What a flooring estimate is for
Flooring estimates are often a single price per square foot that hides removal, leveling and trim. When the old floor comes up and the subfloor is uneven, that hidden part becomes a fight. An estimate that lists removal, prep, underlayment, trim and transitions, and says how subfloor problems are handled, keeps the job friendly.
What to put on a flooring estimate
- Rooms and square footage, with a waste allowance.
- Product, line and color.
- Removal and haul-away of the old floor.
- Subfloor prep and how surprises are priced.
- Underlayment.
- Baseboards, transitions and stairs.
- Furniture moving.
A worked example
A main floor with carpet in the living room and old vinyl in the kitchen, about 750 sq ft, to be replaced with click luxury vinyl plank.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remove carpet, pad and old vinyl | 750 | sq ft | Your price |
| Subfloor leveling, where needed | 0 | sq ft | Your price |
| Underlayment | 750 | sq ft | Your price |
| Luxury vinyl plank, installed | 790 | sq ft | Your price |
| Quarter round, new | 240 | ft | Your price |
| Transitions | 3 | each | Your price |
| Move furniture | 3 | room | Your price |
The plank line includes waste, so it is larger than the room area. The leveling line is at zero, with the price per square foot agreed before the old floor comes up.
Line items flooring installers use
| Line item | Unit | How to write it |
|---|---|---|
| Luxury vinyl plank, installed | sq ft | Product line, wear layer and click or glue-down. |
| Engineered hardwood, installed | sq ft | Species, width and floating, nail or glue. |
| Solid hardwood, installed | sq ft | Species, grade and finish. |
| Tile, installed | sq ft | Tile size and pattern; tile itself an allowance or supplied. |
| Carpet and pad, installed | sq ft | Carpet line and pad weight. |
| Remove and haul old flooring | sq ft | Carpet, tile, vinyl or wood; glued floors take longer. |
| Subfloor leveling | sq ft | Self-leveler or grinding where the floor is out of flat. |
| Underlayment | sq ft | Type and whether it is a vapor barrier. |
| Baseboard or quarter round | ft | Remove and reinstall, or new. |
| Transitions and thresholds | each | Where floors meet. |
| Stair treads | each | Per step. |
| Move furniture | room | Say what you move and what the owner moves. |
| Sand and refinish hardwood | sq ft | Coats and stain color. |
Terms and deposit language for flooring
- Deposit. A deposit at signing orders flooring, which often needs time to arrive and acclimate. Check your state's rules on deposits.
- Payment. Balance due when the floor is installed and trim is done.
- Warranty. Products carry the maker's warranty, which may require proper installation and moisture limits. State how long you warrant your installation.
- Subfloor condition is checked after removal; repairs or leveling found are priced by change order.
- Material quantities include a waste allowance; leftover boxes stay with the customer.
- Doors may need trimming for new floor heights; say who does it.
How to fill it in
- Put in your business details once; this browser keeps them for every template.
- Fill in the customer and the job.
- Change the line items to fit this job and add your prices.
- Set tax, the deposit and the good-until date.
- Print to PDF, download Word or CSV, or send it from Koira.
Free tools for flooring
The same estimate for other trades: appliance repair, auto detailing, carpet cleaning, chimney, house cleaning, commercial cleaning, concrete, drywall, electrical, fence, garage door, general contractor, gutter, handyman, hvac, irrigation, junk removal, landscaping, lawn care, locksmith, moving, painting, pest control, plumbing, pool service, pressure washing, remodeling, roofing, septic, snow removal, solar, tree service, waterproofing, window cleaning.