How Much Does Engineered Hardwood Flooring Cost in 2025?

Average Engineered Hardwood Flooring Cost

Engineered Hardwood Flooring Cost Factors

There are several cost factors to consider when setting your budget for engineered hardwood floors. The main ones to keep in mind are the area size and wood type, but wood grade, the size of each plank, and your location also impact costs.

Cost by Square Foot

Engineered wood flooring installation—including materials and labor—can cost anywhere from $7 to $20 per square foot, which is the most common metric professionals use to charge for installation. Exotic wood species tend to cost more than domestic hardwoods.

Cost by Type

Like solid hardwood floors, you can make engineered planks from various tree species. Each type is rated based on strength using the Janka scale, which runs from 600 for the softest woods to 3,800 for the hardest. The wood type you choose will impact your total installation cost.

Below is a list of the most commonly used wood species for flooring. You may see other species when shopping for new floors, and your local flooring specialist can explain the features of each one.

Heart Pine

Engineered heart pine planks usually cost $3 to $5 per square foot. Also called longleaf pine, this type of wood is durable and dense with a defined grain. Heart pine is naturally darker and takes a dark stain well, offering a vintage charm. With a Janka score of 1,225, it works well in areas with lots of foot traffic, such as a dining room, living room, or children’s play area.

Hard Maple

Engineered maple planks usually cost $5 to $8 per square foot. This popular flooring choice has a Janka score of 1,450 and is great for families and high-traffic areas. It can be difficult to finish, but the unfinished wood ranges from creamy white to a rich reddish-brown. You’ll find maple planks that can be fastened, glued down, or glued together.

White Ash

Engineered white ash planks usually cost $6 to $8 per square foot. This wood varies in color from cream to grayish-brown, with grain patterns that hide imperfections well. The beautiful light colors work well in sunlit rooms. With a Janka score of 1,320, it can handle many types of traffic, and it often has lower installation costs because it’s easier to cut.

Acacia

Engineered acacia planks usually cost $5 to $10 per square foot. Acacia wood contains natural wax for a veneer that repels pests and water, making it less likely to warp. Its color varies significantly from light creams to dark browns, and its interesting graining is popular in rustic and Colonial designs. It’s also right in the middle of the Janka scale, with a score of 2,220.

Brazilian Koa

Engineered Brazilian koa planks usually cost $7 to $15 per square foot. The warm orange hue and high-contrast dark brown wood grain give it a distinctive striping, leading to its common nickname of tigerwood. It offers a bold look and a Janka score of 2,160.

Brazilian Cherry

Engineered Brazilian cherry planks usually cost $8 to $16 per square foot. Brazilian cherry is a great choice if your home gets a lot of foot traffic, with a Janka score of 2,350. This exotic wood features deep red-brown tones that can really warm up the look of a room.

Room Size

Of course, the size of the floor you’re installing will be a major factor in determining the final cost. The larger the room, the more you’ll pay for both materials and labor. Engineered hardwood floors cost $7 to $20 per square foot to install, so keep size in mind when setting your budget.

Plank Width and Thickness

The width and thickness of each individual plank is another important cost factor. While wider planks are more expensive, they also cover more surface area, meaning they can actually reduce labor costs slightly. 

Plank thickness, on the other hand, will determine the long-term durability of your floors, with thicker, more durable planks costing more. The most common engineered plank thickness is half an inch, which offers a good balance of price and durability. This thickness is considered standard for medium-traffic areas and is what most price estimates will be based on. If you want thicker planks, you can expect to pay an additional $1 to $3 per square foot.

Wood Grade

Engineered hardwood comes in three major grades: Basic, mid-grade, and high-end.

Basic Engineered Wood

The simplest and least expensive engineered planks cost about $5 to $9 per square foot. They usually feature three core layers topped by a 1/16- to 1/12-inch-thick veneer. This is the average type of engineered hardwood floor installed by homeowners, with all the benefits you’d expect: increased stability, resistance to changes in humidity, and installations below ground level.

Mid-Grade Engineered Wood

Mid-range engineered planks usually cost $6 to $12 per square foot. These floors are slightly higher quality than basic engineered wood and are a good choice if you have children or pets due to their ability to resist scratches better than lower-grade products. They usually feature five core layers topped by a 1/12- to 1/8-inch-thick veneer.

High-End Engineered Wood

The most durable engineered wood planks typically cost $13 to $18 per square foot, though they may reach as high as $20 per square foot or more. These floors last a long time and resist wear from heavy foot traffic, making them great for large families who spend a lot of time at home or host large parties. They usually feature seven or more core layers and at least a 1/6-inch-thick veneer.

Installation Method

Many engineered hardwood products come as click-together floating floors that don't attach to the subfloor. These allow for faster, easier, and less expensive installation than traditional nailing, stapling, or gluing methods.

If you prefer conventional installation techniques, harder planks may cost more to install than softer wood types due to the extra work required to cut and shape them. Intricate wood floor patterns such as herringbone or parquet are also more time-consuming to create.

Other Engineered Hardwood Flooring Cost Factors

Beyond obvious cost factors like wood type and room size, there are a few additional price drivers to consider, including labor costs, prep work, additional repairs, and removal of your old floor.

Labor

Installation labor costs generally account for about 50% of your total cost. For example, if you spend $2,500 on flooring materials and equipment, expect to pay about $2,500 on labor for a total project cost of $5,000. In general, labor costs for engineered hardwood floors come out to between $3 and $10 per square foot.

Your installation cost will vary depending on the contractor. Most flooring contractors charge per project. Project rates are typically based on square footage but may also depend on the flooring type you’re installing. When gathering estimates, ask each contractor about their rate for engineered hardwood floors.

Some contractors opt to charge $60 to $80 per hour on average. In these cases, you could spend more than you budgeted for if a project takes longer than expected. Ask each contractor for an estimate of how long the project will take and have them draw up a contract specifying what will happen if they exceed their timeline.

Prep Work

Depending on the state of your current floor and subfloor, your floor installation pro may need to do some additional preparation before your engineered hardwood can be installed. For instance, subfloor replacement costs between $400 and $3,000, while floor joist replacement costs anywhere from $2,000 to $30,000. If your space needs this additional prep work, expect it to add significantly to your final cost.

Other Repairs

Beyond getting the planks onto the floor, there are a few other repair services you might need to pay your hardwood floor pro for, including finishing, joist repair, and subfloor leveling.

Finishing

Protective finishes help prevent your new floors from becoming scratched or dented. Adding finish to a previously unfinished engineered hardwood floor will cost $2 to $7 per square foot. Some engineered hardwood comes pre-finished, though this will add at least $2 per square foot to your material costs.

Joist Repair

If your old floor was in bad condition, it’s possible that some of your floor joists will need to be replaced before the new floor is installed. Replacing floor joists costs between $350 and $1,000 per joist.

Subfloor Leveling

If your subfloor isn’t level, you may need to pay $1,000 to $1,500 to have concrete poured. Damaged underlayment or subflooring may also require sanding or mold removal, and you may need to pay the cost of hardwood floor repairs before your installation can begin. In general, repairing subfloors will cost $2 to $10 per square foot. This repair is essential to make sure your new floors are even, level, and well-supported.

Old Floor Removal & Disposal

Unless you’re installing engineered hardwood in a new build, you’ll need to have your old floor removed and disposed of properly. Carpet removal costs $0.70 to $1.60 per square foot while removing old hardwood or tile can cost $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring vs. Traditional Hardwood

Engineered hardwood flooring is less costly than traditional hardwood flooring. While engineered hardwood floors cost $7 to $20 per square foot, traditional solid hardwood floors cost $11 to $25 per square foot. High-end solid hardwood can go as high as $40 or more per square foot. 

Both floor types differ in their construction. Traditional hardwood floors consist of natural wood like maple or walnut, meaning you can sand and refinish it multiple times over the years. On the other hand, engineered hardwood consists of a thin layer of hardwood on top of plywood to mimic the look of solid wood, so you can only refinish it one or two times. 

Do Engineered Hardwood Floors Increase Home Value?

New wood floors are an attractive and durable addition to any home. Estimates show that a newly installed engineered hardwood floor can provide an ROI of up to 118%, making it much easier to sell your home at a great price.

Budgeting for Engineered Hardwood Floors

Engineered hardwood floors cost less than solid wood, but the costs can still add up quickly. Here are a few tips to help you reduce the costs of this project:

• If you have the skills, consider removing your old floor yourself.

• Opt for less expensive wood species, grades, and thicknesses wherever possible.

• Reserve expensive, high-Janka-rated wood species for very high-traffic areas.

• Consider investing in pre-finished engineered hardwood planks to save money on future labor costs.

• Consider a less labor-intensive floating floor rather than the more expensive, traditional methods.

How HomeAdvisor Gets Its Cost Data

No place is more important than your home, which is why HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local pros to transform their houses into homes they love. To help homeowners prepare for their next project, HomeAdvisor provides readers with accurate cost data and follows strict editorial guidelines. After a project is complete, we survey real customers about the costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.