Cost guides › Flooring installation
United States
Flooring installation cost
Tearing out an old tile floor and installing new porcelain tile in a 269 sq ft room typically costs $4,300, with most jobs between $3,350 and $5,600. Basic ceramic tile comes in around $3,050, and glue-down engineered oak runs about $4,950.
Most homeowners pay
Estimate your project
Compare materials
mid-range, typicalCost by region
| Location | Basic | Mid-range | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $4,050 | $5,550 | $6,350 |
| Illinois | $3,600 | $5,050 | $5,800 |
| Alaska | $3,550 | $5,000 | $5,700 |
| Massachusetts | $3,550 | $5,000 | $5,750 |
| Washington | $3,550 | $4,950 | $5,650 |
| Minnesota | $3,500 | $4,900 | $5,650 |
| New Jersey | $3,450 | $4,850 | $5,550 |
| New York | $3,400 | $4,750 | $5,500 |
| California | $3,350 | $4,700 | $5,400 |
| Connecticut | $3,300 | $4,650 | $5,350 |
Show all regions
| Oregon | $3,300 | $4,650 | $5,400 |
| Missouri | $3,250 | $4,600 | $5,250 |
| Wisconsin | $3,300 | $4,600 | $5,300 |
| District of Columbia | $3,200 | $4,550 | $5,250 |
| Rhode Island | $3,250 | $4,550 | $5,250 |
| Ohio | $3,200 | $4,500 | $5,200 |
| Montana | $3,150 | $4,450 | $5,100 |
| Pennsylvania | $3,150 | $4,450 | $5,150 |
| Indiana | $3,100 | $4,400 | $5,050 |
| Michigan | $3,100 | $4,400 | $5,050 |
| Nevada | $3,100 | $4,400 | $5,050 |
| New Hampshire | $3,100 | $4,400 | $5,100 |
| Vermont | $3,100 | $4,400 | $5,050 |
| Colorado | $3,100 | $4,350 | $5,050 |
| Iowa | $3,050 | $4,350 | $5,000 |
| Maine | $3,050 | $4,350 | $5,000 |
| North Dakota | $3,050 | $4,350 | $5,000 |
| Delaware | $3,000 | $4,300 | $4,950 |
| Arizona | $3,000 | $4,250 | $4,900 |
| Maryland | $3,000 | $4,250 | $4,950 |
| Nebraska | $2,950 | $4,250 | $4,900 |
| Wyoming | $3,000 | $4,250 | $4,900 |
| Idaho | $2,950 | $4,200 | $4,850 |
| Utah | $2,950 | $4,200 | $4,850 |
| Kansas | $2,900 | $4,150 | $4,800 |
| Kentucky | $2,900 | $4,150 | $4,800 |
| Virginia | $2,900 | $4,150 | $4,800 |
| South Dakota | $2,850 | $4,100 | $4,750 |
| Florida | $2,850 | $4,050 | $4,650 |
| North Carolina | $2,800 | $4,050 | $4,650 |
| Tennessee | $2,850 | $4,050 | $4,700 |
| West Virginia | $2,850 | $4,050 | $4,700 |
| South Carolina | $2,800 | $4,000 | $4,650 |
| Texas | $2,800 | $4,000 | $4,600 |
| Georgia | $2,750 | $3,950 | $4,600 |
| Louisiana | $2,750 | $3,950 | $4,600 |
| New Mexico | $2,750 | $3,950 | $4,550 |
| Oklahoma | $2,700 | $3,900 | $4,550 |
| Alabama | $2,650 | $3,850 | $4,500 |
| Arkansas | $2,650 | $3,850 | $4,450 |
| Mississippi | $2,650 | $3,850 | $4,450 |
What's included
Mid-range
- Old baseboard removed
- Old tile and its mortar bed broken up down to the slab
- Debris carried out and hauled away
- New leveling bed (up to about 2 in) to bring the floor back to height
- Self-leveling underlayment so large tiles sit flat without lippage
- Porcelain tile, 12 x 24 in or 16 x 16 in, with 10% overage for cuts
- Tile set with a modified fast-setting thinset and grouted
- Matching tile baseboard cut from the same porcelain
- Brass transition strip at the doorway to the next room
What affects the cost
What comes up first
The estimate assumes old tile set in a thick mortar bed, which is the slowest and messiest floor to remove. Pulling up carpet or a floating floor is far quicker, so if that's what you have, the demolition part of a quote should be much smaller.
Subfloor flatness
Large-format tile and engineered wood both need a flat base. A slab that dips or humps needs grinding or more self-leveler, and a wood subfloor may need extra plywood or a cement board layer before tile.
Flooring material
Ceramic is the cheapest tile, porcelain costs more but resists chips and water, and engineered hardwood adds both material and glue-down labor. The material choice often matters less than the prep underneath it.
Layout and pattern
A straight lay in a square room is quickest. Diagonal, herringbone or offset patterns, lots of doorways and closets, or tile running through several rooms all add cutting time.
Moving and trimming
Furniture moving, protecting adjacent rooms and trimming doors to clear a higher floor are not in the estimate. Ask whether the contractor includes them or expects you to handle them.
How to save
- Clear the room yourself before the crew arrives.
- Choose a straight lay with standard 12 x 24 in tile instead of a pattern or oversized slabs.
- Do several rooms in one job so mobilization and leveling are shared.
- If the old floor is flat and well bonded, ask whether new tile can go over it instead of tearing it out.
Grants, tax and rules
Sales tax
Sales tax on materials varies by state, and labor is often not taxed but rules vary. Our figures are before sales tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to tile a 269 sq ft floor?
Replacing an old tile floor with new porcelain in a 269 sq ft room runs about $4,300, including demolition, leveling and baseboard. Tiling over a clean, flat subfloor with no demo costs noticeably less.
Is luxury vinyl plank cheaper than tile?
Usually, yes: a floating vinyl or laminate floor clicks together over an underlayment with no thinset or grout, so the labor is lighter. This estimate prices tile and engineered wood; a floating floor is not included in these figures.
How long does it take to replace a tile floor?
A single room usually takes three to five working days: demolition, leveling, tile setting and grouting. A new leveling bed needs to dry before wood goes down, which can add a week or more.
Can new tile go over old tile?
Sometimes, if the old tile is flat, firmly bonded and the extra height won't cause problems at doors and cabinets. Loose or cracked tile has to come up first.
Why is removal such a big part of the price?
Breaking out tile and its mortar bed is heavy, dusty work, and the debris has to be carried out and hauled away. On older homes it can take as long as laying the new floor.
How this estimate is calculated
Work hours: 37.8 · Labour: $2,394 · Materials: $1,906
Sources: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics; Regione Toscana, Prezzario dei Lavori 2026 (CC BY 4.0); ECB exchange rates.