What are the labor costs of installing vinyl flooring?

Possibly the highest expense in a flooring project involving vinyl will be the labor involved. On top of the costs necessary to correctly install your vinyl flooring, there are a number of ancillary costs that most homeowners are unfamiliar with. Preparing yourself for the totality of your labor costs will give you an accurate idea of what the end costs of your installation will be.

• Preparation for Installation: One of the initial labor costs that you should consider in your flooring project is preparing for the installation itself. Unless you plan on a floating installation, you will need to prepare your existing flooring for the install, which can include removing your furniture and tearing up old flooring. Simple preparation labor will start from $0.5 and can go up to $3.5 depending on the difficulty of preparation. Materials for preparation can range from $0.5 to $1.5 and in some cases up to $2.5, bringing the total preparation for installation to $1 to $6. Preparation can end up being a tremendous expense, meaning you should build these costs into your budget.
• Vinyl Floor Installation Cost: Second only to preparation in your labor costs is the price of installing your flooring itself. The biggest determining issue in your actual installation costs will be the total size of your job. As the rooms you plan on flooring increase, so does your square footage, and, in turn, the cost of having your floor installed. Get an idea of the total square footage at the start of your project and you’ll have an accurate picture of your installation costs. Installation cost, after preparation, ranges from $0.5 to $3.5 per square foot.
• Rental Equipment Cost: If you’ve never embarked on a flooring project before, then you may be unaware of the necessity for specialized equipment. Even if you choose to rent this equipment, which many homeowners do, the rental costs can explode your budget if you are unprepared. Although most contractors will provide the equipment necessary for your job, rental equipment can be a large expense, due to potential preparation works, if you plan to handle the installation yourself (DIY project). For installation itself there is no need for special materials. The preparation might be difficult requiring wood cutting and other equipment.