Understanding your result
The headline is the whole-house budget from low to high, with the floor area and stairs beneath it. The stats give the midpoint and the area; the bars show the midpoint of each room, so the expensive rooms stand out; the table lists every room with its floor and range, the stairs, removal, the contingency, the total and the cost per square foot all in.
Each room is priced as its area times the material with 10% waste, the supplies and the labour for its floor, scaled for your region. Stairs are priced per step with the labour per step and about 3 sq ft of material each. Removal of the old floors is budgeted at $1 to $3 per square foot across the whole area, an average of carpet and harder floors. The contingency is added on top of everything.
The bars are the place to balance the budget. If the living areas take half the money, a different floor there moves the total far more than changing the bedroom carpet. To compare two floors for one room over their lifetime, use the flooring comparison calculator; for one room in more detail, the flooring cost estimator; and for how long a whole house takes, the installation time calculator.
How we calculate this
The material, supply and labour ranges are the same as the other cost calculators, from published 2025–2026 cost surveys, on the installer rates reference page. The removal average and the contingency are judgements. The installer charges guide explains the labour ranges, the guide to wood and laminate helps choose the living-area floor, and the complete method covers measuring each room.
The assumptions behind the numbers
| Assumption | Default | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| House | 450 sq ft living, 180 kitchen, 480 bedrooms, 100 baths, 120 halls, 13 stairs | A typical three-bedroom house, for the example |
| Floors | engineered wood, tile, carpet, tile, LVP; carpeted stairs | A common mix |
| Ranges | by material | Published 2025–2026 cost surveys |
| Removal | $1 to $3 per sq ft | An average across carpet and hard floors |
| Contingency | 10% | A judgement; 15 to 20% for old houses |
Assumptions last reviewed October 8, 2026.
The budget does not price subfloor replacement, leveling large areas, moving out of the house, or asbestos abatement. It does not price transitions between rooms individually, though they are inside the supply ranges. And it is a US budget in US dollars; elsewhere, the structure helps but the figures do not.
Two worked examples
A three-bedroom house with mixed floors
The default rooms, average region, removal, 10% contingency.
- Living and dining in engineered wood: $3,465 to $8,100
- Kitchen and baths in tile: $2,296 to $7,280; bedrooms in carpet $1,536 to $4,368; halls in LVP $456 to $1,272
- Stairs $403 to $884; removal $1,330 to $3,990; contingency $949 to $2,589
- Total: $10,435 to $28,483, $7.85 to $21.42 per sq ft
The living areas are the largest share, as they usually are. Engineered wood there instead of LVP adds about $3,000 at the midpoint, which is the decision worth thinking about.
The same house in LVP throughout, floors staying
No removal, 10% contingency.
- Rooms: $5,054 to $14,098; stairs $858 to $1,794
- Total: $6,503 to $17,481, $4.89 to $13.14 per sq ft
One floor everywhere is the cheapest whole-house option and suits wet rooms, but the stairs cost more in plank than in carpet because each needs a stair nose.
Where to find your inputs
Room areas. From the floor area calculator for each part of the house; combine similar rooms.
Floors. The floor you are considering for each area.
Stairs. Count the steps and choose the finish.
Region, removal and contingency. Where you live, whether old floors come out, and how much risk you expect.
Common mistakes
- One price per square foot for the whole house. Different rooms take different floors.
- No contingency. Old houses hide surprises under the floors.
- Forgetting the stairs. They cost far more per square foot than floors.
- Leaving out removal. It is a large line for a whole house.
- Spending evenly. Put the budget where people walk and look.
- Treating the low end as the budget. Plan on the midpoint.
Questions people ask
- How much does it cost to replace flooring in a whole house?
- For about 1,330 sq ft with engineered wood in the living areas, tile in the kitchen and baths, carpet in the bedrooms, vinyl plank in the halls and carpeted stairs, roughly $10,400 to $28,500 with removal and a 10% contingency, or about $8 to $21 per sq ft all in.
- What is the cheapest way to floor a whole house?
- One floating floor throughout, such as vinyl plank, which suits wet rooms too. The same 1,330 sq ft house in LVP everywhere, with no removal, is about $6,500 to $17,500 including the stairs and contingency.
- How much contingency should I add?
- 10% covers most surprises found under old floors: a soft subfloor at a toilet, an uneven slab, extra layers. For an old house with unknown floors, 15 to 20% is safer.
- Is it cheaper to do all the floors at once?
- Usually. One crew sets up once, transitions are planned together, and the material is bought in larger quantities. Room-by-room pricing, as here, slightly overstates the cost of a single whole-house job.
- Which rooms should get the more expensive floor?
- The rooms people see and walk most: living areas, the kitchen and the entry. Bedrooms and closets are where a cheaper floor costs least in daily life.
- Are stairs included?
- Yes, priced per step by the finish you choose, including the material for about 3 sq ft per step. Stairs cost far more per square foot than floors because each step is cut and fitted.