Typical installed ranges, Seattle area
These include labor and a mid-grade product, with normal underlayment, on a reasonably flat subfloor. They are planning numbers; a written quote after a measure is the real one.
| Floor | Installed, per sq ft | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Laminate, AC4, 8 to 12 mm | $5 to $9 | Premium wide-plank and AC5 lines toward the top |
| Luxury vinyl plank, 20 mil rigid core | $6 to $12 | SPC at the lower end, premium WPC and glue-down toward the top |
| Removal and disposal, carpet and pad | $1 to $2 | Includes tack strip and staples |
| Removal and disposal, tile or glued vinyl | $2 to $4 | Dust control and heavy disposal |
| Subfloor leveling and repair | As measured | Often $1 to $3 per sq ft in affected areas |
| Underlayment with vapor barrier | $0.50 to $1 | Required over crawl spaces and slabs |
| Stairs, per step | $75 to $200 | Product, open sides and nosing system |
| Transitions, thresholds | Per piece | Typically $30 to $80 installed |
| Baseboard reset or quarter round | Per linear foot | Typically $2 to $4 |
What moves the number
Product. Laminate ranges from under two dollars a square foot to over five for the material alone; vinyl plank from about two to seven. Wear layer, core, plank size and brand drive it.
What is on the floor now. Carpet comes out fast. Tile and glued-down products are slow, dusty and expensive to dispose of.
Subfloor condition. Seattle's older plank subfloors often need an underlayment layer; slabs often need grinding and leveling; past water damage needs repair. The measure identifies most of it; the tear-out reveals the rest.
Layout. Many small rooms, closets and angles mean more cuts, more transitions and more waste than one open space of the same footage.
Stairs. Priced per step, and usually a day of labor on their own.
Moisture. A damp crawl space or slab may need a mitigation step before any floor can be warrantied, which is a separate cost but a smaller one than replacing a failed floor.
Furniture and appliances. Standard furniture moves are included on most quotes; pianos, safes and aquariums are not. Appliance pulls and resets are itemized.
Example budgets
A living room and hall, 450 square feet, carpet out, AC4 laminate in, two transitions and quarter round, typically lands in the low-to-mid thousands. A three-bedroom main floor, 1,100 square feet, carpet and a tile kitchen out, 20-mil vinyl plank throughout, a flight of stairs, appliance resets and baseboard reset, typically lands in the low five figures. These are for budgeting; the installer's quote is the number.
Reading a flooring quote
A good quote lists each room's square footage and the waste factor; the product by name, line and price per square foot; underlayment; removal by type and square foot; disposal; subfloor prep as identified, with a note on how unforeseen conditions are handled; transitions, thresholds and trim by the piece or linear foot; stairs by the step; appliance and furniture handling; labor; tax; the deposit and payment terms; and the schedule. If it is one lump sum, ask for the breakdown.
What is not worth saving on
Underlayment, subfloor prep and acclimation time. Each is a small line on the quote and each is the reason floors fail when skipped. Save on the product line if you must, not on what goes under it.
