How much does flooring cost in Melbourne?
Timber is what Melbourne searches ask about most, so start there: solid hardwood boards cost $160–$295 per square metre, laid, typically $210, and engineered timber $115–$210. Existing boards hidden under old carpet can be sanded and polished for $32–$74 a square metre instead. The usual alternatives are hybrid at $58–$125, laminate at $52–$105 and carpet at $47–$115. Melbourne has more terraces, townhouses and flats than the national mix (ABS 2021 Census), and those homes bring narrow halls, stairs and shared walls that shape how a floor is laid. Rates include GST.
Comparing cities, or after the Australia-wide picture? See the national guide: Flooring cost in Australia.
Detailed Pricing — Flooring Cost in Melbourne 2026
Flooring a shop, office or warehouse instead? See our commercial flooring cost guide for Melbourne.
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carpet (supply + install) | $47/sqm | $74 | $115 |
| Vinyl plank (supply + install) | $52/sqm | $79 | $105 |
| Hybrid / SPC (supply + install) | $58/sqm | $84 | $125 |
| Laminate (supply + install) | $52/sqm | $68 | $105 |
| Engineered timber (supply + install) | $115/sqm | $145 | $210 |
| Solid hardwood (supply + install) | $160/sqm | $210 | $295 |
| Floor tiles (supply + install) | $84/sqm | $135 | $210 |
| Bamboo flooring (supply + install) | $84/sqm | $125 | $160 |
| Subfloor levelling / prep | $21/sqm | $42 | $94 |
| Old floor removal & disposal | $8/sqm | $16 | $26 |
| Skirting boards (supply + install) | $10/m | $19 | $32 |
| Timber floor sanding & polishing | $32/sqm | $47 | $74 |
| Floating floor installation (labour only) | $26/sqm | $37 | $58 |
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Get Melbourne quotes →Prices include GST. Based on Melbourne metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
How Flooring Costs Vary Across Melbourne
Flooring prices on this page are Melbourne-wide, not suburb by suburb. A floating floor laid by the installer (labour only) is $26–$58 per sqm, sanding and polishing existing timber $32–$74, and new engineered boards $115–$210 supplied and installed. Melbourne’s mean July minimum is 6.0°C on Bureau of Meteorology records — worth knowing if you’re weighing carpet ($47–$115 per sqm) against a hard floor for bedrooms.
Hardwood timber flooring prices in Melbourne (2026): solid, engineered, hybrid and laminate per m²
Timber flooring in Melbourne costs $160–$295 per square metre supplied and installed for solid hardwood, with $210/m² typical, and $115–$210/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 ($58–$125/m²) and laminate ($52–$105/m²). Installation only, for a floating floor you have bought, is $26–$58/m². Removing the old floor ($8–$26/m²) and levelling the subfloor ($21–$94/m²) come first.
| Job | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solid hardwood (supply + install) | $160/m² | $210 | $295 |
| Engineered timber (supply + install) | $115/m² | $145 | $210 |
| Hybrid / SPC (supply + install) | $58/m² | $84 | $125 |
| Laminate (supply + install) | $52/m² | $68 | $105 |
| Floating floor installation (labour only) | $26/m² | $37 | $58 |
| Timber floor sanding & polishing | $32/m² | $47 | $74 |
| Old floor removal & disposal | $8/m² | $16 | $26 |
| Subfloor levelling / prep | $21/m² | $42 | $94 |
Hardwood vs engineered timber in Melbourne: solid hardwood ($160–$295/m²) can be sanded and refinished for decades ($32–$74/m² each time) but moves with humidity and is slower to lay; engineered timber ($115–$210/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 Melbourne:
- 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 Melbourne that compares, give the square metres, the product, the subfloor and whether old flooring comes out.
What Affects Flooring Costs in Melbourne
Hardwood, engineered or parquetry
Solid hardwood is the dearest floor in the table, at $160 to $295 a square metre, partly because raw boards are sanded and coated after they go down. Engineered boards, a real timber wear layer over a stable core, cost $115–$210. Parquetry, which Melbourne searchers also ask about, is laid block by block in a pattern and is quoted per job rather than from a standard rate.
Terraces, townhouses and stairs
Separate houses are 67.8% of Greater Melbourne dwellings, below 72.3% nationally, and semi-detached homes such as terraces and townhouses are 16.2% (ABS 2021 Census). Those layouts bring long narrow halls, small rooms and often a staircase, and every extra cut and landing adds labour that a big open room does not. Stairs are measured and priced per step, so ask to see them as their own line.
Cool winters and moving boards
Melbourne is NCC climate zone 6, mild temperate, and July nights average 6.0 °C at the city weather station against 25.9 °C January days (BOM averages). Timber gives up moisture as winter heating dries the indoor air and takes it back in the warmer months, so fine gaps that open between boards in July are normal. Have the installer test board and subfloor moisture before laying, and leave a movement gap at the edges.
Apartments and shared floors
Melbourne has a higher share of flats than the country as a whole, 15.6% of dwellings against 14.2% (ABS 2021 Census). Above another home, a hard floor transmits footfall, so check the building's rules on underlay before you swap carpet for boards. Vinyl plank at $52–$105 is softer underfoot than tile, and if you buy boards yourself, an installer charges $26–$58 to lay them.
Under the old floor
Taking out the current floor and carting it away costs $8–$26 per square metre; carpet is quick to rip up, tiles and glued vinyl slow. If the house is older, get any suspect material tested before anyone breaks it up. Victorian homeowners are allowed to remove asbestos themselves, though official advice favours a WorkSafe-licensed removalist, and an employer or self-employed person can clear 10 square metres or less of non-friable material without a licence.
Levelling and the finishing trims
A floating floor laid over hollows will flex and can separate, so dips in a slab or sagging timber boards are fixed first; preparation runs $21–$94 for each square metre. Replacing the skirting adds $10–$32 per metre of wall, and trims at doorways or where two floors meet often appear as separate lines. Ask whether levelling is included or will only be priced after the old covering has been removed.
Who has to be registered
In Victoria, building work worth more than $10,000 needs a practitioner registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission, but work involving only tiling, wall and floor, is exempt. A tiler laying floor tiles alone, at $84–$210 a square metre, need not be registered whatever the job size, while a larger job that combines several trades over that amount does.
How to Save Money on Flooring Cost in Melbourne
Frequently Asked Questions — Flooring Cost in Melbourne
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 →