Ask three flooring companies for a quote on the same room and you can end up with three quite different numbers. That’s not necessarily anyone trying to overcharge, it usually comes down to what’s actually included, and what’s quietly left out until it turns up as an “extra” once the job’s underway. So here’s a straightforward look at what genuinely drives cost, room by room, so you can compare quotes properly rather than just going with whichever number looks smallest.
The board itself is only part of the price
It’s tempting to think of flooring cost as simply price-per-square-metre for the boards, but the material is often less than half the total job. What really moves the number is everything around it: subfloor preparation, fitting method, finishing, and the condition of the room you’re starting from.
That said, as a rough starting point, reclaimed and antique oak generally sit at the higher end of the price range, given the sourcing and preparation involved, solid oak sits above standard engineered oak, and wider boards or intricate patterns like herringbone parquet cost more to both supply and fit than straightforward long boards, simply because of the labour and precision involved.
Subfloor preparation is where budgets usually go wrong
This is the single biggest source of quote discrepancies we see. A subfloor that’s level, dry, and in good condition needs relatively little preparation before flooring goes down. A subfloor with damp issues, significant unevenness, or old adhesive residue from previous flooring needs considerably more work, and that work costs money and time that a lower quote may simply not have accounted for.
If a quote seems notably cheaper than others you’ve had, it’s worth asking directly what subfloor preparation is included. A cheap quote that assumes a perfect subfloor, and then charges extra once the reality is uncovered, isn’t actually cheaper, it’s just cheaper on paper until the job starts.
Roughly what to expect, room by room
These are general ranges rather than fixed prices, since every property is different, but they give a sense of scale for planning purposes.
Hallways and entrance areas tend to be smaller but often need more careful fitting around doorways, thresholds, and sometimes staircases, which adds labour relative to the floor area involved.
Kitchens usually cost more per square metre than other rooms of similar size, partly because of fitting around cabinetry, islands, and appliances, and partly because kitchens more often need engineered flooring or particular finishes suited to a wetter environment, which can push material costs up.
Living rooms and dining rooms, being larger open spaces with fewer obstructions, are often the most straightforward and cost-effective per square metre, assuming the subfloor is in reasonable condition.
Bedrooms are generally similar to living rooms in terms of fitting complexity, though smaller room sizes mean the overall job cost is lower even if the price per square metre is comparable.
Restoration work, sanding and refinishing an existing floor rather than laying new, is usually considerably less expensive than a full new installation, though the final cost still depends heavily on the condition of the existing boards and how much repair work is needed alongside the sanding itself.
What a genuinely thorough quote should include
A proper quote should set out, clearly, what’s covered rather than leaving it to assumption. That generally means:
- Removal and disposal of any existing flooring or floor coverings
- Subfloor assessment and any necessary preparation, ideally specified rather than left as a vague allowance
- Supply of the flooring material itself, with the specific product and grade named
- Fitting labour, including underlay or acoustic membrane where relevant
- Finishing, whether that’s factory-finished boards or on-site sanding and sealing
- Skirting and threshold work, since these are sometimes quietly excluded and added later
If any of these are missing or vague on a quote you’ve received, it’s worth asking before agreeing to anything, rather than after work has started.
Why the cheapest quote isn’t always the cheapest job
We’ve been called in more than once to fix flooring that was fitted cheaply and went wrong within a year or two, boards lifting because the subfloor wasn’t properly prepared, gaps opening because the wood wasn’t acclimatised correctly before fitting, or a finish failing early because it was rushed. In most of those cases, the eventual cost of putting it right exceeded what a proper job would have cost from the outset.
That’s not to say the most expensive quote is automatically the best one either. It’s about understanding what you’re actually paying for, and making sure the number in front of you reflects the real scope of the job rather than a stripped-back version of it.
Getting a quote that actually means something
The most useful thing you can do before committing to any flooring job is to get someone out to look at the room in person, rather than relying on a quote based on photos or a phone description alone. Subfloor condition in particular is very hard to judge without seeing it directly.
We provide detailed, honest quotes across the UK that set out exactly what’s included, no vague allowances, no surprise extras once the job’s underway. If you’d like an accurate picture of what your room would actually cost, call us on +44 (0)1428 604700 or get in touch through britishwoodflooring.co.uk.
