How much does new flooring or hardwood refinishing cost in Pennsylvania?

Updated November 11, 2026 · KeystoneProGuide editorial team

What does new flooring cost?

It depends mostly on the material. Angi, which bases its figures on 5,966 projects reported by contractors in its network, puts the national average for a flooring installation at $3,153, with most homeowners paying $1,528 to $4,850. HomeGuide puts a typical installed price at $4 to $15 a square foot, or $2,000 to $7,500 for 500 square feet.

Neither survey publishes a figure for Pennsylvania. Every number below is national and is given the way its publisher gives it. Angi's table of cities has no Pennsylvania entry; it lists Trenton, New Jersey, at $1,400 to $4,000 for a 500-square-foot job.

How do the materials compare?

These are installed prices, materials and labor together, per square foot.

The two surveys broadly agree on hardwood and laminate and disagree most on tile and carpet. HomeGuide's tile range is wide because it runs from ceramic up to stone. Labor alone is $0.60 to $4 a square foot by Angi's figures and $2 to $8 by HomeGuide's. HomeGuide also notes that many contractors have a minimum charge of $200 to $500 or more, which is why a single small bathroom can cost more per square foot than a whole floor.

What does refinishing a hardwood floor cost?

Usually much less than replacing it. Angi reports a national average of $1,892 for refinishing, from 20,488 projects, with most people paying $1,107 to $2,681. Per square foot:

• Full sand and refinish. $3 to $8 (Angi); $2 to $7 without stain and $3 to $8 with stain (HomeGuide).
• Dust-contained sanding. $5 to $8 in total (Angi), or an extra $2 to $4 on top of the normal price (HomeGuide).
• Screen and recoat, also called buffing. $1 to $2.50 (Angi) or $2 to $5 (HomeGuide).
• Stairs. $25 to $85 a step to refinish (HomeGuide).

Species moves the price as well. Angi gives $3 to $5 a square foot for oak, cherry and engineered floors and $6 to $8 for maple and mahogany.

Whether a lighter recoat is enough is a question about the floor, not the budget. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), the hardwood trade's association, says a full sand and refinish is called for when there are deep scratches or dents or the finish has worn through to bare wood, and that how many times a floor can be sanded depends partly on the thickness of its wear layer.

What gets added to a flooring quote?

Most of the surprises are in the preparation. The figures here are Angi's unless marked.

• Taking up the old floor. $1.50 to $3.50 a square foot in general; about $1 to $1.50 for carpet and $2 to $7 for tile.
• Subfloor replacement. $3 to $10 a square foot, or $1,500 to $5,000 for 500 square feet.
• Underlayment. $0.50 to $5.40 a square foot.
• Moving furniture. $60 to $120 an hour; refinishing crews may charge $20 to $50 a room.
• Stairs. $11 to $160 a step for new flooring, with hardwood at the top of that range.
• Joists. $4,000 to $12,000 where floor joists have to be replaced.
• Mold remediation. $10 to $25 a square foot where mold is found under the old floor.

One line that may appear on an older home's quote is asbestos. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says asbestos flooring should not be sanded or leveled and that, where it needs replacing, new flooring should be installed over it if possible. If a quote includes tearing up old vinyl tiles or sheet flooring, ask whether anyone has checked what they are made of.

How should a flooring job be paid for?

Pennsylvania law shapes this. For a home improvement contract of more than $5,000, the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act bars a contractor from taking a deposit of more than one-third of the price, or one-third plus the cost of special order materials named in the written contract. The same act bars taking any payment before the contract is signed.

The Attorney General's office adds that the law does not say how the balance is paid, and suggests negotiating payments as the work progresses, with a final payment on completion. The Federal Trade Commission's advice is never to make the final payment until the work is done and you are satisfied with it.

How do you compare two flooring quotes fairly?

• Compare the same scope. Each quote should say whether removal, disposal, subfloor repair, underlayment, trim, transitions and furniture moving are included. A quote that leaves them out is not cheaper, only shorter.
• Check the square footage. Ask how each contractor measured and whether the material figure includes extra for waste.
• Get the materials named. The act requires a contract to describe the materials to be used and specifications that cannot change without a written change order signed by both of you.
• Ask about the price basis. A contract can be priced in total or on time and materials. Under time and materials, the act requires a written initial estimate before work starts.
• Do not decide on price alone. The FTC advises getting several estimates, not automatically choosing the lowest, and asking for an explanation when estimates differ widely.

The checks to make on the companies themselves are in how to choose a flooring contractor, and the rules that apply to the contract are in what Pennsylvania requires of flooring contractors. Businesses that install and refinish floors are listed on the flooring contractors directory page.

Sources

1. How Much Does Flooring Installation Cost? [2026 Data], Angi
2. How Much Does Flooring Installation Cost? (2026), HomeGuide
3. How Much Does It Cost to Refinish Hardwood Floors? [2026 Data], Angi
4. How Much Does It Cost to Refinish Hardwood Floors? (2026), HomeGuide
5. 2008 Act 132 (Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act), Pennsylvania General Assembly
6. Frequently Asked Questions: Home Improvement Contractor Registration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
7. How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam, Federal Trade Commission
8. Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
9. Refinishing Your Floors, National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA)