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Hardwood Flooring Quote Comparison: Subfloor, Install & Finish

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.

Put your quotes side by side

Compare the prices once both quotes cover the same work.

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

Quote C (optional)
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

Compare two quotes or three. Type the price of each written quote, then mark what each one includes. A cheaper quote often leaves work out: mark that work Extra with its price and the totals add it back, so you compare the same job.

Before you sign: six checks
  • Get written quotes from at least two contractors, three if you can, and do not pick the lowest on price alone.
  • Hire a licensed, insured contractor. Your state or local building department says which license the work needs; ask for current insurance certificates.
  • Get a written contract with the contractor’s name, address and license number, start and finish dates, the payment schedule and who gets the permits.
  • Do not pay it all up front: tie payments to finished stages, never pay in cash or by wire transfer, and make the last payment when the work is done. Some states limit the down payment.
  • A sale made at your home can usually be cancelled until midnight of the third business day under the FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule, and the seller must give you the cancellation forms. The rule does not cover emergency work, a repair you asked the contractor to come and do, or a contract you finish at the seller’s own place of business; your state may give you more.
  • Be wary of a contractor who knocks on your door, pushes you to decide now, or asks you to get the permits yourself.

From the Federal Trade Commission’s advice: How to avoid a home improvement scam and the Cooling-Off Rule.

Check what each quote includes

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

Materials

Wood and allowance

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

Labor

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.

Equipment, access and disposal

Delivery and scheduling

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

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

Have prices moved?

Lumber cost 8.7% more in September 2026 than a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics producer price index, preliminary).

Every building material we track, month by month, with the change in a year.

What owners paid: the typical flooring, carpeting, paneling and ceiling tile job cost $3,000 in the 2023 Census survey.

Before asking for a price

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

Reading the totals

Solid and engineered wood, prefinished or sanded and finished on site, are different jobs. Check that both quotes price the same one.

The budget adds the quoted price, separately priced extra costs, 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.

Your project

My project

Saved in this browser only; nothing is sent to us. Choose “Save in this browser” in any calculator or worksheet to add it here.

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