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Flooring cost calculator: price the install per square foot

Subfloor prep, transitions and stairs can turn a good per-square-foot price into a loss. Enter the real hours and materials and see what each square foot needs to bring in.

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What goes into the price

Seven costs every flooring bid has to cover

Prep and install hoursRemoving old flooring, levelling, underlay, install, transitions, trim and stairs.
Payroll costsEmployer CPP and EI plus 4% vacation pay, roughly 12% on top of wages.
WCBThe 2026 Alberta industry rate for floor coverings sales and installation is $2.19 per $100 of payroll; use your own rate from your premium notice.
Flooring and underlayFlooring with waste allowance, underlay, adhesive, levelling compound and trim.
Equipment and disposalSaws, tools, bin or dump fees and delivery.
Your share of overheadVehicle, insurance, phone and office spread over the jobs you finish each month.
Getting paidHomeowner jobs are often paid on completion; builder work usually has a holdback.
Worked example

Example: 1,200 sq ft of vinyl plank with underlay, labour and materials

2 installers × 4 days × 8 hours = 64 crew hours at $32/hour. Overhead of $6,000 a month over 6 jobs. Target margin 15%.

Crew labour with CPP, EI, vacation pay and WCB$2,339
Labour contingency (10%)$234
Materials$5,400
Equipment, fuel and disposal$200
Share of overhead$1,000
Cost of waiting to be paid$4
Break-even price$9,177
Price for a 15% margin$10,796
Target price per square foot$9.00

These are example numbers to show how the math works, not market prices. Your wages, rates and overhead will be different, so put in your own. WCB uses the 2026 Alberta industry rate for Floor Coverings - Sales/Install (42125).

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Questions

Flooring pricing questions

How do I price flooring installation per square foot?

Add up labour with payroll costs and WCB, flooring and supplies, equipment and your overhead share, add your margin, then divide by the square feet installed.

How do I handle stairs?

Add the extra hours for stairs to the job, or list them as their own line on the proposal.

Should waste be in the materials cost?

Yes. Include the extra flooring you order for cuts and waste.

Is it free?

The job check is free. Proposals, invoices and your logo come with Pro, and new accounts get a 14-day Pro trial with no card needed.

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Check your next flooring job before you bid it.

It takes about two minutes. Then turn it into a proposal with your logo and GST number.

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