Herringbone flooring is one of the most popular parquet flooring options in Toronto. Although it offers a beautiful pattern for your space, one consideration before installing herringbone hardwood flooring is the cost.
It’ll help to know that herringbone flooring is the most affordable parquet option for your floors.
Although it’s more pricey compared to regular hardwood flooring, it offers value for money. The price is also customizable. This means you can install it in your home without going over your budget.
When preparing a budget for the installation, it’s unlikely you’ll find a uniform price for the installation. How much your neighbour spends on herringbone flooring will differ from how much you spend. Several other factors like labour, location, and raw materials work together to determine the total cost. If you’re searching for a rough budget to work with, expect to pay thousands of dollars for top quality.
Here, we’ll provide a pricing estimate for herringbone flooring installation in Ontario. We’ll even go as far as providing a cost per square foot estimate. This way, you can start to plan financially for your flooring project.
What Is The Overall Cost Of Installing Herringbone Hardwood Flooring?
For the overall cost of installing herringbone hardwood flooring, expect to pay about $20,000 or an average cost of $14,000. Per square foot, the price may range from $6 to $10. This pricing is without considering equipment costs and the type of wood species used.
If you are removing your old flooring, expect to pay $8 to $12 per square foot. If you buy unfinished wood, expect to spend between $1.50 to $5 a square foot to sand, stain, and seal it.
Most flooring companies usually quote labour costs per square foot to cover up for miscellaneous expenses. To have an idea of the total fee per square foot, multiply the space of your room by the price per square foot. For instance, with the price above, a 200 square foot room may require a $1,200 labour expense.
If you opt for an expensive wood like White Oak and Brazilian Walnut, the cost to install herringbone hardwood flooring in Toronto will increase by about $2,000 or more.
At the same time, if you’re a DIYer, it’ll help to add an extra $1,000 to your total budget. The reason is, unlike an expert installer, you’re likely to make mistakes or, worse, waste materials.
- Estimated overall cost (materials and artistry): $20,000
- Average cost per square foot: $6
- Labour fee per square foot: $8
| Description | Quantity | Average price |
| Installing Herringbone Parquet flooring with white oak | 500 square feet | $8,000 |
| Installing Herringbone Flooring with normal wood | 500 square feet | $6,300 |
| Replacing old flooring | 500 square feet | $100 |
| Installing with unfinished wood | per square feet | $10 |
| DIY Herringbone Parquet flooring | 500 square feet | $4,000 |
| Engineered Hardwood Parquet Professional Installation | 500 square feet | $12,500 |
| Disposing of waste/ miscellaneous | $200 |
Cost of Herringbone Hardwood Flooring: The Wood Species
The style and quality of wood species you use for herringbone parquet flooring are an excellent determinant of its pricing. It’s no news that luxurious and exotic wood like mahogany will cost more than red oak, a regular wood species. Aside from that, readily available woods will cost less than scarce ones.
If you want wood that’ll give you a beautiful texture and polished look, use Ebony. This is only a suggestion. In the real sense of it, your choice of wood species solely depends on your budget and taste. You don’t have to break the bank to purchase a particular wood.
- Sapele: $48 – $64 per square meter
- Maple: $32 – $72 per square meter
- Red oak: $25 – $80 per square meter
- Walnut: $40 – $54 per square meter
- Beech: $42 – $85 per square meter
- Hickory/ Pecan: $30 – $50 per square meter
- Pine: $25 – $40 per square meter
- White oak: $40 – $100 per square meter
To make the estimate easier for you, we quoted the cost per square foot. However, the price of wood for herringbone flooring is often stated in board foot (bf). You can calculate board foot measurements by multiplying the length, width and thickness of the board.
By implication, the volume of the wood can either increase or reduce the cost. From the above, pinewood is the cheapest quality wood to pick.
Related Article: What Is Herringbone Hardwood Flooring?
How Much Does It Cost to Install 1000 Square Feet of Herringbone Flooring?
The average cost of installing herringbone hardwood flooring in a 1000 sq. ft space ranges between $8,000 and $10,000. This cost covers your floor finishing and design.
With professional help, most homeowners spend about $9,000 on herringbone flooring. An average homeowner spends between $15 and $20 a square meter on this flooring. This means a 200sq.ft will cost an average of $3,000 to $4,000.
Price of Installing Solid and Engineered Hardwood
The cost of installing herringbone hardwood flooring varies depending on the type of wood you pick. Regardless of the wood species, you can further select between solid or engineered hardwood.
For engineered hardwood flooring, the price ranges between $3 to $10 per square foot. At the same time, most good quality options fall between $5 to $15 a square foot. On the other hand, pre-finished solid wood averages about $7, with a range of $5 to $13 per square foot.
For both types of flooring, expect to spend about $3 to $10/sq.ft on labour. This fee may, however, depend on the complexity of your space layout and the expertise of the installer. Since solid hardwood flooring will need refinishing, you may incur an extra $5 per square foot to cover refinishing expenses.
Whichever one you pick, the good thing is there’s only a slight difference in their pricing. So, you won’t have to forgo quality to reduce how much you spend on herringbone hardwood in your Toronto space.
| Engineered/Solid Wood Category | Material Price per Square Foot | Labour Fee per Square Foot |
| High-quality | $9 – $14 | $4 – $10 |
| Mid | $5.50 – $11 | $4 – $10 |
| Basic | $3.75 – $5 | $4 – $10 |
Herringbone Hardwood: Material Cost Per Square Foot
Well, for the cost of installing herringbone hardwood flooring with materials, expect to spend between $200 to $500. Above, we’ve discussed the price of different wood planks — the most important flooring material for installation.
Here are the costs of some other materials you’ll require during installation.
For floor preparation:
- Cement board: $12/piece
- Backer board: $9/piece
- Underlayment: $50
Tools:
- Nail set: $190
- Adhesives: $10.60
- Pneumatic flooring nailer: $53
- Air compressor: $488
- Drill: $45
- Chalk line: $10
- Adhesive trowel:
- Tape measure: $1
These materials’ prices are, particularly for DIYers. Luckily, if you’re employing the services of an expert, you may pay little or nothing for these materials. Professional installers will come along with their materials.
Installing Herringbone Hardwood Flooring: Cost of Labour
Depending on their size of the floor, most homeowners spend $100 to $150 a day on average for labour. Given that the installation process may take about two or three days, expect to pay between $500 to $800.
Keep in mind that it’s likely you’ll need other labour aside from a professional installer. In every flooring project, labour is usually the most pricey expense.
Professional contractor
What’s the cost of installing herringbone hardwood flooring with the help of a contractor? Generally, they charge about 20% of the overall fee.
With a contractor, you won’t need to supervise the installation process. Not to mention, they’ll help you hire other labour if need be. In fact, we recommend you hire a contractor for a stress-free installation.
Carpenter
You may also require the services of a carpenter if you’re using uncut wood. Aside from this, not all skilled installers are experts in wood cutting. Some of them are only skilled in laying and joining planks. For this, expect to pay about $100-$500. The thicker the wood, the higher the cost to install herringbone hardwood flooring.
Plumber
If you’re flooring your bathroom, kitchen, or basement, it’s ideal you hire a plumber for your flooring project. This may increase your total fee by up to $300.
Hiring a plumber saves you the time, stress, and money of reflooring. It’ll be terrible to experience a leaky pipe situation after installation.
Architect
Most homeowners in Toronto do not include the services of an architect in the total cost of herringbone hardwood flooring. However, if you plan on changing the layout of your room or using a complex design, you’ll need one. Expect to pay between $300 to $500 for architectural services.
Factors that Affect the Cost of Installing Herringbone Hardwood Flooring
Many people often ask the question, “how much to buy herringbone hardwood flooring?”. You see, it’s not just about buying wood for herringbone flooring. You also have to consider the average pricing for the following:
Finishing
Surface finish is an essential factor that dictates the overall cost of herringbone hardwood flooring. Refinishing will cost you between $6 to $10 per square foot. Compared to traditional flooring, herringbone is more tasking to finish and refine.
You can either finish your herringbone flooring with oils, wax, or lacquer. Better still, you may choose to smoke your flooring. Finishing your herringbone flooring is essential. It helps to protect your flooring from external elements like moisture and dirt.
Thickness of the flooring planks
The average price to buy herringbone hardwood flooring also depends on the density of the plank. Thicker planks range between $10 to $15/ sq.ft. At the same time, thin planks may cost $5 to $10/sq.ft. Long and thick wood planks create elegant floors, particularly in spacious spaces like the living room, board rooms, and hallways.
The overall cost of flooring planks boils down to the quality of wood. Also, there’s an upside to paying the higher upfront cost of thick planks. You can finish and sand them multiple times without replacement.
Pattern design
There are several herringbone hardwood flooring designs, and the more complex it is, the higher the cost. Styles like ladder and basket pattern demand more time and skill to lay.
Expect to pay about $1,000 for sophisticated patterns. Since the installation process for regular herringbone patterns is complex, it’s only expected that more intricate designs will cost more.
Not to mention, your choice of pattern will also affect the number of materials and planks necessary to achieve your preferred design. If you’re working with a tight budget, it’ll help to pick a regular or double pattern. This way, you’ll save money on the price of labour and materials.
Subfloor
The condition of your subfloor also determines the cost of herringbone hardwood flooring. If your subfloor is in a terrible state, it’ll need replacement. Typically, this may cost about $100 per square foot. However, if it requires a little work to refine the quality, expect to spend not less than $100
To install any flooring, your subfloor needs to be grounded flat, very dry and hard before installation. Typically, the cost of achieving this is omitted in the comprehensive price guide for herringbone hardwood flooring. They’re often regarded as extra fees.
Skirting and glue cost
Unlike traditional flooring, herringbone requires a large quantity of adhesive to hold down the hardwood planks. Therefore, it’s essential you budget for the extra amount of buying bond and glue.
For this, you may spend about $500 or more. Another thing to consider is the price of skirting, which is necessary for assembling the planks.
Location
Location is another essential factor that influences the cost of installing herringbone hardwood flooring. The price of materials in Toronto will vary from that of Alberta.
The difference in their cost is often a result of demand and supply. For example, the high demand for glue in Toronto will no doubt increase the price. In like manner, an increased supply of wood in Alberta will make it cheap.
Cost of Installing Herringbone Parquet DIY
If you’re a DIY fan, herringbone parquet installation is a great project. For DIY, expect to spend about $5,000 overall or more. Some people think DIY is cheaper compared to professional help. However, this is only partially true. Since you have to buy materials and equipment, you may equally spend as much as hiring a professional installer.
Although, DIY may still help you cut costs in some areas. For instance, if you desire to have an intricate herringbone design, an expert flooring layer may cost you about $1,500 for installation. This will include the price of extra materials. But with DIY, you can comfortably use this amount for a different part of your project. To make the floor laying easier, use prefinished hardwood.
Ways to Reduce The Price of Installing Herringbone Hardwood
Opting for the cheapest materials is not the best way to cut the cost of installing herringbone hardwood flooring. With a small budget, you can still install high-quality parquet flooring in your home. Aside from DIY, here are some tips that’ll help you save costs.
- Purchase click-together hardwood flooring.
- Do the minor jobs yourself (removing existing flooring, disposing of excess materials, applying finishes and removing tack boards)
- Hire a local flooring layer.
- Tick off the materials you have in your home. For instance, if you have a bucket of glue in your garage, there’s no need to buy extra.
- Purchase materials from overstock discounters. These people often purchase directly from manufacturers and sell below the price list.
- Use prefinished and pre-cut wood.
Related Article: What’s The Difference Between Chevron And Herringbone Floors?
Conclusion
When it comes to the cost of installing herringbone hardwood flooring, no budget is neither big nor small. The best part is that it’s well worth the cost.
This flooring can add up to about 5% of your house value. It’s unlikely you’ll find any flooring that’ll give your home a higher resale value. Not to mention, it offers you luxury and elegance at a low cost. This flooring is versatile and can last up to a hundred years.
If you’re interested in giving your space a new look, why not check out our herringbone hardwood flooring designs? Here at LV Flooring, we offer affordable hardwood flooring and even more affordable installation prices. Get in touch with us today!
