Because of the low cost to install laminate flooring, It is a popular choice in American houses, clean appearance, and usefulness. If you’re thinking of installing new laminate flooring in your home, you’ll want to have a clear understanding of the expenses involved before you start.

Most fitters and installation firms provide a free, no-obligation estimate, so obtain a few. 

You’ll be able to locate the kind of fitting system you’re looking for.

If you need a fitter, search for places where local merchants may offer you pricing and compete for your business, guaranteeing you receive the best bargain with well-reviewed and reputable floorers.

There are a variety of laminate floor fitting systems, so be sure your floor installer is knowledgeable about the cost to install laminate flooring before starting. 

Here at prime home, we provided this guide to inform you about the average cost to install laminate flooring in orange county.

Average Material Cost to install laminate flooring

First things first, Depending on your specific needs and requirements, you may want to buy carpet over laminate since the relatively low expense to install laminate flooring is an excellent purchase of long-lasting flooring. Still, if you need more information on carpet or laminate, we’ve already covered that on our blog.

You’ll probably hear a diverse range of laminate flooring cost estimates when you’re first beginning your research. It isn’t easy to estimate the total cost unless you know more about your products and the size of the rooms

.Materials alone might cost anything from $2–$6 per square foot. This range is again determined mainly by the laminate flooring’s quality. Materials appear to be around $1.50–$3 per square foot on a nationwide scale.

Standard goods may be as little as $0.60 per square foot,

Luxury products, on the other hand, can cost up to $5.50 per square foot.

The best laminate flooring options are almost always more expensive

Of course, the size of the space will have a significant impact on the ultimate material cost. Covering an 800-square-foot area is far more expensive than covering a 100-square-foot room!

Prime Home Shop offers high-quality DIY and home improvement goods at affordable costs, which can be ordered in-store, online, or over the phone.

Texture

The following are some of the most popular textures:

• Hand-scraped: Laminate boards can be given a surface roughness similar to hand-scraped hardwood flooring during the production process. Hand-scraped panels can range in price from $1.90-$4.50 per square foot.
• Embossed in Register (EIR): This process creates an embossed texture that matches the laminate board’s printed grain. These boards will cost between $2-$2.50 per square foot.
• Textured: While the embossed appearance does not match the underlying printed grain, it gives the realistic look of hardwood grain and costs between $0.70-$3.30 per square foot.

Finishes 

The cost of finished laminate is about $2 per square foot, and there is no indentation texture applied. Instead, it has the appearance and feel of a varnished piece of hardwood. The three primary finishes are:

• Low-gloss or matte $0.68–$3.33 per square foot.
• Medium gloss or semi-matte $0.68–$2.79 per square foot.
• High-gloss or glass $1.70–$3.55 per square foot.

Average labor Cost to install laminate flooring

Labor is sometimes the most expensive aspect of any flooring installation. The cost of labor in the United States ranges from $1.50-$6 per square foot.

Keep in mind that the labor cost is nearly entirely determined by where you live in the country. Labor in suburban regions is typically less expensive, but labor in a competitive metropolis generally is more costly.

However, how you install your flooring has a significant impact on the pricing. Some approaches are faster and easier to use than others (but this does not always imply superiority).

The following is a breakdown of how it works.

Cost to install Laminate flooring as a Floating Floor (Cheapest)

What exactly is a floating floor? It refers to any floor not linked to the subfloor and instead “floats” on top of it.

This often refers to click-together flooring, which consists of planks that snap together with securely locking grooves. Other floating materials, such as loose lay vinyl plank flooring, rely on their weight and a sticky rubber backing to keep them in place.

However, when it comes to laminate floors, “floating” generally often refers to click-together.

This approach, in either scenario, is the cheapest for laminate flooring installation costs since it is the fastest and requires no additional materials or experience. In general, these surfaces are among the most easily installed floorings.

When you choose a floating arrangement, you may anticipate paying (approximately) $1.50–$3 per square foot for labor.

Cost to install Laminate flooring as a Glue-Down Floor (Expensive)

How glue-down laminate flooring works is straightforward. Just like glue-down vinyl plank flooring or glue-down hardwood flooring, you adhere it straight to the subfloor.

Some of the classic drawbacks of floating flooring, such as hollow-sounding footfall, are no longer an issue. However, because it takes longer to install and needs more skill, the cost of installing this laminate flooring will be slightly more.

Furthermore, many laminate floors, particularly waterproof materials (which we’ll discuss later down), are meant to be fitted as floating floors these days.

When you choose a glue-down installation, you may anticipate paying (approximately) $3–$6 per square foot for labor.

At Prime Home Renovations, all the measurement, laying, and hardwood laminate flooring installations are handled by our flooring experts. All you need to do is choose the material you like, and we present you with a beautiful floor to walk on.

What Else Will Affect The Costs

What else will affect the cost of installing laminate floorings?

Maybe that would be a better question; what won’t impact it? The brand you pick, any extra features you desire, and even the thickness of the planks may all add to the cost.

Are you looking for a laminate that looks like broad plank hardwood flooring? Depending on the brand, you may have to pay an additional fee.

Appearance Will Play a Major Role 

Keep in mind that laminate flooring is not manufactured of natural wood. However, much like with hardwood flooring, the finish might affect the price.

You can probably locate a laminate alternative for teak flooring if you’ve always wanted it. The same may be said for ebony and even ash flooring.

However, because these hardwood flooring patterns aren’t your typical designs, they may be more expensive.

Even though all laminate is composed of the same material (no actual wood is used), the cost of installing laminate flooring may be higher if you choose a non-standard choice.

So, what are the typical choices? The fundamentals, such as oak and hickory.

Don’t worry; choosing between hickory and oak floors will provide enough fodder for consideration. Darker and stronger hickory hues are available, while light wood flooring tones are available in oak. The idea is that an excellent laminate floor does not require an unusual appearance.

Thicker Planks May Raise The Cost

Surprisingly, a laminate plank’s thickness has nothing to do with its scratch resistance; it’s entirely down to the wear layer and AC rating (which we’ll get to in a minute).

Thicker laminate planks, on the other hand, are better at absorbing sound and concealing subfloor flaws. Thicker boards are typically more costly. However, this varies per product.

Subfloor adjustments will increase the overall Cost to install laminate flooring

subfloor adjustments will raise the overall cost to install laminate flooring

Subflooring is a crucial aspect to consider when determining the cost of your flooring. You might be wondering what subflooring is. It’s the layer of material that sits beneath your existing floor. Your subfloor will need to be fixed if it is in bad shape. Cement subflooring may require leveling or patching, while hardwood subflooring may require thorough sanding.

The subfloor determines the quality of your laminate flooring beneath it. Imperfections in your subfloor will ultimately cause issues with your laminate, so address them as soon as possible. Later on, you’ll be grateful for the peace of mind.

Subfloor changes, of course, will increase the overall cost of installing laminate flooring in your house.

Underlayment Pricing will affect the Cost to install Laminate flooring

When it comes to floating flooring, using an underlayment is usually a bright idea. At the absolute least, a vapor barrier should be installed to prevent moisture from damaging your floor from below. This should be taken into account when calculating the price of laminate flooring.

Fortunately, underlayment isn’t prohibitively costly. It’s often offered in 100-foot rolls for around $20 each. The price for this, once again, is subject to change. The price is decided by the quality and thickness of the underlayment, just as it is with laminate.

Fun fact: you can even get an underlayment that can be used with magnetic flooring if you want to go all out!

AC Rating

Abrasion Criteria, often known as AC Rating. This metric determines how scratch-resistant the wear layer of a laminate is.

The scale ranges from 1 to 5, with 1 being the least damage resistant.

A level 4 AC rating is sufficient for most homes. 5 is industrial grade and is only truly necessary in heavily trafficked public areas.

Additional factors that affect the cost to install laminate flooring: 

It will cost $20–$50 per room to relocate furniture.

Laminate flooring for stairs may cost anything from $45-$125 per step.

Fall might be a busy and pricey season, but after Christmas, better discounts may become available.

To account for waste, purchase 10% extra supplies than is required.

With materials ranging from sheathing paper to fiberglass-reinforced aluminum foil, leveling the flooring with a resin embossing leveler can cost $0.13–$0.47 per square foot.

Check your flooring specs to determine if the laminate foundation includes a moisture barrier ($0.44 per square foot) and underlayment ($0.28 per square foot). If it isn’t, there will be a charge for both supplies and installation work.

Conclusion:

As we said at the beginning, the expenses are determined by a variety of factors.

Being a licensed contractor for interior remodeling in Orange County, we tried to compile all we’ve learned throughout the years for you.

The most crucial factor is to set a budget. After that, conduct your research.

if you need a hand we can help you with that contact us today and let us discuss the future of your home together.

Source:

Daily, C. (2021, July 29.). What’s the Cost to Install Laminate Flooring? Flooringstores

https://www.flooringstores.com/blog/cost-to-install-laminate-flooring/

Team HomeServe (2021, February 21) How Much Does It Cost to Install Laminate Flooring? homeserve

https://www.homeserve.com/en-us/blog/cost-guide/laminate-flooring-installation/