Flooring is one of the most visible renovations in a Canadian home and one where material choice creates enormous price variation — from $3 per sq ft for laminate to $25 per sq ft for solid hardwood, fully installed. Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) has overtaken laminate as the practical choice in many Canadian homes due to its waterproof core, ideal for the moisture exposure common in kitchens, basements, and mudrooms. Subfloor condition is the hidden variable: leveling or replacing a damaged subfloor adds $2–$5 per sq ft across all material types, and it is rarely known until old flooring comes up.
This calculator estimates your flooring project based on total square footage, material type, and project specifics. Select your flooring material — laminate, LVP, engineered hardwood, solid hardwood, or porcelain tile — then configure whether old flooring removal is needed, subfloor preparation level, stair nosing count, and heated floor mat inclusion. The cost breakdown separates material costs from labour and prep, updated for your city's current rates.
Add 10% to your measured area for waste and cuts — this is standard practice for any flooring installation. For diagonal or herringbone patterns, add 15%. If you are doing multiple rooms in the same material, doing them together is almost always cheaper than scheduling separate visits, as setup, waste management, and minimum charges all apply per project rather than per room.