DIY or a professional?
The labor line on a quote is between a fifth and two-thirds of the total, so the question is worth asking. The answer depends on the floor more than on you: some floors were designed to be clicked together by a homeowner, and some were not.
| Floor | DIY | Labor you would save | What goes wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate | Yes, a weekend | $3–$4.50 / sq ft | Doors not undercut, gaps not left at the walls |
| Luxury Vinyl Plank — SPC | Yes, a weekend | $3–$4.50 / sq ft | Doors not undercut, gaps not left at the walls |
| Luxury Vinyl Plank — WPC | Yes, a weekend | $3–$4.50 / sq ft | Doors not undercut, gaps not left at the walls |
| Engineered Hardwood | Possible with care | $4–$6 / sq ft | Layout and cuts; a lippage you can feel |
| Luxury Vinyl Tile | Possible with care | $4–$5.50 / sq ft | Layout and cuts; a lippage you can feel |
| Ceramic Tile | Possible with care | $6.50–$9.50 / sq ft | Layout and cuts; a lippage you can feel |
| Nylon Carpet | Not a first project | $2–$2.50 / sq ft | Wrinkles, seams, uneven mortar |
| Polyester / PET Carpet | Not a first project | $2–$2.50 / sq ft | Wrinkles, seams, uneven mortar |
| Olefin (Polypropylene) Carpet | Not a first project | $2–$2.50 / sq ft | Wrinkles, seams, uneven mortar |
| Triexta (PTT) Carpet | Not a first project | $2–$2.50 / sq ft | Wrinkles, seams, uneven mortar |
| Luxury Vinyl Plank — Flexible | Not a first project | $2.50–$4 / sq ft | Wrinkles, seams, uneven mortar |
| Sheet Vinyl | Not a first project | $2–$3.50 / sq ft | Wrinkles, seams, uneven mortar |
| Porcelain Tile | Not a first project | $8–$12 / sq ft | Wrinkles, seams, uneven mortar |
| Wool Carpet | A trade | $2.50–$3.50 / sq ft | A ruined floor that a pro has to redo |
| Solid Hardwood | A trade | $5–$7 / sq ft | A ruined floor that a pro has to redo |
| Natural Stone | A trade | $10.50–$17 / sq ft | A ruined floor that a pro has to redo |
What DIY actually costs
Materials plus 10 to 15 percent waste, the tools you do not own (a rented nailer, a wet saw, a power stretcher), and your weekends. The calculator has a DIY setting that prices the materials and the waste and leaves out the labor.
The honest rule
If the floor floats and the subfloor is flat, do it. If the floor is nailed, stretched, glued in sheets or set in mortar, hire it. The DIY situation page ranks every material for a first project.
Don’t start with the flooring. Start with your home.
Eight questions about the rooms, the household, the subfloor and the budget. A ranked shortlist with the reasons, the watch-outs and a project estimate.
8 questions · about 2 minutes · no obligation
Decided to hire it out?
Local professionals quote the same scope, and you compare them on the same square feet.
No obligation. You choose whether to contact the professionals who respond.