Hello -

First-timer and new to the world of hardwood flooring. This site is great for info. OK, on a somewhat tight budget so going with Bruce 3/4 engineered floor (Fulton LG strip, butterscotch), will be nailed down

For a 360 sq ft living/dining room quoted $3375. This includes the hardwood, carpet takeup/disposal, prep, shoe molding, and I will move furniture.

Also, looking at having a foyer with existing Bruce engineered floor (different color than above) refinished, adding hardwood to the staircase (two small landings and 13 steps). Hardwood on treads only (will paint risers white). Also installing wood in an upstairs hallway.

The refinished foyer, stairs and upstairs hallway will all be stained to match wood in living/dining room. All this work, including carpet takeup/disposal will cost $4070. Total sq foot for this portion is no more than 280 sq.

What say you who know the business? Is this a reasonable price? I live in the Washington/Baltimore suburbs.

Thanks for your input.

From where I am, seems very reasonable but I am wondering. 3/4" engineered? Do you mean 3/8" OR 3/4" solid. Just wondering.

Gary -

Thanks so much for your opinion. And, yep I mean solid. That's why you folks are so helpful to rookies like me.

Thanks again,
Ken

almost paying too little........ in fact,,, that is a very low figure,,, is it not?

Unless the store is getting the material for a real low price, they are getting maybe $4.50 per sq.ft. to demo, install the wood and install the baseshoe. Are they including the cost of the baseshoe(material cost) in their estimate? Anyway you look at it, you're getting a real good price. Makes you wonder why so low.

I am a little confused is it $3375 for the 360 sq ft and $4070 for the 280 sq. ft or is it $4070 to do both the 360 and 280. I am assuming that the total install is the combination of the $3375 and the $4070 if not that sounds way to cheap for stairs et. al.

If it is then the total install is $7445 for 640 sq ft. If you take out $2000 for the steps ($150 per step) and 5 a sq ft for the wood then you are left with $2245 or $3.50 a sq ft for installation. It depends on your region but this sounds a little low to about right to me for the installation portion, in some regions. My guess would be he did not include labor for demo, leveling and molding.

That seems like a decent price, they are making there money on material and labor, Fulton strip is pretty cheap wholesale.

As someone who is also in the Baltimore/Washington area, $3.50 to $3.80 per sq foot seemed to be the going rate for installing hardwood floors when going through the big box stores (although in retrospect, I can't recall if that included shoe molding). The independent stores were a bit more, although it was a bit harder to tell wood vs installation costs as they usually bundled the price together. Carpet removal was running about a buck a sq. foot.

I recall quotes of $100-$120 for installation per stair (plus material) for solid treads. $150 per step seems reasonable. You do have to be careful with this, as one place said that they use shoe molding on the treads, which I think is unsightly. Couldn't find anybody that would use flooring as treads, only solid oak treads.

I'd say you're getting a pretty decent deal. You might get a slightly better deal someplace else, but it won't be dramatic, and you could get significantly more expensive.

Can't comment as to the quality of installation at this price point, as I ended up doing this myself.