Hardwood flooring cost in Canada (2026): price per sq ft by province

How much does hardwood flooring cost in Canada?

Hardwood flooring costs $8 to $20 per square foot installed in Canada. Engineered hardwood runs $8 to $16 per square foot installed, solid hardwood $10 to $20, and site-finished hardwood $12 to $20 including sanding and finishing. A 1,000 square foot main floor typically comes to $9,000 to $18,000 before tax. Materials account for $4 to $12 of that and labour $3 to $8. Refinishing existing hardwood, by contrast, costs only $4 to $7 per square foot, so if your home has sound original boards thick enough to sand, refinishing is almost always the better value. Wide planks, herringbone or chevron layouts and premium species all push costs up, with pattern installation adding $3 to $6 per square foot in labour plus 10 to 15 percent extra material for cuts.

Hardwood flooring cost by province (2026)

Installed prices per square foot, materials and labour together, before tax. These are typical ranges for a standard room-sized job, confirmed by a written quote after a free measure.

Province or territory	Supply & install	Labour only	Sales tax
Alberta	$10–17	$3.5–7	5% GST only
British Columbia	$10–20	$4–8	5% GST
Ontario	$9–18	$3.5–7	13% HST on both materials and labour
Manitoba	$9–16	$3.25–6.5	5% GST and 7% RST
New Brunswick	$8–15	$3–6	15% HST on materials and labour
Nova Scotia	$9–17	$3.25–6.5	14% HST on materials and labour
Quebec	$8–16	$3–6	5% GST and 9
Saskatchewan	$9–16	$3.25–6.5	5% GST and 6% PST
Newfoundland and Labrador	$10–18	$3.5–7	15% HST on materials and labour
Northwest Territories	$13–24	$5–9.5	5% GST only
Nunavut	$15–28	$6–11	5% GST only
Prince Edward Island	$9–17	$3.25–6.5	15% HST on materials and labour
Yukon	$12–22	$4.5–9	5% GST only

Ranges reflect regional labour rates and, in the territories, freight on materials. Alberta and the territories have no provincial sales tax, which makes the same floor meaningfully cheaper there.

What drives the price

Engineered or solid

Engineered hardwood has a real wood wear layer over a stable plywood or HDF core. It moves far less with humidity, can go over concrete, and is the right choice almost everywhere in Canada. Solid hardwood can be refinished more times but needs a controlled indoor climate, which in most of the country means a furnace humidifier.

Wear layer

On engineered products, this determines how many times the floor can be refinished. A 2mm wear layer allows one light sanding; 4mm or more allows two or three. It is the main reason one engineered oak costs $6 per square foot and another costs $12.

Species and grade

Red oak and maple are the Canadian baseline. White oak costs more and is currently the most requested. Walnut, hickory and exotic species cost more again. Within a species, clear grades with minimal knots and colour variation cost significantly more than character or rustic grades.

Plank width and layout

Wider planks cost more per square foot and move more with humidity. Herringbone and chevron add $3 to $6 per square foot in labour and 10 to 15 percent in material waste.

Prefinished or site-finished

Prefinished arrives with a tough factory finish and can be walked on immediately. Site-finished is sanded and coated in place, producing a seamless surface with no bevels and a custom colour, at the cost of five to eight days of downtime.

What a quote usually includes

Included

Material and fasteners or adhesive
Acclimatisation on site
Layout, cutting and installation
Transitions and reducers
Trimming door casings

Quoted separately

Removal of old flooring, $1.50 to $3 per sq ft for nailed hardwood
Subfloor repair and levelling
Stairs, $100 to $200 per step
Baseboards and shoe moulding
Sanding and finishing if buying unfinished material

Hardwood flooring cost in major cities

Regional labour rates move the number more than material does. These are typical installed ranges in the cities where we do the most work.

Common questions

Is refinishing cheaper than replacing hardwood?

Substantially. Refinishing costs $4 to $7 per square foot against $9 to $18 for a new hardwood floor. If your existing boards are at least ¾ inch thick and have not been sanded more than two or three times, refinishing is nearly always the better decision financially and environmentally.

Can hardwood go over concrete?

Engineered hardwood can, over a proper vapour barrier and after a slab moisture test. Solid hardwood generally cannot, because it needs to be nailed to a wood subfloor and moves too much with the moisture a slab releases.

Does hardwood work with in-floor heating?

Engineered hardwood does, within the manufacturer's temperature limits, which are usually a surface maximum around 27°C. Solid hardwood is generally not recommended over radiant heat because the repeated heating and cooling cycle dries and moves the boards.

Get a written hardwood quote

Hardwood flooring cost in Canada