Short answer: a 12×12 room (144 sq ft) costs about $760 to floor in laminate, $990 in vinyl plank, and roughly $1,990 in hardwood — material and labor included. The material you choose matters far more than the room.
Installed cost for a 12×12 room by material
| Material | Total installed cost |
|---|---|
| Laminate | About $760 |
| Carpet | About $920 |
| Vinyl plank (LVP) | About $990 |
| Tile | About $1,660 |
| Engineered wood | About $1,440 |
| Hardwood | About $1,990 |
Figures use typical mid-range prices with a 10% waste allowance on materials. Note how tile breaks the pattern — the tile itself is mid-priced, but its labor is the highest of any common floor, which pulls the total up.
What is NOT in these numbers
Underlayment (about $0.50/sq ft), removing and disposing of the old floor ($1.50–$3.50/sq ft), subfloor leveling or repair, and new baseboards or trim. On an older home, budget an extra $2–$4 per sq ft for these — on a laminate floor that’s roughly 40–75% on top — they are the most common reason a flooring quote grows mid-job.
The fastest way to save
Get at least three quotes and compare them per square foot, installed — not by the headline total. And if you are handy, click-lock laminate and vinyl plank are genuinely DIY-friendly: installing those yourself removes the labor line entirely, close to 40% of the total.
Run your own room and material through our flooring cost calculator for a line-by-line estimate.