Flooring cost by material in Canada: laminate, vinyl, tile, hardwood
Live installed costs for every common floor in the same room in Canada, before GST/HST, plus how each copes with moisture, pets, winter and resale.
For the same room in Canada, laminate typically costs $3,450 installed, luxury vinyl plank $3,850, porcelain tile $4,500 and solid oak $5,100, all before GST/HST. Price is only half the decision: basements, boot rooms, pets and dry winter air all favour some floors over others.
Every floor, same room
The table prices one job, a room of about 25 m², with each flooring material. Everything else stays the same: removing the old floor and baseboard, hauling debris away, bringing the subfloor back to level and flat, new baseboard and a transition strip at the door. Only the new floor changes. We build the figures from the hours each floor takes to lay, multiplied by local trade rates, plus materials, and check them against market prices and real quotes. They are before GST/HST.
| Material | Typical | Usual range | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate | $3,450 | $2,700 – $4,500 | 15-25 years |
| Carpet with underlay | $3,550 | $2,800 – $4,650 | 8-15 years |
| Luxury vinyl plank (LVP/LVT) | $3,850 | $3,000 – $5,050 | 15-25 years |
| Porcelain / ceramic tile | $4,500 | $3,500 – $5,850 | 40+ years |
| Engineered wood | $4,500 | $3,500 – $5,850 | 25-40 years |
| Solid oak | $5,100 | $3,950 – $6,600 | 50+ years |
| Natural stone (marble, travertine) | $6,700 | $5,250 – $8,700 | 50+ years |
For your own room size and local rates, use the calculator on Flooring installation.
The main options
Laminate
A photographic wood look on a fibreboard core with a hard wear layer. It is the least expensive hard floor in our figures and resists scratches well. Its weakness is water: melting snow tracked in, a leaking dishwasher or a damp basement can swell the joints, and swollen laminate does not recover. Water-resistant products are better, but read what the warranty actually covers.
Luxury vinyl plank (LVP)
A rigid-core or flexible vinyl plank that is essentially waterproof, quieter and warmer underfoot than tile, and forgiving on slightly uneven floors. That makes it the usual choice for basements, kitchens, entries and busy family homes. Heavy furniture can dent it, and a cheap plank with a thin wear layer wears through sooner. Compare wear layer thickness, not just price.
Porcelain and ceramic tile
Tile lasts for decades and shrugs off water, salt and grit, which is why it works in entries, mudrooms, bathrooms and laundry rooms. It is cold underfoot, so many Canadians pair it with in-floor heating (not included in our figures). Tile needs a stiff, flat subfloor; a floor that flexes cracks tiles and grout.
Engineered wood and solid hardwood
Engineered wood ($4,500) has a real hardwood top layer on a stable plywood base. It copes with seasonal humidity swings better than solid wood, and can go over concrete or in-floor heating where the manufacturer allows. Solid oak can be sanded and refinished several times over its life. Both dislike standing water, and solid wood in particular gaps in dry winter air and swells in humid summers; keeping indoor humidity steady helps.
Carpet and stone
- Carpet ($3,550) is the least expensive way to make a bedroom or basement rec room warm and quiet, with the shortest life.
- Natural stone ($6,700) such as marble or travertine is the most expensive floor in the table. It lasts for generations but needs sealing and some care around salt and acids.
Moisture, winter and the basement
- Basements. Concrete slabs below grade can be damp even when they look dry. Test the slab before choosing, and use LVP, tile or a floor rated for below-grade use. A vapour barrier or underlay may be required and is not in our figures.
- Entries and mudrooms. Snow, salt and gravel are hard on any floor. Tile or LVP with a good mat at the door lasts longest.
- Dry winters. Wood floors move with the seasons. Engineered wood moves less than solid; a humidifier helps both.
Pets and resale
- Pets. Claws scratch wood; accidents ruin laminate joints and carpet. LVP and tile are the most forgiving. If you want wood with dogs, a hard species and a matte finish hide wear better.
- Resale. Real wood tends to appeal in living areas and bedrooms, tile in bathrooms and entries. Keep flooring consistent across connected rooms, and choose neutral colours if you plan to sell soon.
The subfloor comes first
- Flat: floating floors and large tiles need a flat base. Levelling compound is included in our figures.
- Stiff: tile and stone need a subfloor that does not flex.
- What comes out: our figures assume removing old tile and its mortar bed, the heaviest tear-out. Pulling up carpet is quicker, so your quote may be lower.
Not in our figures: moving furniture, trimming doors, in-floor heating, acoustic underlay and landfill fees.
Tax
GST/HST applies to renovation work. Our figures are before tax: add 13% HST in Ontario or 5% GST in Alberta, for example.
Before you sign
Ask each installer to name the product, the thickness or wear layer, the underlay and how they will prepare the subfloor. Then run the pre-tax price through our "Is my quote fair?" tool, which compares it with what homeowners in your area typically pay for the same job.