If you are considering luxury vinyl and wondering how much it will cost to have it professionally installed in your Dayton, Ohio area home, this article is for you.
>>>Are you ready for a luxury vinyl installation quote today? Contact Johnson's Flooring today to get the process started!
Factors That Impact The Cost of Installing Luxury Vinyl
1. Luxury Vinyl
The single biggest factor within your control that will impact the price of your installation is the type of luxury vinyl that you choose. Characteristics of luxury vinyl vary including the plank size, type of bevel, extent of embossing (creating ridges to match the texture of the look of wood), the material that the core is composed of, and wear layer. The price of the luxury vinyl will be dependent upon all of these characteristics and more.
Luxury vinyl prices range from as low as below $2/square foot to above $7/square foot. You can expect a middle of the road luxury vinyl that is stylish and will hold up to a busy household to cost you around $3.50/square foot for the material only.
2. Pad/Moisture Barrier
Most luxury vinyl has an attached pad, commonly called an underlayment, that is made to absorb sound and make it a bit softer underfoot. If the luxury vinyl is being installed over a concrete subfloor, we strongly suggest that a moisture barrier (6 mil clear plastic sheeting) is installed to prevent moisture from coming through the concrete and potentially causing damage to the floors. If a moisture barrier is required, budget approximately $0.75/square foot extra for the material and installation of the sheeting.
3. Size of Rooms
This likely goes without saying but the larger your rooms are, the higher the cost will be for luxury vinyl installation in your home. Most flooring companies charge for luxury vinyl installation by the square foot.
4. Installation Company
Not all luxury vinyl installation companies are created equally. Before inviting a luxury vinyl installation company into your home, you will want to do your due diligence to make sure you are choosing a reliable company with a solid reputation. One word of caution is to not let price completely affect your decision. The cheapest company may not have the highest quality, potentially causing luxury vinyl installation issues that you may have to deal with for years down the road.
Here are a few tips to help you choose the flooring installation company that is right for you:
- Years In Business: Although being in business longer doesn’t necessarily guarantee high quality of work, businesses that have been around for decades will have a reputation behind them and that is something to pay attention to.
- Google Reviews: The internet has made it so flooring customers can provide immediate feedback that is publicly available. Search a company’s name in Google and their Google Business Profile should come up. This profile will display all of the company’s reviews on Google, along with general company information. Make sure to note any trends that you see in the reviews because that is more telling of a company’s performance than a one-off review, either positive or negative.
- Lifetime Guarantee: Although you hope to never have to use a warranty or insurance policy, it is nice to know that the company will be there to help you if needed. Some luxury vinyl installation companies will not return and fix installation issues unless additional money is provided. Other installation companies will back their service for a limited period of time. A small handful of companies offer a lifetime warranty. Although it is unlikely you will need to take advantage of the warranty, a company offering to stand behind their work for a prolonged period of time shows the confidence that they have in the quality of their luxury vinyl installation.
5. Removal of Old Flooring
You may need to remove the existing flooring in your rooms, depending on the type of flooring currently down. Luxury vinyl is a floating floor and can be installed over some floors such as hardwood, sheet vinyl, and ceramic, depending on the quality of the floors. Other floors, such as laminate and carpet, will need to be removed prior to luxury vinyl installation.
Removing and hauling away the old floors will likely be an additional charge, depending on how the installation company prices a job.
6. Stairs
Do you plan on including stairs in your luxury vinyl installation? Luxury vinyl on stairs is a very stylish choice and creates a nice look. This installation is a fairly time-intensive process so expect to pay additional charges for the material and installation time required.
>>>Check out this article we wrote about a luxury vinyl staircase installation.
7. Transition Trims
It is likely that your new luxury vinyl will be installed up to other types of flooring in your home (i.e. luxury vinyl in the hallway and carpet in a bedroom). This convergence of the two flooring types will create a transition that doesn’t always look the most aesthetically pleasing. That is where transition trims come in – narrow pieces of luxury vinyl that match the color and style of the floor. These pieces not only create a nice and finished look at the transitions, they also protect the edges of both pieces of flooring and minimize tripping hazards.
8. Baseboard and Shoe Molding
Luxury vinyl installation requires a ¼” gap between the wall and the floor. Most homes have a baseboard installed at the bottom of the walls. There are two options for finishing at the walls. One, the baseboard can be removed and reinstalled after the luxury vinyl is down. This will work as long as the baseboard is wider than the ¼” gap that is necessary between the wall and the luxury vinyl. The second option is installing a trim piece called shoe molding, or quarter round, at the bottom of the baseboard. This avoids the need to remove and reinstall the baseboard, preventing potential breakage of the baseboard and paint touch-up.
Some flooring companies offer these trim services for an extra charge while others will suggest you contact a contractor to have the trim work completed.
9. Floor Prep
Luxury vinyl is designed to be durable and long-lasting but it must be installed properly to perform as intended. A pivotal part of proper luxury vinyl installation is ensuring that variability in the flatness of the floor is no more than the threshold established by the luxury vinyl manufacturer (commonly no more than 3/16” every 10 feet).
Additional material and installation charges will likely be necessary if floor prep is required. High spots will need to be ground down and low spots filled in with a self-leveling compound. Many times, it is impossible to know the extent of floor prep required until the installation process starts and the old flooring is removed.
How Much Should I Expect to Spend on Luxury Vinyl Installation?
As we just covered, there are many factors that impact the cost of luxury vinyl installation. These factors include luxury vinyl selection, moisture barrier, size of rooms, installation company, removal of existing flooring, stairs, transition trims, baseboard/shoe molding, and floor prep.
Here are some numbers to give you a ballpark idea of how much you should expect to spend for professional luxury vinyl installation that includes furniture moving, removal of existing flooring (carpet), new mid-range luxury vinyl, luxury vinyl installation, transition trims, and new shoe molding.
- Bedroom (12x15) = Approximately $2,000
- Living Room (12x18) & Hall = Approximately $3,000
- Living Room (12x18), Hall, 3 Bedrooms (12x12) = Approximately $7,000
REMINDER: You will only be able to get an accurate quote from a flooring company after an in-home measurement. Also a reminder that this does not reflect Johnson's Flooring's charges, just a ballpark estimate. Contact Johnson's Flooring today to get the luxury vinyl installation process started.
Calculating A Ballpark Luxury Vinyl Installation Estimate
Interested in getting a general idea of the cost for your luxury vinyl installation before visiting a flooring store? Follow these steps to calculate a ballpark estimate for professional luxury vinyl installation:
Step 1 - Measure Your Room(s)
Use a tape measure to determine the length and width of each of your rooms. A tip for rooms that may not be an exact square or rectangle: square off sections of the room and take measurements of each squared off section. Combine them to get the room’s total measurement. This is just a ballpark estimate so don’t worry too much about getting exact measurements.
Step 2 – Determine Square Footage
To get the square footage of each room, multiply the length by the width. For example, if the room is 12 feet long by 12 feet wide, the total square footage will be 144.
Step 3 - Add 10% To Square Footage
The general rule for luxury vinyl installation is to add 10% to your square footage to account for necessary cuts and to have a bit of material leftover should any future repairs be necessary. In the example above, the square footage with 10% added is 158.
Step 4 - Determine Charges
Determine the price per square foot for the following: luxury vinyl, removing existing flooring, and installation. If you have already received estimated material and installation costs from a company, this step won’t be too difficult. If you haven’t received any estimate costs, use $8.00/square foot as a starting point. This will give you an initial idea for removing the existing flooring, luxury vinyl material, and luxury vinyl installation. We suggest contacting a professional installation company prior to making any budgeting decisions.
REMINDER: All of the factors we discussed above can change the price from the estimate of $8.00/square foot, sometimes substantially. Also a reminder that this does not reflect Johnson's Flooring's charges, just a ballpark estimate.
Step 5 - Determine The Total Price
Multiply the total square footage in Step 3 by the charges in Step 4 to get the total price.
Next Steps
Check out these helpful links about luxury vinyl to help you as you continue your search for new luxury vinyl flooring.
>>> Luxury Vinyl Catalog
>>> Is Luxury Vinyl Right For My Home?
>>> Recent Johnson's Flooring Luxury Vinyl Installation
Johnson's Flooring
Johnson’s Flooring is here to help you transform your home with new luxury vinyl! We have two flooring stores in Clayton, Ohio (near Brookville, Englewood, and Vandalia) and Springboro, Ohio (near Miamisburg, Lebanon, and Franklin) with a wide selection of luxury vinyl styles and colors on display. Our samples are available to take home so you can see what the luxury vinyl looks like in your space.
We offer professional luxury vinyl installation that is backed by a lifetime guarantee. Our installers have decades of combined luxury vinyl installation experience and will treat your home with the respect that it deserves.
Visit or contact us to get started with your new luxury vinyl installation!
