One of the top five reasons homeowners choose laminate over hardwood flooring is because it is cheaper so this is not a bad question at all.  Unfortunately its not one that is easy answered.

Why?

Desired quality, area of the country you live in, and if you are installing it yourself or having a flooring professional do it for you all play a part in the final cost.  But, the follow is a guide you can use in making your preparations.

Keep in mind that most people are not “do-it-yourselfers” so you not only have to factor in the price of the laminate flooring itself but also of the installation of it.

Price of the Product + Installation Charge (Shipping and Labor) = Total Cost

Average Price of Laminate

$0.99 to $6.00/ square foot

• The more realistic the laminate pieces look the more expensive they will be.  Fake looking laminate (and we can all tell the difference) will be the least expense and there are some places you can find a nice supply for $2 a square foot.  Though you can find some types of laminate for under a dollar I would caution that you might not like the end result.
• The thicker the pieces are the more expensive they will be.  They range from six to twelve millimeters in thickness.
• The more higher end laminates have large amounts of melamine in its core which vastly improves its ability to resist moisture.  Expect to pay more for ones with this substance.
• Different installation systems demand different prices
• There are some brands that come stocked with an attached underlayment.  If so you can plan to pay up to two dollars more per square foot.

Cost of Installation

This price varies so much depending on where you live.  Depending on the local economy, number of builders/ floor installers, and demand you will pay anywhere from $1.00 to $5.00 per square feet of laminate flooring installation.

I have done some helped a friend do some flooring jobs in Anchorage where we got a little over five dollars a square foot because that is what the market bears but then I some people I know in Portland do the same work and they receive less than two dollars a square foot.  Granted I do not know how they bid and I am sure many people are getting more than that but you see the difference.

There is an excellent article called Laminate Floor Basics that talks about this subject in depth but what I found out is that your typical laminate will go from $3.50 a square ft all the way to $5.00 a square foot.  The typical cost for oak hardwood is $10 per sq ft on the low end to $12 a square foot on the high end.

Now according to the National Association of Home Builders the standard home in the United States is 2,000 square feet with two full bathrooms, three living rooms, a dining room, two general purpose rooms, basement, garage, and fireplace.

Now obviously you are not going to have to upgrade the floors in all parts of the house like the basement so when doing the numbers I would say that a typical house will require 1000-1400 feet of laminate flooring.

This means that for the majority of the homeowners it will take $3500 to $4,900 if you install average quality laminate in your home by yourself or $5,000 to $7,000 if you install high end laminate in your home, again, by yourself.

You save a lot if you do all the work yourself and can expect to pay a couple thousand more than the prices I just calculated if you get a contractor or someone else to do it.

It is really is not that hard to DIY but you it does help if you have some sort of construction aptitude if decide you want to install this flooring in your home yourself.

I am going to tell you that Pergo makes the easiest to install.  They make their pieces to be installed like you would a puzzle and you just wet the dry glue on them and lock them into place.

Back to the costs.  I have found that if you really look around whether locally or on the internet you can get some decent laminate for even under $3.50 a square foot.

You have to remember that we are in a recession and there are way more houses on the market than people wanting to buy them.  Remember 2003-2007 when houses were springing up all over the place.

Large chains like Home Depot and Lowes could not keep this item on their shelves just a year and a half ago.  Now they are trying to unload it as fast as they can.

I have seen some laminate going for $.99 a sq ft on some sites.  That is bone cheap and I would avoid those sites.  That seems just way bellow market value and I doubt the quality at those prices.

Nevertheless if you look around the web you can find some decent stuff for $1.59 per piece without shipping.  Some will offer free shipping so I would check.

Hope this answered those e-mails I got.  Thanks.  Remember to read the article I just wrote about the pros and cons of going with this type of material as there are indeed negative aspects of laminate that follow the many positive things.

The floor is designed to withstand common effects that easily cause damage most surfaces. Laminate flooring easily withstands heat, stains, scratches and dents. The floor is made of synthetic material which makes it easy to maintain.

Most of the benefits associated with laminate flooring gravitate towards advantages associated with cost. One of the benefits of laminate floors is that they are very durable. This is made possible by their structural composition which makes them very strong. The type of synthetic material used to manufacture the floor protects it from spoiling easily. You can use the floor for an average of 15 years or more without the need to replace it.

The materials used to manufacture the floor make it resistant from effects that easily affect other kinds of surfaces. Laminate floors can withstand heat, stain, and scratch effects very well.

While other flooring material spoil easily from such effects laminate surface is favorable for use in high traffic areas in the house as it don’t wear out easily. With proper care and maintenance you can make the flooring material last even longer thus reducing cost associated with repairs and replacements.

Laminate floors are very easy to clean and look after. They are also easy to maintain as simply cleaning and periodic polishing keeps them in their best condition. Real hardwood carpets or cement surfaces are expensive to maintain in the long run. The cost involved in taking care of the floor is very minimal as soap and water cleans out any kind of dirt or mess.

Using this type of material will cost you half the price of conventional hard wood or oak flooring.

The fact that the floor lasts for duration of up to twenty five years makes it one of the most economical to use in the house. It is an affordable material to use in a home with heavy traffic. If you have kids then this can help to keep your spending on house requirements at a minimum. The type of material used to manufacture the floor makes it easy to install and maintain it. This helps to cut costs involved in using it as flooring material.