Hardwood flooring has become a staple in the American home, as they tend to fare the test of time better than carpet. But not everyone has access to hardwood flooring because of the cost to install and the unfamiliarity that there are multiple different kinds of wood to choose from that can affect the cost. Traditional hardwood can actually be cheaper in many instances than the engineered counterpart.

Here is how much hardwood flooring costs depending on the grade and variation that you go for.

Low-Tier Hardwood Floors

Low-tier hardwood flooring options will consist of traditional woods that are easy to mass-produce like Pine, Bamboo, and Red Oak. These hardwood floors are relatively cheap to produce, sitting at around $2 to $4 per square foot in materials. This lines up right around with carpet, as it is also around $2 to $4 per square foot in materials.

Even though they’re low-tier, they still make up a vast majority of homes because they’re still much more effective at not being stained. They also don’t soak up liquids to hold on to that could cause the wood to start to rot and decay. This allows them to last longer.

The amount you pay for installation will come down to the individual company, so be sure to shop around first before and see if you can get competitive rates.

Medium-Tier Hardwood Floors

The medium-tier hardwood floors are going to consist of your traditional woods like Maple, Hickory, and Walnut. These trees are more expensive to cut down as they can take longer to grow and don’t serve as many other purposes for their wood.

They can range anywhere from $3 to $9 per square foot in materials, depending on who you’re going through. Labor costs are going to be higher with hardwood compared to carpet though. You’ll need to tack on another $3 to $9 per square foot in labor costs.

Depending on the company you choose, this can still round out to be around the same amount.

Highest-Tier Hardwood Floors

The highest-tier available for hardwood floors consists of the engineered woods. Engineered woods refers to the wood planks consisting of both hardwood and plywood, making them more durable. The most common type of engineered woods are engineered Maple, engineered Pine, and engineered White Ash.

For these high-end woods, you’re going to be looking at around $10 to $14 per square foot in materials. That doesn’t count the extra labor costs that go into installing hardwood floors.

View this Maple flooring for all those that want the durability of an engineered hardwood without paying for the price.

The Hardwood Flooring Cost Depends on Type and Labor

The hardwood flooring cost can drastically change depending on the type of hardwood you go for. Cheaper options like Pine will only cost you around $5 to $10 per square foot with installation. Compare this to engineered White Ash, which can quickly get into the $20 per square foot range.

If you want to learn more about keeping up with modern housing trends, then be sure to check out the rest of the blog. Know someone in the middle of remodeling? Share this article with them to help them choose what type of hardwood floor they want.

Jane