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Cost to refinish hardwood floors: Compare quotes

Compare hardwood installation or refinishing quotes. For refinishing only, mark new wood and installation as not needed; keep sanding, repairs, stain, finish coats and room protection in the scope.

Start with the questions below. Written quotes are required to compare totals; this page does not estimate a market price.

Check what each quote includes

Leave anything unclear as “Ask.” Choose “Extra” to add a separately priced item to that quote’s budget. Do not also put it in the general left-out costs below.

Wood and allowance

Identify species, grade, width, finish state and the quantity being purchased.

Subfloor and moisture

Ask what is checked, what preparation is included and who pays for problems uncovered after removal.

Installation

State nail, staple, glue or floating installation and the required accessories for the selected product.

Finishing

Keep sanding, stain choice, finish coats and occupied-home protection separate when the floor is finished on site.

Transitions and stairs

List nosings, stair work, thresholds, baseboards and door clearance changes.

Delivery and scheduling

Record storage, acclimation instructions, access and the sequence before furniture returns.

Put your quotes side by side

Add only costs left out of each written quote.

Quote A
Costs outside the quote & your reserve

This is money you set aside. It is not a contractor charge or a recommended percentage.

Enter a quoted price

Quote B
Costs outside the quote & your reserve

This is money you set aside. It is not a contractor charge or a recommended percentage.

Enter a quoted price

A price difference helps only after the work matches.

Nothing is sent to a contractor. Saving keeps these entries in this browser; downloading makes a text file.

Material price trends, separate from your quote

These U.S. producer indexes track material prices over time. They are not store prices, labor rates or local installed costs. We do not use them to increase a historical project median.

Historical household spending: the national 2023 AHS median for flooring, carpeting, paneling and ceiling tile was $3,000. Flooring, carpet, paneling and ceiling tiles share this broad category. It is not a laminate, vinyl or hardwood rate. This broader category does not price your specific job.

Lumber

+7.6% from August 2025 to August 2026. Latest observation is preliminary and may be revised.

BLS producer index, not seasonally adjusted
PeriodIndex level, not dollars
August 2025266.293
August 2026286.633

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Updated . Use your quoted unit price in the material calculator; delivery, tax, preparation and labor remain separate.

Before asking for a price

Note solid or engineered wood, factory-finished or site-finished surfaces, room area and the floor underneath.

What the total can tell you

Solid, engineered, prefinished and site-finished work are different jobs. One broad flooring benchmark cannot substitute for those choices.

The budget adds the quoted price, separately priced Extra items, other costs left out and any tax not already included. Your chosen reserve is added to that subtotal. Treat every “Ask” row as work that is not yet confirmed as included. Get the answer in writing before comparing totals.