Cost to Install Laminate Flooring in a Whole House in 2026
Laminate through a 1,500 sq ft house costs $5,084 to $11,084 installed ($6,119 to $9,434 mid-range), and 1,000 to 2,500 sq ft runs $3,389 to $18,473: planks at $0.99 to $3.99 per sq ft on Home Depot and Floor & Decor shelves plus 10% waste, and $2.00 to $3.00 per sq ft labour from Home Depot's cost guide (read 13 October 2026). Removal of the old floor and stairs are extra, priced below.
Updated 15 November 2026. How we priced this.
Whole-House Laminate Cost by Floor Area
| Floor area | Budget (AC3) | Mid-range (AC4) | Premium (AC5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800 sq ft (small condo) | $2,711 to $3,943 | $3,263 to $5,031 | $4,231 to $5,911 |
| 1,000 sq ft | $3,389 to $4,929 | $4,079 to $6,289 | $5,289 to $7,389 |
| 1,200 sq ft | $4,067 to $5,915 | $4,895 to $7,547 | $6,347 to $8,867 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $5,084 to $7,394 | $6,119 to $9,434 | $7,934 to $11,084 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $6,778 to $9,858 | $8,158 to $12,578 | $10,578 to $14,778 |
| 2,500 sq ft | $8,473 to $12,322 | $10,198 to $15,723 | $13,223 to $18,473 |
Installed, national labour, no discount for size. Floor area is what gets laminate, not the house's listed square footage. Your own area, grade and state are in the laminate flooring cost calculator.
Paying an Installer or Laying It Yourself (1,500 Sq Ft)
| Grade | DIY materials | Labour | Installed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $2,084 to $2,894 | $3,000 to $4,500 | $5,084 to $7,394 |
| Mid-Range | $3,119 to $4,934 | $3,000 to $4,500 | $6,119 to $9,434 |
| Premium | $4,934 to $6,584 | $3,000 to $4,500 | $7,934 to $11,084 |
On a whole house the labour is the largest single line you can remove yourself. Click-lock laminate is a common DIY floor, but a whole house means many doorways, transitions and cuts around door casings; the tools and when a pro is worth it are on our DIY laminate flooring cost page.
What Gets Added to a Whole-House Quote
| Item | Price | 1,500 sq ft | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take up the old floor | $1.95/sq ft average | $2,925 | Home Depot cost guide |
| One 13-step staircase | Per step | $965 to $1,590 | Stairs model (labour estimated) |
| 6 mil film over a concrete slab | $0.23/sq ft | $345 | Floor & Decor roll price |
| Moving furniture | $35 for up to six large pieces | Ask for a whole-house price | Home Depot cost guide |
| Subfloor levelling, transitions at doorways, baseboards off and on | Not published | Ask | No source we read prices these |
Removal depends on what is coming up; carpet, tile and glued floors are compared on the floor removal cost page. Rooms that need no underlayment, and those that need film, are on the laminate underlayment cost page.
1,500 Sq Ft by Region
| Region | Labour / sq ft | Budget installed | Mid-range installed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | $2.41 to $3.61 | $5,699 to $8,309 | $6,734 to $10,349 |
| Midwest | $1.95 to $2.93 | $5,009 to $7,289 | $6,044 to $9,329 |
| South | $1.66 to $2.48 | $4,574 to $6,614 | $5,609 to $8,654 |
| West | $2.11 to $3.17 | $5,249 to $7,649 | $6,284 to $9,689 |
An estimate: labour scaled by each region's BLS mean floor-layer wage (May 2025), employment-weighted across its states.
Which Grade Where
| If | Choose |
|---|---|
| Bedrooms, a home office, light traffic | Budget AC3 from $0.99 per sq ft; see AC3 vs AC4 |
| Hallways, living areas, one floor running through the house | Mid-range AC4 from $1.89 per sq ft, pad attached; lay the busiest room's grade throughout |
| Kitchen, entry or laundry where water is the risk | A plank sold as water resistant, and read its warranty's room list; see waterproof laminate cost and laminate vs LVP |
| Stairs | Planks and a matching stair nose, priced per step on the stairs page |
Common Questions
How much does it cost to install laminate in a whole house?
For 1,500 sq ft of floor, $5,084 to $7,394 with budget laminate, $6,119 to $9,434 mid-range and $7,934 to $11,084 premium, installed. 1,000 sq ft starts at $3,389 and 2,500 sq ft reaches $18,473 on premium planks. Count the floor you are covering, not the house's total area: kitchens under cabinets, bathrooms you are tiling and closets you are skipping come off.
How much is the labour on a whole-house laminate job?
At $2.00 to $3.00 per sq ft, the installation figure in Home Depot's laminate cost guide when we read it on 13 October 2026, labour on 1,500 sq ft is $3,000 to $4,500. The guide no longer lists an installation line (7 November 2026), so treat this as a reference point and get the per-sq-ft labour in writing on every quote.
Do installers give a discount for doing the whole house?
No retailer or installer we read publishes a whole-house discount, so we do not apply one. The labour in our table is the same per sq ft at every size. If a quote's labour per sq ft is lower for the whole house than for one room, that is the discount; ask for the per-sq-ft figure so you can compare quotes.
What does a whole-house quote add on top of the floor?
Taking up the old floor: Home Depot's cost guide gives $1.95 per sq ft on average, about $2,925 on 1,500 sq ft. Stairs are priced per step: a 13-step flight is $965 to $1,590 on our stairs model. Over a concrete slab the installation instructions call for 6 mil polyethylene film, about $0.23 per sq ft ($345 on 1,500 sq ft). Moving furniture, Home Depot says, adds $35 for up to six large pieces.
How much does whole-house laminate cost if I lay it myself?
Mid-range planks for 1,500 sq ft, with 10% for waste, cost $3,119 to $4,934; those planks have a pad attached, so no separate underlayment. Laying it yourself saves the $3,000 to $4,500 labour, before tools and trim.