How to use this calculator
- Choose refinish or install.
- Enter the floor area. Install mode adds an optional waste allowance (default 10%, a CalcTheJob starting point). Refinish mode does not add waste.
Vinyl and laminate box counts stay on the flooring calculator. Carpet prices are on the carpet installation cost calculator.
How the typicals are built
Refinish typical $5 per sq ft is the median of Fixr’s average of about $5 ($3–$8, Jan 31, 2025), HomeGuide’s $2–$8 midpoint ($5, Aug 4, 2025) and HomeAdvisor’s $3–$8 midpoint ($5.50, Jun 17, 2026). The displayed range is $2–$8. NerdWallet cites Angi and is not counted; This Old House is supporting only. Install typical $16.25 per sq ft is the median of only two clearly independent midpoints — HomeGuide $9–$25 (mid $17) and HomeAdvisor $6–$25 (mid $15.50) — and is disclosed as n = 2. The displayed range is $6–$25. Angi and HomeAdvisor share data and are counted once.
Worked examples: 200 sq ft
Refinishing 200 sq ft at $5 per sq ft is a typical of $1,000 ($400–$1,600). Installing 200 sq ft of new hardwood with 10% waste is 220 sq ft at $16.25, a typical of $3,575 ($1,320–$5,500), disclosed as n = 2.
Sources & assumptions
How this calculator gets its numbers. Full method: our methodology.
- Refinish typical is the median of three independent centrals: Fixr average about $5 ($3–$8, Jan 31, 2025), HomeGuide mid $5 ($2–$8, Aug 4, 2025), HomeAdvisor mid $5.50 ($3–$8, Jun 17, 2026). Median = $5/sf; displayed range $2–$8. NerdWallet cites Angi and is not counted; This Old House is supporting only.
- Install typical is n = 2 and is disclosed: HomeGuide mid $17 ($9–$25) and HomeAdvisor mid $15.50 ($6–$25). Median = $16.25/sf; displayed range $6–$25. This Old House averages Home Depot, HomeGuide and Angi and is supporting only. Angi and HomeAdvisor share data and are counted once.
- Install mode applies an optional waste allowance (default 10%, a CalcTheJob starting point) to the whole installed rate, so it also inflates labor and errs high; set 0 if a quote is per finished sq ft. Refinish mode does not add waste. This is not a vinyl or laminate box-count page.
Sources
- HomeGuide, Hardwood Flooring Cost. Aug 4, 2025: installed $9–$25 per sq ft; refinish $2–$8 per sq ft.
- HomeAdvisor, Install Wood Flooring Cost. Jun 17, 2026: installed $6–$25 per sq ft; refinishing about $3–$8 per sq ft.
- Fixr, Hardwood Floor Refinishing Cost. Jan 31, 2025: $3–$8 per sq ft, average about $5.
Last reviewed . A written local bid wins. The install typical is a two-source figure.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to refinish 200 sq ft of wood floors?
At the three-source typical of $5 per sq ft, $1,000, in a $2–$8 per sq ft range ($400–$1,600).
How much to install 200 sq ft of new hardwood?
With 10% waste, 220 sq ft at the two-source typical of $16.25 per sq ft is $3,575, in a $6–$25 envelope ($1,320–$5,500). This is disclosed as n = 2.
Why is the install typical only two sources?
Only HomeGuide and HomeAdvisor were clearly independent installed-hardwood series in the research set. This Old House averages other publishers and is supporting only. The n = 2 limit is disclosed in the form and the article.
Is this a vinyl or laminate calculator?
No. Box counts for those products stay on the flooring calculator.