How much does flooring cost in Sydney?
Carpet costs $52–$125 per square metre in Sydney, supplied and laid, while vinyl plank runs $57–$115 and hybrid $63–$140. Timber sits higher: engineered boards typically cost $160 a square metre and solid hardwood $230. Flats and apartments are 30.7% of Sydney's dwellings, well over double the 14.2% Australian figure (ABS 2021 Census). Many new floors therefore go into units, where the building's by-laws on hard floors and underlay can matter as much as the price of the boards. Subfloor work, removal and skirting are priced separately below.
Comparing cities, or after the Australia-wide picture? See the national guide: Flooring cost in Australia.
Detailed Pricing — Flooring Cost in Sydney 2026
Flooring a shop, office or warehouse instead? See our commercial flooring cost guide for Sydney.
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carpet (supply + install) | $52/sqm | $80 | $125 |
| Vinyl plank (supply + install) | $57/sqm | $86 | $115 |
| Hybrid / SPC (supply + install) | $63/sqm | $92 | $140 |
| Laminate (supply + install) | $57/sqm | $75 | $115 |
| Engineered timber (supply + install) | $125/sqm | $160 | $230 |
| Solid hardwood (supply + install) | $170/sqm | $230 | $320 |
| Floor tiles (supply + install) | $92/sqm | $150 | $230 |
| Bamboo flooring (supply + install) | $92/sqm | $140 | $170 |
| Subfloor levelling / prep | $23/sqm | $46 | $105 |
| Old floor removal & disposal | $9/sqm | $17 | $29 |
| Skirting boards (supply + install) | $12/m | $21 | $34 |
| Timber floor sanding & polishing | $34/sqm | $52 | $80 |
| Floating floor installation (labour only) | $29/sqm | $40 | $63 |
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Get Sydney quotes →Prices include GST. Based on Sydney metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
How Flooring Costs Vary Across Sydney
Sydney flooring is priced once for the city in our table rather than suburb by suburb. Hybrid planks are $63–$140 per sqm and engineered timber $125–$230; skirting boards add $12–$34 per metre. 30.7% of Greater Sydney homes were flats or apartments in the 2021 Census, against 21.7% across NSW, so check your strata by-laws before a hard floor goes into an apartment.
What Affects Flooring Costs in Sydney
Apartments and hard floors
In a strata building, swapping carpet for timber, laminate or hybrid can carry footfall noise to the unit below, and many schemes have by-laws that require approval or an acoustic underlay first. Check with the owners corporation before you order. Carpet at $52–$125 is the quiet, cheaper choice; hybrid at $63–$140 is the hard-wearing one that copes with spills.
Smaller homes, more cuts
A quarter of Sydney dwellings have two bedrooms (25.7%, against 19.1% nationally, ABS 2021 Census). Small rooms, hallways and doorways mean more cutting per square metre and more offcuts, so the rate on a small job tends to sit higher in the band. Hybrid over a 40 m² floor comes to roughly $3,680, before removal and trims.
Timber and a wet climate
Sydney averages 1,211.1 mm of rain a year, with June the wettest month at 133.1 mm (BOM averages), and timber takes up moisture and swells in damp weather. Boards should sit in the room before laying, with an expansion gap left at the walls. Engineered timber is $125–$230 and solid hardwood $170–$320; engineered boards are generally more stable as conditions change.
What is under the old floor
Lifting the old floor and carting it away costs $9–$29 per square metre. Carpet lifts quickly, whereas glued-down vinyl and tiles take real effort. Once it is up, a slab that is out of level gets ground back or skimmed with compound, and an older timber subfloor may need sheeting, at $23–$105 a square metre. Ask for this to be priced before work starts.
Floating floors and labour-only
Laminate ($57–$115), vinyl plank and hybrid are usually laid as floating floors that click together over an underlay. If you have bought the boards yourself, the labour-only rate is $29–$63 per square metre. Check who carries the warranty in that case, since the product and the installation are covered separately.
Tiles, bamboo and trims
Tiled floors come in at $92–$230 per square metre installed, and bamboo $92–$170. Skirting boards are priced by the running metre at $12–$34, and thresholds or transition strips between rooms are often a separate item, so make sure they are on the quote.
Renting it out
Sydney has a large rental market, as 35.9% of households rent, compared with 30.6% nationally (ABS 2021 Census). For a rental, a hard-wearing floor that is quick to replace in one room matters more than a premium finish: vinyl plank at $57–$115 or laminate is a practical choice between tenancies.
How to Save Money on Flooring Cost in Sydney
Frequently Asked Questions — Flooring Cost in Sydney
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 →