor installation. As you know, this type of flooring simply involves the boards being laid side by side from wall to wall.

The boards may follow the longest wall of a small room in order to give a more spacious look and vice versa. Straight pattern flooring is mainly popular because it is plain, easy and effective.

Pros:

✔ Straightforward, traditional and effective

✔ Easy and quick installation

✔ Can add space to a small room

Cons:

✖ May not be considered especially interesting

Random Floor Pattern Cost

As the name suggests, this pattern involves mixing things up. While the width of the blocks for each row can differ, the pattern itself is ultimately consistent. It is the size of the boards that vary.

This can give the impression of a large room. Random pattern floorboards can create a diagonal or straight pattern simultaneously. Ideally, this is best achieved by fitting it parallel with the longest wall in the room.

Pros:

✔ Provides a room with a unique look

✔ Possible in diagonal or straight patterns too

Cons:

✖ Trickier to install

✖ Not for everyone

Diagonal Floor Pattern Cost

Unlike a straight pattern, this approach involves covering the floor from corner to corner.

This is a more challenging pattern to achieve for sure and is not something you should undertake DIY unless you are highly skilled with plenty of experience. It requires a lot of precision to execute correctly.

Pros:

✔ Gives an interesting appearance

Cons:

✖ More challenging installation

✖ May cost more to install

Herringbone Floor Pattern Cost

This modern option has gained in popularity. However, it is not very well suited to small spaces. With that said, it provides a high level of dimensional stability since each block is pressed against each other to limit its movements.

It may be installed parallel or diagonal to the walls. As an interesting fact, this pattern was used for ancient Roman roads; hence it really has stood the test of time.

Pros:

✔ Provides a unique aesthetic

✔ Becoming more popular

✔ High level of dimensional stability

Cons:

✖ Not easy to fit

✖ Not well suited to small areas

Parquet Floor Pattern Cost

This pattern is a geometric collection of wooden pieces. The pieces of timber are arranged to create a very fancy and decorative effect—parquet patterns to be highly geometrical and angular although in some cases they may feature curves.

Herringbone, as mentioned above, is a type of parquet flooring pattern which in itself is a broader collection of ‘sub-patterns’.

Pros:

✔ Fancy appearance

✔ Geometric

Cons:

✖ Installation can be time-consuming

✖ May cost more to have installed

Alternatives to Wood Flooring

Laminate Cost

This synthetic multi-layered flooring is a durable and sturdy product. It is pet-proof, easy to clean and can be installed with ease.

In addition, laminate flooring is often designed to replicate the texture of stone or wood. It costs around £8 to £12 per square metre.

Pros:

✔ Durable and sturdy

✔ Easy to clean

✔ Easy to fit

Cons:

✖ Vulnerable to water damage

✖ Does not have an overly authentic appearance

✖ Loud and hard underfoot

✖ Certain chemicals are present

Tile Cost

Tiles are thin objects that tend to come in a rectangular or square shape. It is a piece of durable material often that of stone, metal, ceramic, baked clay and in some cases glass. For more information on tile flooring cost, check out this article here.

It can be used for a wide range of surfaces whether it be a floor, wall or even countertop. Tiles cost approximately £25 to £40 per m².

Pros:

✔ Easily maintained

✔ Resistant to moisture

✔ Durable

Cons:

✖ Cold

✖ Heavy

✖ Can be slippery

Carpet Cost

This is a floor covering consisting of a thick woven fabric. Nowadays, it tends to be made of synthetic fibres like nylon, polyester or polypropylene.

Carpet generally costs about £3 to £30 per metre squared.

Pros:

✔ Inexpensive

✔ Quiet

✔ Soft feel

✔ Versatile

✔ Conceals dirt

Cons:

✖ Wear and tear is comfortable to see

✖ Requires plenty of maintenance

✖ Not considered the best aesthetic by many

Cost of Removing Wood Flooring

You may wish to have wooden floorboards removed because you’d prefer to have an alternative installed, to repair existing floorboards or to access the pipes or other underground features for another construction or repair project.

Based on the average hourly rates of carpenters in the UK and assuming a job that takes 2-6 hours, you’re looking at paying anywhere from £25 to £75 for the labour costs. This will be on top of any waste removal costs, which will likely end up between £50 and £150.

Waste disposal can be achieved by hiring a skip or using an alternative service such as a man and van service. You may perform this work on a DIY basis, as long as you don’t occupy a listed building.

Hiring Someone to Install Wood Flooring Checklist

So what should you be looking for in a carpenter before hiring them?

• Do they have plenty of experience?
• What kind of carpentry jobs have they done before?
• Are past customers happy with the contractor’s work?

As for qualifications and accreditation, while these aren’t necessary, they are a plus. Most contractors develop their skills and knowledge through practical work, however. Ultimately, you want to find an experienced and skilled professional to do the job!

FAQs

Sources

https://www.factory-direct-flooring.co.uk/solid-wood-flooring/price
https://www.improvenet.com/r/costs-and-prices/maple-flooring
https://www.nagleflooring.co.uk/range_Solid-American-Walnut-Flooring_31_1_index.php
https://www.esbflooring.com/blog/edging-styles-wood-flooring-square-edge-micro-bevelled-or-bevelled-edge
https://storiesflooring.co.uk/pages/how-to-install-solid-wood-flooring

Last updated by MyJobQuote on 3rd August 2022.