New flooring costs $4 to $15 per square foot installed, by the national figures HomeGuide publishes, with labor alone at $2 to $8 per square foot. In New Orleans, the price of a job often turns on what is under the floor: a slab that needs a moisture fix or leveling, or a raised house with soft or termite-damaged subfloor.
Every dollar figure on this page is a national figure published by HomeGuide, not a quote from us. HomeGuide publishes no New Orleans or Louisiana figure. The slab or subfloor, moisture, old flooring that has to come out and the size of the job change what a New Orleans floor costs. Figures read on HomeGuide in October 2026.
How much does new flooring cost per square foot?
Most floors run $4 to $15 per square foot installed, by HomeGuide's flooring installation page. The material is a big part of that, but so is prep. HomeGuide also notes many installers set a minimum project fee of $200 to $500 or more, so a single small room can cost more per square foot than a whole floor.
| Material | Installed, per sq ft (HomeGuide national) |
|---|---|
| Carpet | $2 to $8 |
| Laminate | $4 to $14 |
| Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) | $4 to $16 |
| Engineered wood | $7 to $20 |
| Solid hardwood | $11 to $25 |
| Tile | $10 to $50 |
Table figures are from HomeGuide's flooring installation cost page. Some of HomeGuide's other pages print different ranges for the same material, so the material pages below quote their own page.
How much does it cost to install hardwood floors?
Solid hardwood costs $11 to $25 per square foot installed on HomeGuide's hardwood flooring page, with installation labor of $3 to $10 per square foot. The same page puts a single room at $1,000 to $6,000. In a raised New Orleans house the boards nail to the existing subfloor, but any rotten or termite-eaten sections have to be replaced first, and that is added to the price.
How much does LVP cost installed per square foot?
Luxury vinyl plank costs $4 to $16 per square foot installed on HomeGuide's LVP page: $2 to $10 for the planks and $2 to $6 for labor and supplies. A slab with dips needs leveling before a floating plank goes down, which is the usual extra on older slab homes.
How much does laminate cost installed?
Laminate costs $4 to $14 per square foot installed on HomeGuide's laminate page, with material and underlayment at $1 to $6 and labor at $3 to $8 per square foot. HomeGuide's LVP and vinyl pages print a lower laminate range, $3 to $8 installed; we quote the laminate page because it covers laminate on its own.
How much does tile flooring cost installed?
Tile floors cost $12 to $50 per square foot installed on HomeGuide's tile flooring page. Ceramic runs $12 to $40 installed and porcelain $15 to $50. HomeGuide says tile labor starts as low as $5 per square foot and can pass $20 for complex patterns or premium tiles. On a raised house, stiffening the subfloor for tile adds to that.
How much does carpet installation cost for 3 bedrooms?
Carpeting three bedrooms costs $1,600 to $6,700 by HomeGuide's carpet installation page. Carpet runs $2 to $8 per square foot installed, with labor at $0.50 to $1.50 of that. Pad, stairs and old carpet removal are priced on top.
How much to put new flooring in a 12x12 room?
A 12x12 room is 144 square feet. HomeGuide's flooring installation page gives a table for bedrooms of 100 to 144 square feet: carpet $200 to $1,200, laminate $400 to $2,000, LVP or LVT $400 to $2,300, engineered wood $700 to $2,900 and hardwood $1,100 to $3,600. Its carpet page lists a 12x12 room at $250 to $1,100. HomeGuide does not print a 12x12 figure for tile.
How much for a 1,000 or 1,500 square foot house?
HomeGuide's flooring installation page puts 1,000 square feet at $4,000 to $15,000 and 1,500 square feet at $6,000 to $22,500, all materials included. A shotgun double with heart pine to refinish in some rooms and tile in the kitchen will price very differently from a slab ranch home getting vinyl plank everywhere, so these totals are only a starting point.
How much is labor only per square foot?
Flooring labor runs $2 to $8 per square foot by HomeGuide's flooring installation page. It ranges from about $0.50 per square foot for carpet to $20 for heavy tile or poured terrazzo. Labor-only quotes usually leave out prep such as leveling, subfloor repair and tear-out.
Does the price include removing the old floor?
Not always, so ask for removal as its own line. HomeGuide lists carpet removal at $0.70 to $1.60 per square foot with disposal, tile removal at $2 to $7 per square foot, and old hardwood removal at $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot. In older New Orleans homes, removal sometimes uncovers a second or third floor layer underneath, and old 9x9 tiles should be tested for asbestos before anyone breaks them up.
Why are my flooring quotes so far apart?
Quotes are often far apart because each installer assumed different prep. One may have included slab leveling, a moisture barrier, tear-out, new baseboards and furniture moving, while another left them out or priced a cheaper product. Put the quotes side by side and compare the material, square footage with waste, prep, removal, trim and moving. The gap is usually in one or two of those lines.
Is it cheaper to buy my own flooring and pay for install?
Sometimes, but buying your own material moves the risk to you. If you supply the flooring, you are responsible for ordering enough, getting the right underlayment and trim, and dealing with the store if planks are damaged or a lot does not match. Ask any installer up front whether they will install material you supply and how that affects their price.
Does moving furniture cost extra?
Often it does. HomeGuide lists furniture moving at $25 to $75 per room on its flooring installation page. Clearing small items, breakables and electronics yourself keeps that cost down. Pianos, gun safes and large aquariums usually need a specialty mover.
Is it cheaper to do it myself?
DIY saves the $2 to $8 per square foot HomeGuide lists for labor, but only if the floor goes in right. Click vinyl plank and laminate over a flat slab are the most DIY-friendly jobs. Sanding old heart pine, nailing solid wood and setting tile on a raised floor are where mistakes cost the most to undo.
Which flooring adds the most value to a house?
Hardwood is the floor buyers ask about most, and in older New Orleans homes, original heart pine in good shape is a selling point in itself. In slab homes, good vinyl plank or tile that runs through the main rooms looks clean to buyers and holds up to humidity. HomeGuide publishes no resale-value figure for floors, so we do not give one.
Want a price for your own rooms? We measure, check the slab or subfloor, and put the material, prep and price in a written quote. Call or text (504) 977-2662.