Waterproof Laminate Flooring Cost: What the Label Buys
Laminate sold as waterproof cost $1.43 to $3.99 per sq ft on the shelf at Floor & Decor and Home Depot (regular prices, 13 to 15 October 2026) and about $3.87 to $7.39 per sq ft installed with Home Depot's last published labour: $581 to $1,108 for a 150 sq ft kitchen, $1,549 to $2,956 for a 400 sq ft basement room. The cheapest waterproof plank is only $0.44 a sq ft dearer than the cheapest plank that is not. What "waterproof" covers differs by line, so read the warranty.
Updated 15 November 2026. How we priced this.
Waterproof Laminate Prices We Could Read
| Plank | Shelf / sq ft | Installed / sq ft | What the seller says |
|---|---|---|---|
| HydroShield Plus Eden Falls 8mm Floor & Decor, pad not recorded | $1.43 | $3.87 to $4.97 | Sold as waterproof laminate |
| HydroShield Plus Overbrook 8mm Floor & Decor, pad not recorded | $1.79 | $4.27 to $5.37 | Sold as waterproof laminate |
| Home Decorators Collection Vanderbilt Oak 12mm Home Depot, AC4, pad attached | $1.89 | $4.08 to $5.08 | "Waterproof flooring with pre-attached pad" |
| HydroShield Plus Timberland Oak 10mm Floor & Decor, AC4, pad attached | $1.99 | $4.19 to $5.19 | Water resistance: "Waterproof"; warranty lifetime residential, 15 years commercial |
| Pergo Outlast+ XL New Market Hickory 12mm Home Depot, AC4, pad attached | $2.99 | $5.29 to $6.29 | SpillProtect: waterproof surface coating and tight joints |
| AquaGuard Performance Cocoa 12mm Floor & Decor, AC5, pad attached | $2.99 | $5.29 to $6.29 | Water resistance: "Waterproof"; warranty lifetime residential, 20 years commercial |
| AquaGuard Performance NatureMatch Suncrest 12mm Floor & Decor, AC5, pad attached | $3.99 | $6.39 to $7.39 | Sold as waterproof laminate; warranty lifetime residential |
For comparison, the cheapest plank we priced that is not sold as waterproof, FairOaks Carey Lane 7mm at Floor & Decor, was $0.99 per sq ft.
Waterproof Laminate Cost by Room
| Room | Sq ft | Cheapest plank installed | Dearest plank installed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half bath | 40 | $155 to $199 | $256 to $296 |
| Kitchen | 150 | $581 to $746 | $958 to $1,108 |
| Basement room | 400 | $1,549 to $1,989 | $2,556 to $2,956 |
| Main floor | 1,000 | $3,873 to $4,973 | $6,389 to $7,389 |
Cheapest is HydroShield Plus Eden Falls 8mm ($1.43, priced with separate underlayment); dearest is AquaGuard Performance NatureMatch Suncrest 12mm ($3.99, pad attached). Both include 10% waste and Home Depot's last published $2.00 to $3.00 labour. Removal of an old floor, trim and moving furniture are extra; the laminate flooring cost calculator adds them.
Check a Waterproof Laminate Quote
Quoted a waterproof line we could not price (Lifeproof, Mohawk RevWood, Pergo TimberCraft with WetProtect)? Type its price per sq ft from the carton or quote. The check applies the same method as the tables above. It starts at the $3.99 top of our range.
Plank x 1.10 for waste, plus Home Depot's last published labour of $2.00 to $3.00 per sq ft. No removal, trim or subfloor work.
What "Waterproof" Covers, Line by Line
| Line | What the maker or seller says | Choose it if |
|---|---|---|
| Pergo Outlast+ (SpillProtect) | "Tight locking joints and a waterproof surface coating keeps spills and liquids on the surface where you can wipe them away." | You want an AC4 plank with a pad at Home Depot and the risk is everyday spills |
| Pergo WetProtect lines | Pergo: only WetProtect floors carry its "Lifetime Surface & Subfloor Waterproof Warranty" | You want the warranty to reach the subfloor as well as the surface (price not read) |
| AquaGuard Performance | Floor & Decor: water resistance "Waterproof", AC5, on, above or below grade, lifetime residential warranty | An entry, mudroom or busy kitchen where you also want the top abrasion class |
| HydroShield Plus | Floor & Decor: water resistance "Waterproof"; Timberland Oak is AC4 with an attached pad | The lowest price for a plank sold as waterproof |
| Mohawk RevWood Plus and Premier | Mohawk credits the Uniclic joint, GenuEdge pressed bevel and HydroSeal coating | A Mohawk dealer is quoting you; see Mohawk laminate cost |
None of these is flood protection. FEMA's Technical Bulletin 2 (January 2025) rates "plastic laminate flooring" unacceptable as a flood damage-resistant material below the base flood elevation in a Special Flood Hazard Area, and makes no exception for planks sold as waterproof. Over concrete, Floor & Decor says a 6 mil poly vapour barrier is needed even under its attached-pad planks.
Waterproof Laminate vs LVP
On the same method, rigid-core luxury vinyl plank comes to $5.19 to $9.72 per sq ft installed against $3.87 to $7.39 for waterproof laminate. Most of the gap is labour: Home Depot's vinyl plank guide gives a higher labour range than its laminate guide. The full comparison, with worked totals, is on LVP vs laminate cost.
Common Questions
How much does waterproof laminate cost?
The seven laminate planks we found sold as waterproof ran $1.43 to $3.99 per sq ft at regular shelf price (Floor & Decor and Home Depot, 13 to 15 October 2026). Installed with Home Depot's last published labour of $2.00 to $3.00 per sq ft, that is $3.87 to $7.39 per sq ft, or $581 to $1,108 for a 150 sq ft kitchen.
How much more is waterproof laminate than regular laminate?
At the bottom of the shelf, not much. The cheapest waterproof-sold plank we priced (HydroShield Plus Eden Falls 8mm, $1.43) costs $0.44 a sq ft more than the cheapest plank that is not (FairOaks Carey Lane 7mm, $0.99). On 400 sq ft with 10% waste that adds about $193. Labour is the same.
Is waterproof laminate really waterproof?
It depends on the line, and the label does not tell you which kind you have. Pergo says its SpillProtect floors use a waterproof surface coating and tight joints to keep spills on the surface, and that only its WetProtect floors carry a lifetime surface and subfloor waterproof warranty. Read the warranty for the exact plank before you rely on it in a kitchen or bathroom.
Can waterproof laminate go in a basement?
Floor & Decor lists both waterproof planks whose specifications we read (AquaGuard Performance and HydroShield Plus) for use on, above or below grade, and says a 6 mil poly vapour barrier is needed over concrete. Waterproof laminate is still not a flood material: FEMA's Technical Bulletin 2 (January 2025) rates plastic laminate flooring unacceptable below the base flood elevation in a Special Flood Hazard Area.
Is waterproof laminate cheaper than LVP?
Usually, installed. Our waterproof laminate range is $3.87 to $7.39 per sq ft against $5.19 to $9.72 for rigid-core LVP on the same method, mostly because Home Depot's vinyl plank labour guide runs higher than its laminate one. See our LVP vs laminate cost page for the workings.