Here's the situation. I bought my first home recently and want to get hardwood installed. It is a brand new home so we received a price quote from the builders but I don't know how much it typically runs to get a job like this done. I know it is typically more expensive to get jobs like this done through the builders but I need to know how much more expensive it is. If it's not too bad, I would rather do it through them than having to deal with tearing out the carpet, the labor etc.

The area I want done is about 700 sq ft. and the type of hardwood we chose with the builder is from Hartco:
http://www.armstrong.com/reshartcona/prod_detail.jsp?itemId=75781&lineId=2054

Does anybody know how much a job like this would run if I hired a contractor to do it? And how much a product like the link above costs per sq. ft? In comparing with other products on the net, I think maybe around $8 per sq. ft for the materials?

So now about hiring a contractor. I kind of looked around the net and there were some general guidelines:
glue down floors - $3 per sq. ft.
cork - $1 per sq. ft. (it said for high rise to lessen the noise, I am in a building that i think would require this)
remove carpet - $0.25 per sq. ft.
Labor - $50 per hour

In my area, I think the labor is more around $75 per hour. How long does it take to install? Is 24 hours a good estimate?

So total cost is:
Materials @ $8 sqft (700sqft) - $5600
Labor @ $75 for 24 hours - $1800
Work performed ($3+$1+$0.25) x 700sqft - $2975
Total - $10,375

Is that a good estimate? I know this is a pretty lengthy post and asks a lot of questions but if anybody can help me walk through this, I would greatly appreciate it! The builder is charging me about $12,000 to get this pre-installed before move-in. Thanks very much in advance.

First, the flooring you are looking at is a 3/4" solid and those are typically nailed down. If you do not have a wood subfloor, you will need to have plywood installed before that particular floor can be successfully installed, which will increase the cost. It sounds like you bought a condo or in a multistory building as that is the type of place that would require sound dampening materials. The price differential between what the builder is charging and your estimate is $1,625.00, a 14% difference. And while this is not chump change, you will need to decide if you are willing to go through the hassle of organizing, purchasing, and overseeing the installation of the flooring for $1,625.00. Keep in mind, the builder will not let you in there to do any work until your unit closes escrow and it becomes yours. Also, if there is a problem with the floor, you will have an additional responsible party to hold liable if you allow the builder to do the work. Your prices seem about right to me. I am confident you could hire a local contractor to get the work done for the costs you list unless there are problems with the unit or flooring.

I agree with Gary that 3/4 normally is nailed down. I just went through this whole process. I think the prices you are getting are a little high from all aspects. I did a lot of research on the my wood which is Robbins also an Armstrong product.

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