How much does flooring cost in Brisbane?
Brisbane's flooring searches lean toward timber and tiles, so here are those first: engineered timber costs $110–$200 per square metre supplied and laid, solid hardwood $150–$280 (typically $200), and floor tiles $80–$200. The planks most people compare against them are hybrid at $55–$120, vinyl plank at $50–$100 and laminate at $50–$100, while carpet is $45–$110. Homes here have more bedrooms than the national average and summers are humid, and both of those show up in the final bill, through the floor area you cover and the care timber needs. Rates include supply, installation and GST.
Comparing cities, or after the Australia-wide picture? See the national guide: Flooring cost in Australia.
Detailed Pricing — Flooring Cost in Brisbane 2026
Flooring a shop, office or warehouse instead? See our commercial flooring cost guide for Brisbane.
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carpet (supply + install) | $45/sqm | $70 | $110 |
| Vinyl plank (supply + install) | $50/sqm | $75 | $100 |
| Hybrid / SPC (supply + install) | $55/sqm | $80 | $120 |
| Laminate (supply + install) | $50/sqm | $65 | $100 |
| Engineered timber (supply + install) | $110/sqm | $140 | $200 |
| Solid hardwood (supply + install) | $150/sqm | $200 | $280 |
| Floor tiles (supply + install) | $80/sqm | $130 | $200 |
| Bamboo flooring (supply + install) | $80/sqm | $120 | $150 |
| Subfloor levelling / prep | $20/sqm | $40 | $90 |
| Old floor removal & disposal | $8/sqm | $15 | $25 |
| Skirting boards (supply + install) | $10/m | $18 | $30 |
| Timber floor sanding & polishing | $30/sqm | $45 | $70 |
| Floating floor installation (labour only) | $25/sqm | $35 | $55 |
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Prices include GST. Based on Brisbane metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
How Flooring Costs Vary Across Brisbane
We price flooring in Brisbane as one city-wide range, so the suburb doesn’t move the figure — the floor does. Carpet is $45–$110 per sqm in our Brisbane table, hybrid $55–$120 and engineered timber $110–$200. 14.7% of Greater Brisbane dwellings were flats or apartments in the 2021 Census (Queensland 12.5%); in a unit, check the building’s by-laws before a hard floor goes down.
Timber flooring cost in Brisbane (2026): hardwood, engineered, hybrid and laminate per m²
Timber flooring in Brisbane costs $150–$280 per square metre supplied and installed for solid hardwood, with $200/m² typical, and $110–$200/m² for engineered timber, which is a hardwood veneer on a stable core and floats or glues down faster. The timber-look alternatives are hybrid ($55–$120/m²) and laminate ($50–$100/m²). Installation only, for a floating floor you have bought, is $25–$55/m². Removing the old floor ($8–$25/m²) and levelling the subfloor ($20–$90/m²) come first.
| Job | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solid hardwood (supply + install) | $150/m² | $200 | $280 |
| Engineered timber (supply + install) | $110/m² | $140 | $200 |
| Hybrid / SPC (supply + install) | $55/m² | $80 | $120 |
| Laminate (supply + install) | $50/m² | $65 | $100 |
| Floating floor installation (labour only) | $25/m² | $35 | $55 |
| Timber floor sanding & polishing | $30/m² | $45 | $70 |
| Old floor removal & disposal | $8/m² | $15 | $25 |
| Subfloor levelling / prep | $20/m² | $40 | $90 |
Hardwood vs engineered timber in Brisbane: solid hardwood ($150–$280/m²) can be sanded and refinished for decades ($30–$70/m² each time) but moves with humidity and is slower to lay; engineered timber ($110–$200/m²) gives the same surface on a stable core, lays faster and suits slabs and apartments, with one or two refinishes in its life.
What moves a flooring quote in Brisbane:
- Material and grade: species, board width and grade move hardwood more than anything else; engineered and hybrid vary by wear layer.
- Area and shape: per-metre rates fall on large open areas and rise in small rooms with many cuts.
- Subfloor: a concrete slab that needs levelling or a timber subfloor that needs sheeting is a separate line.
- Install method: secret-nailed solid timber is slower than a floating click floor.
- Finish and trims: site-finished hardwood needs sanding and coating after laying; skirtings, scotia and door bars are per metre.
For a floor quote in Brisbane that compares, give the square metres, the product, the subfloor and whether old flooring comes out.
What Affects Flooring Costs in Brisbane
Timber boards and polishing
At the top of the table is solid hardwood, at $150–$280 a square metre, with engineered boards below it at $110–$200 and bamboo at $80–$150. Parquetry is laid block by block and is quoted per job. Where original boards survive beneath the carpet, a sand and polish costs $30–$70 a square metre, well below the cost of laying new.
Humid summers and moving timber
Brisbane falls in NCC climate zone 2 (humid, warm summers; mild winters), and its rainiest month is February, with 176.1 mm on average at the city gauge (BOM averages). Timber and bamboo swell as they take up moisture and shrink back in the dry, so boards should rest inside the house before laying and need an expansion gap at the walls. Hybrid and vinyl move far less, which suits a sticky summer.
Larger homes, larger totals
With 3.3 bedrooms per dwelling on average (3.1 nationally) and 41.1% of homes at four bedrooms or more (ABS 2021 Census), Brisbane's square-metre rate is multiplied across a lot of floor. To put numbers on it, 80 m² of laminate at the typical rate is $5,200, against $11,200 in engineered timber. Measure every room and the hallways before you compare quotes.
Under the old carpet
Lifting and disposing of the existing floor is $8–$25 per square metre, and the material sets the pace: carpet lifts in minutes, while glued vinyl and tiles are slow. In an older home, check the underlay first: Queensland treats some felt carpet underlay as friable asbestos, which only an A class licensed removalist may remove, and the council's resource recovery centres turn it away.
Slab, stumps and levelling
A slab-on-ground home takes the new floor over concrete, ground or levelled first where it dips, at $20–$90 a square metre. Raised homes on stumps have timber subfloors, which may need sheeting before some floors go down. Bought your own planks? An installer will lay a floating floor you supply for $25–$55, and new skirting is $10–$30 a metre.
Tiles and the wet rooms
Tiles are the usual pick for bathrooms and laundries, at $80–$200 a square metre. For a kitchen or family room where tiles feel cold or hard, vinyl plank and hybrid both handle spills better than timber or laminate. Carpet has the lowest starting price on the table at $45, and suits bedrooms rather than wet areas.
Licences and waste
Queensland's QBCC requires the appropriate licence once building work reaches $3,300, a total a whole-house floor can pass. Ask whether your job counts as building work and check the installer on the QBCC licensee register. Brisbane sits in Queensland's metropolitan waste levy zone, which covers construction and demolition waste, so the tip cost of the old floor is part of the removal rate.
How to Save Money on Flooring Cost in Brisbane
Frequently Asked Questions — Flooring Cost in Brisbane
Our Methodology
These are independent estimates from public cost guides, marketplaces and industry rate data, and no tradesperson can influence them, so always get a few quotes. Last reviewed October 2026. Read our full methodology →
Five deep-dives on Brisbane flooring cost
