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Hardwood Floor Installation Cost in Toronto
Quick answer
“What will the whole floor cost?” is the first thing most people ask us about hardwood. This page answers it with our real rates, what the wood adds, totals at common sizes and the things that move a quote. The same rates are on our Toronto installation cost page.
What hardwood installation costs per square foot in Toronto
We charge by the square foot, and the rate depends on how the floor goes down. Prices are for installation only; disposal, trim and levelling are quoted separately.
If your hardwood is sound and only the finish is worn, refinishing may be the better buy: we sand it back, stain and finish it for $6.50 a square foot. Refinish or replace your hardwood walks through that choice.
What the wood itself costs
The wood is priced on top of the installation. These are typical prices per square foot for the flooring alone at GTA flooring stores in October 2026, before tax:
Put together, engineered hardwood glued or nailed comes to about $10.40 to $14.15 a square foot installed, engineered that clicks about $8.70 to $12.45, and solid hardwood about $11.25 to $13.75. We supply the wood as well, so both go on the same written quote. Every material is compared in what new flooring costs installed.
What a hardwood floor costs at real sizes
These are installation prices with the old floor taken up. The wood is on top of these numbers.
| Floor size | Solid hardwood at $4.50 | Engineered, glued or nailed, at $4.90 | Engineered that clicks, at $3.20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Condo or small main floor, 500 sq ft | $2,250 | $2,450 | $1,600 |
| Main floor, 800 sq ft | $3,600 | $3,920 | $2,560 |
| 1,000 sq ft | $4,500 | $4,900 | $3,200 |
| 1,200 sq ft | $5,400 | $5,880 | $3,840 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $6,750 | $7,350 | $4,800 |
| Whole house, 3,000 sq ft | $13,500 | $14,700 | $9,600 |
A typical Toronto main floor is about 800 square feet. In engineered hardwood glued or nailed, that is $3,920 to install and about $8,300 to $11,300 with the wood. Financing is available at 0% over 3, 6 or 12 months, so a $3,920 floor is about $327 a month.
Why most of the hardwood we install is engineered
Of the hardwood floors we carry, about 1,460 are engineered and about 100 are solid. There are good reasons it tips that way.
Concrete. Solid hardwood is nailed to a wood subfloor. Condos and basements sit on concrete, so there it is engineered hardwood, and in a condo it goes over the acoustic underlay your building requires. More in condo flooring in Toronto.
Toronto’s seasons. Wood takes on moisture in humid summers and gives it up when the heating runs all winter. An engineered board is a real wood top layer on a cross-layered core, so it moves less than a solid board of the same width, which is why wide planks are nearly always engineered.
In-floor heating. Engineered hardwood can go over radiant heat.
Solid hardwood still makes sense over a wood subfloor in a house, and it can be sanded more times over the years. The full comparison is in engineered vs solid hardwood.
What makes a hardwood quote go up
Two floors of the same size can get different quotes. Here’s why.
The floor underneath. Hardwood needs a flat base. If the subfloor needs levelling, it is priced on the same written quote before anything is ordered.
Pattern. A straight lay is the standard rate. Herringbone and chevron take longer and waste more wood, so they are quoted per job; see herringbone and chevron installation.
Stairs. Stairs are priced per flight, not per square foot: about $7,000 for a straight flight with new treads, risers, posts, spindles, handrail and stain matched to the new floor. See staircase renovation in Toronto.
Hidden damage. If the old floor comes up and there is rot or water damage underneath, we show it to you and price it before going any further.
The hardwood we recommend
We supply the hardwood as well as install it, and these are the two ranges we recommend first. The installation rates above are the same whichever brand you choose.
Vidar is the widest hardwood range we carry: more than 120 engineered floors, almost all American white oak, European white ash or European oak, most of it 9/16 inch thick and nailed down with glue assist. Our crew laid a Vidar floor in an Etobicoke house in August 2025. Read our Vidar flooring review.
Woden engineered hardwood has a 3 mm or 4 mm wood top layer, in the Grand Chateau and Vermont collections, with American oak leading. A 4 mm top layer can realistically be sanded and refinished two or three times. Our crew installed Woden floors on a stairs-and-floors job in Bolton in 2026. Read our Woden flooring review.
How a hardwood job runs
We come to measure, free, and bring samples so you can see the wood in your own light. You get a fixed written price for the installation, with the wood on the same quote.
On the day, the crew takes up the old floor, checks the base, lays the hardwood and fits the transitions to the rooms next to it, cleaning up at the end of every day. Most homes are done in one to three days. We are licensed, insured up to $2 million and registered with WSIB. Our workmanship carries up to 2 years’ warranty, and most floors come with 20 to 40-year manufacturer warranties. More on the service itself is on our hardwood installation page.
We work across Toronto, North York, Vaughan, Mississauga, Brampton, Markham and Richmond Hill, north to Barrie, and as far as Bowmanville, Castleton, Wasaga Beach, Niagara Falls and London.
Prices checked November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to install 1,000 square feet of hardwood floors?
About $4,500 for solid hardwood at $4.50 a square foot, $4,900 for engineered hardwood glued or nailed at $4.90, or $3,200 for engineered that clicks and floats. Prices are for installation only; disposal, trim and levelling are quoted separately. The wood is priced on top, typically $5.50 to $9.25 a square foot for engineered hardwood.
How much do hardwood installers charge per square foot in Toronto?
We charge $4.50 a square foot for solid hardwood, $4.90 for engineered hardwood glued or nailed with the glue and nails included, and $3.20 for engineered that clicks and floats. This is installation only; disposal, trim and levelling are quoted separately, and the price is fixed in writing after a free measure.
Is engineered hardwood cheaper to install than solid hardwood?
Engineered that clicks and floats is, at $3.20 a square foot against $4.50 for solid. Engineered that is glued or nailed is $4.90, with the glue and nails included.
What does the installation price include?
Yes. Taking up and removing the old floor, whatever is down now, is part of the installation price.
Is the hardwood included in the installation price?
No. The rates are for the installation. We supply the hardwood too: it goes on the same quote, priced by the floor you choose.
How much does it cost to install hardwood in a condo in Toronto?
The rate per square foot is the same as in a house. Condos sit on concrete, so it is engineered hardwood over the acoustic underlay your building requires: a 500 square foot condo is $2,450 to install glued or $1,600 if the floor clicks and floats, with the wood on top.
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