Understanding your result
The headline is the cost per year, with the cost per square foot per year and the life beneath it. The stats give the lifetime cost, the life and the per-square-foot figure; the table lists the life, the installed cost, any refinishing, the upkeep over the life, the lifetime total and the yearly figures.
The expected life comes from the range for the material: the short end, the middle, the long end, or your own figure. The installed cost is the area times your price per square foot. Refinishing is the number of refinishes times their price; wood floors normally need two or more to reach their long lives, and the note reminds you if you leave them out. Upkeep is a small figure per square foot per year for the material, times the life. The cost per year is the lifetime total divided by the life.
To compare two floors over the same years, use the flooring comparison calculator; for the installed price, the flooring cost estimator; and for what a refinish involves, the sanding and refinishing calculator.
How we calculate this
The life ranges come from manufacturer warranties and the home life-expectancy tables published by builders’ and inspectors’ associations; the upkeep figures are judgements. Both are listed with the cost ranges on the installer rates reference page. The guide to wood and laminate covers durability, the refinishing guide covers how many times a floor can be sanded, and the carpet padding guide covers what makes carpet last.
The assumptions behind the numbers
| Assumption | Default | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Lives | carpet 8 to 15; sheet vinyl 10 to 20; LVP and laminate 15 to 25; engineered 20 to 40; solid hardwood 50 to 100; tile 50 to 75 years | Manufacturer warranties; NAHB and InterNACHI life-expectancy tables |
| Upkeep | $0.02 to $0.15 per sq ft a year by material | A judgement |
| Refinish | $3.50 to $4 per sq ft | Cost surveys |
| Example | 300 sq ft of carpet at $5 per sq ft | Chosen for the example |
Assumptions last reviewed October 8, 2026.
The calculator does not discount future spending or include the cost of removing the floor at the end of its life, which the comparison calculator does. It does not value comfort or appearance, and it treats the life as certain, which it is not; try the short and long ends to see the range.
Two worked examples
600 sq ft of vinyl plank at $6 installed
Middle of the range, 20 years.
- Install: 600 × $6 = $3,600
- Upkeep: $0.02 × 600 × 20 = $240
- Lifetime: $3,840; $192 a year, $0.32 per sq ft per year
Under a dollar a day for a floor across most of a house. At the short end of its range, 15 years, the same floor costs $256 a year.
500 sq ft of hardwood at $12, 50 years, refinished twice
- Install: $6,000; refinishing 2 × $4 × 500 = $4,000
- Upkeep: $0.10 × 500 × 50 = $2,500
- Lifetime: $12,500; $250 a year, $0.50 per sq ft per year
The refinishing costs two-thirds as much as the original floor over its life, and it is what makes the long life possible.
Where to find your inputs
Installed cost. From a quote or the cost estimator.
Life. From the ranges above and your household; a warranty is a minimum, not a forecast.
Refinishes. For wood, one every 10 to 20 years of its life.
Area. The floor area, for the totals.
Common mistakes
- Comparing purchase prices only. Divide by the life.
- Using the longest life. Pets and traffic shorten every floor.
- No refinishes for wood. They are part of its cost.
- Ignoring upkeep. Small yearly costs add up over 50 years.
- Treating the warranty as the life. It covers defects, not wear.
- One figure for every room. A hallway wears faster than a bedroom.
Questions people ask
- What does carpet cost per year?
- A $5 per sq ft carpet with pad lasting about 11.5 years, the middle of its range, costs about $0.53 per sq ft per year with upkeep; a 300 sq ft bedroom is about $160 a year. A cheap carpet that lasts eight years costs more per year than a good one that lasts fifteen.
- What does hardwood cost per year?
- A $12 per sq ft hardwood floor that lasts 50 years with two refinishes at $4 per sq ft costs about $0.50 per sq ft per year including upkeep; a 500 sq ft floor is about $250 a year.
- How long does vinyl plank last?
- Typically 15 to 25 years for a good rigid-core product in a home, less with heavy traffic, pets and sun. At $6 per sq ft installed and 20 years, a 600 sq ft floor costs about $190 a year.
- Which floor is cheapest per year?
- Usually tile and well-kept hardwood, because they last decades. Carpet and cheap laminate are cheapest to buy and most expensive per year, because they are replaced often.
- Why include upkeep?
- Because it differs by floor and adds up over long lives. Hardwood needs occasional recoating, carpet professional cleaning, stone resealing. The calculator uses a small yearly figure per material.
- How do I choose the expected life?
- Start with the middle of the range and adjust for your house. A busy family with a dog should use the short end; a quiet room used occasionally can use the long end.