vinyl flooring prices

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Average Cost of Vinyl Flooring Installation

The average cost to have vinyl flooring installed is around $3.95 / square foot, installed by a local professional. For do it yourself homeowners, expect the average costs to be $2.65 / sqft for sheet vinyl, and $4.65 per sqft for LVT. This does not include tools you may need to purchase to install your vinyl floors.

It costs $1.85 – $4.15 per square foot  to have sheet vinyl flooring installed. The cost to have luxury vinyl tile and plank installed ranges from $3.70 to $7.60 per square foot. DIY vinyl flooring costs from $2.00 per square foot for sheet vinyl flooring to about $5.15 for luxury flooring when material, tools and supplies are considered.

Last Updated: Wednesday, January 12, 2022

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Overview of Having Vinyl Flooring Installed

Vinyl floors are an affordable alternative to genuine hardwood flooring and tile for freshening up your home. Sheet vinyl is waterproof and many LVP/LVP options like Mohawk SolidTech are water-resistant or waterproof too.

Did you know? Some hardwood flooring companies like DuChateau now make luxury vinyl flooring that is a near exact match to their hardwood options. The idea is to install hardwood flooring in dry areas and use the LVP for kitchen flooring, bathroom flooring and other potentially wet area.

This vinyl flooring cost estimator covers costs for sheet vinyl and luxury vinyl floor prices with pricing details for both.

Cost factors are explained, so you’ll have a clear idea of what to expect when you shop for vinyl floors or get estimates from installers. Our library of flooring cost guides give you the opportunity to compare flooring material and installation cost. Like other readers have, you’re invited to return to Business Finance News to share your vinyl flooring price to benefit others.

Product and Installation Supplies Cost Details

Vinyl Floors Cost Factors

There are two sets of factors – those related to the flooring you select and to its installation.

• Sheet Vinyl vs LVP/LVT – In general, the cost of luxury vinyl is about twice the cost of sheet vinyl floors.
• Quality of the Flooring – Like any flooring type, vinyl is made in cheap, better and premium options. In both types of vinyl, the thickness of the material and the surface wear layer affects durability. Wear layer ranges from about 6 mils for cheap vinyl to about 30 for the best flooring. Most styles have a wear layer from 10 to 20 mils.
• Resistance to Water – In luxury vinyl, water-resistant/waterproof properties affect quality.
• SPC vs WPC Flooring – An SPC vinyl floor has a stone polymer composite core or a solid vinyl core. Both types of SPC are waterproof. A WPC floor has a wood/cellulose polymer composite core. They are water-resistant but not waterproof. However, an SPC floor costs less to manufacture, so cost can be lower. The flooring is also thinner and harder, so keep that in mind.
• Attached Underlayment – If the thin pad underlayment is attached, cost will be slightly higher.
• DIY vs Pro Installation – You’ll save on labor costs, shown below, by doing it yourself. Whether DIY is a good idea is also discussed later in this vinyl floors price estimate.
• Floor Type – When professionally installed, vinyl flooring cost per square foot is lower for sheet vinyl because it can be installed much more quickly.
• Amount of Flooring – Generally, the more flooring you have installed, the lower the cost per square foot.
• Installation Difficulty – More trimming around fixtures, cabinets and other obstacles, the higher the cost will be.

Cost of Installation Supplies

Here are cost ranges for the two flooring types and a few common tools and installation supplies.

• $0.50 – $3.25 per square foot | Vinyl Sheet Flooring with $1.45 being average.
• $0.90 – $5.50 per square foot | Vinyl Plank and Tile Flooring with $2.70 being average.
• $0.40 – $.70 per square foot | Vinyl Flooring Underlayment when not already attached to planks or tiles.
• $15.00 – $18.00 per gallon | Vinyl Flooring Adhesive for glue-down sheet and luxury vinyl flooring. Coverage is 160-200 square feet for glue-down planks, tiles and sheet vinyl. If you’re perimeter gluing sheet vinyl, a gallon is enough for 1,000 square feet or more.
• $5.00 – $15.00 each | Notched Trowel for applying vinyl flooring adhesive.

Sample Vinyl Flooring Project Costs

Because price varies so much, we put together more cost data to help you estimate your project cost.

These are installed costs.

Sheet Vinyl:

• $1.85 – $2.50 per square foot | Basic quality
• $2.55 – $3.25 per square foot | Better quality/most popular
• $3.30 – $4.15 per square foot | Best Quality

Luxury Vinyl Plank and Tile:

• $3.70 – $5.15 per square foot | Basic quality
• $5.20 – $6.45 per square foot | Better quality/most popular
• $6.50 – $7.60 per square foot | Best Quality

As noted, the amount of flooring you have installed makes a difference on cost per square foot. For example, Homewyse estimates that having 1,000 square feet of flooring installed will lower the cost by 60 cents to almost $1.00 per square foot vs. having just 100 square feet installed. Their range for 100 square feet is $6.40-$9.10 per square foot; the range for 1,000 square feet is $5.80-$8.15.

Job difficulty affects cost too. Lots of trimming in a bathroom increases cost compared with installing sheet or LVP/LVT in a large, open room.

Here are sample costs for 3 project types for each floor material.

Sheet Vinyl Flooring Cost Estimates

Entryway: 50 square feet (Moderately Hard)

• Basic sheet vinyl: $110 – $145
• Better sheet vinyl: $140 – $170
• Best sheet vinyl: $165 – $195
• Cost Range: $2.20 – $3.90/square foot

Bathroom floor: 150 square feet (Difficult)

• Basic sheet vinyl: $375 – $465
• Better sheet vinyl: $450 – $535
• Best sheet vinyl: $530 – $625
• Cost Range: $2.50 – $4.15/square foot

Kitchen flooring: 300 square feet (Relatively Easy)

• Basic sheet vinyl: $555 – $740
• Better sheet vinyl: $715 – $950
• Best sheet vinyl: $925 – $1,110
• Cost Range: $1.85 – $3.70

Luxury Vinyl Flooring Cost Estimates

Entryway: 50 square feet (Moderately Hard)

• Basic luxury vinyl: $215 – $260
• Better luxury vinyl: $250 – $295
• Best luxury vinyl: $280 – $340
• Cost Range: $4.35 – $6.80/square foot

Bathroom floor: 150 square feet (Difficult)

• Basic luxury vinyl: $740 – $875
• Better luxury vinyl: $860 – $1,025
• Best luxury vinyl: $1,000 – $1,140
• Cost Range: $4.95 – $7.60/square foot

Kitchen flooring: 300 square feet (Relatively Easy)

• Basic luxury vinyl: $1,110 – $1,350
• Better luxury vinyl: $1,325 – $1,700
• Best luxury vinyl: $1,680 – $1,995
• Cost Range: $3.70 – $6.65/square foot

Labor Costs for Installation Only

• $0.75 – $1.25 per square foot | Sheet Vinyl Flooring Installation Labor Cost
• $2.00 – $3.50 per square foot | Luxury Vinyl Flooring Installation Labor Cost

Some installations might cost a little more than this, but these prices are consistent among estimating sites. Remodeling Expense estimates labor as high as $6.00 per square foot, but that would be unusual.

Old Flooring Removal and Disposal Cost

The cost to remove old carpet or floating vinyl floors usually ranges from $2.00 to $4.00 per square foot. Fully glued vinyl is time consuming to remove and can exceed $5 per square foot when glued to concrete. If it’s attached to wood underlayment, the flooring and underlayment will be removed. New underlayment can be installed for $1.25 – $2.50 per square foot.

Permits, Inspection, Related Costs and Installation Time

Permits and Inspection Cost

• $0 | No permit is needed for flooring installation or replacement.

Related Costs and Installation Time

Experienced contractors install 45 -60 square feet of LVP/LVT per hour. Sheet vinyl goes about twice as fast depending on the layout and amount of trimming.

• A Few Hours | 50 square foot foyer with site prep, installation and cleanup
• 2-5 Hours | 150 square foot bathroom
• 3-6 Hours | 300 square foot kitchen

DIY or Hire a Pro?

Homeowners with decent skills can install either type of flooring. While vinyl sheet flooring installs faster, it’s trickier in that you only get one shot at cutting it right. Cut a plank too short, and you’ll probably be able to use it somewhere else.

Because installation labor on sheet vinyl is only about a buck per square foot, I think it makes sense to let a pro do it. I’ve done it, but never enjoyed it.

On the other hand, I have enjoyed installing LVP and watching the floor take shape. Sure, a few planks got mis-cut, but it’s part of the learning curve – and it’s a short curve.

For either type, watch a tutorial – this one on sheet vinyl installation is very thorough – and, if installing planks or tiles, read and carefully follow their included directions.

And remember to bring the flooring into the house 3-4 days ahead of installation to acclimatize. If it’s sheet vinyl, roll out the vinyl the day before to let it relax.