How Much Does It Cost to Floor a Whole House?
Flooring a 3-bed house costs $6,500–$10,400 for mainstream materials at typical 2026 rates — carpet, laminate, vinyl plank or hybrid across a standard 100–130m² floor plan. Step up to engineered timber and you're looking at $14,000–$18,200; solid hardwood runs $18,000–$23,400 for the same home. This guide breaks whole-house flooring costs down by home size and material, covers what removal and subfloor prep add, and shows where the genuine savings sit.
Whole-house flooring cost by home size and material
Rates below are supply and installation per square metre. The per-home columns price each material at its typical installed rate across that home size's floor area — budget product lines land toward the bottom of the rate column, premium lines toward the top.
| Material | Installed rate | 2-bed unit (60–90m²) | 3-bed house (100–130m²) | 4-bed house (140–180m²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate | $40–$100/m² | $3,900–$5,850 | $6,500–$8,450 | $9,100–$11,700 |
| Carpet | $45–$110/m² | $4,200–$6,300 | $7,000–$9,100 | $9,800–$12,600 |
| Vinyl plank | $50–$100/m² | $4,500–$6,750 | $7,500–$9,750 | $10,500–$13,500 |
| Hybrid / SPC | $55–$120/m² | $4,800–$7,200 | $8,000–$10,400 | $11,200–$14,400 |
| Bamboo | $70–$150/m² | $6,000–$9,000 | $10,000–$13,000 | $14,000–$18,000 |
| Floor tiles | $80–$200/m² | $7,800–$11,700 | $13,000–$16,900 | $18,200–$23,400 |
| Engineered timber | $90–$200/m² | $8,400–$12,600 | $14,000–$18,200 | $19,600–$25,200 |
| Solid hardwood | $120–$280/m² | $10,800–$16,200 | $18,000–$23,400 | $25,200–$32,400 |
The average cost of flooring a 3-bed house
A typical Australian 3-bed house carries 100–130m² of floor area once bedrooms, living spaces and hallways are counted. At 2026 rates, flooring the lot in a mainstream material lands at $6,500–$10,400 installed: laminate at $6,500–$8,450, carpet at $7,000–$9,100, vinyl plank at $7,500–$9,750 and hybrid at $8,000–$10,400. Timber lifts the budget — engineered boards run $14,000–$18,200 across the same floor plan, and solid hardwood $18,000–$23,400. Installed rates cover supply and laying; ask for underlay, trims and floor prep to be itemised so quotes compare like for like. The average cost of flooring a 4-bed house (140–180m²) runs $9,100–$14,400 in the same mainstream materials, stepping up to $19,600–$32,400 for engineered timber or hardwood.
What moves a whole-house quote
Three line items separate a lean quote from a heavy one. Old floor removal and disposal adds $8–$25 per square metre — roughly $920–$2,875 on a 115m² 3-bed. Subfloor levelling and prep runs $30–$90 per square metre where it's needed, and it's the item that most often surprises: an out-of-level slab or spongy chipboard has to be fixed before anything goes down. New skirting boards add $10–$30 per metre supplied and installed if you're replacing them rather than working around them. Flooring prices moved about 3.3% over the past year — every figure on this page was re-verified in July 2026 against 90+ sources.
A real whole-house job, priced
Take a 115m² 3-bed house swapping tired carpet for hybrid planks. Removal and disposal at the typical $15/m² is $1,725. Hybrid at the typical $80/m² installed is $9,200. That's about $10,925 all-in before any subfloor work — and if 30m² of the slab needs levelling at $55/m², add $1,650 for a total near $12,575. Getting removal, prep and installation itemised on the quote is the easiest way to see which installer is actually cheaper.
Refloor, or sand and polish what's there?
If the house already has solid timber floors, replacing them like for like is rarely the value move. Sanding and polishing existing boards runs $30–$70 per square metre — $3,450–$8,050 across a 115m² home — against $14,000–$18,200 to refloor the same area in new engineered timber. Restoration wins whenever the boards are structurally sound; replacement earns its keep when boards are cupped, water-damaged or already sanded to their limit.
Where the genuine savings sit
Mixing materials beats flooring the whole house in one premium product. A common 3-bed split — carpet in three bedrooms (about 40m² at a typical $70/m², $2,800) and hybrid through the living areas and hallway (about 75m² at $80/m², $6,000) — comes in near $8,800, well under the $14,000+ of whole-house engineered timber. Doing the full house in one booking also means one crew mobilisation and shared offcuts between rooms, which is why a single whole-house quote usually beats the same rooms priced one by one. And if the budget is tight, laminate at $40–$100/m² installed remains the cheapest way to floor an entire home without going to secondhand stock.
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Flooring in your city
Verified July 2026 ranges — tap your city for the full local guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average cost of flooring a 3 bed house?
The average cost of flooring a 3-bed house (100–130m²) is $6,500–$10,400 installed for mainstream materials — laminate, carpet, vinyl plank or hybrid — at typical 2026 rates. Engineered timber runs $14,000–$18,200 and solid hardwood $18,000–$23,400 for the same floor plan.
What is the cheapest way to floor a whole house?
Laminate is the value pick at $40–$100 per square metre installed. At budget rates a 100m² 3-bed home can be floored from around $4,000, with typical laminate jobs landing at $6,500–$8,450.
How much does it cost to replace all the flooring in a house?
Add removal and disposal of the old floor — $8–$25 per square metre — to the new flooring price. On a 115m² 3-bed house that is roughly $920–$2,875 for removal on top of the material and installation cost.
Is it cheaper to floor the whole house at once?
Usually, yes. One mobilisation means the crew sets up once, offcuts are shared across rooms rather than wasted per job, and installers typically price a full house tighter per square metre than a string of single rooms booked separately.
Does a whole-house flooring quote include underlay and trims?
It varies by installer and material. Installed rates cover supply and laying, but ask for underlay, trims and skirting to be itemised — new skirting boards run $10–$30 per metre supplied and installed if you are replacing them.
How much does it cost to replace carpet with hybrid flooring?
Old carpet removal runs $8–$25 per square metre and hybrid flooring $55–$120 per square metre installed — about $63–$145 all-in per square metre. On a 115m² 3-bed house, that is roughly $10,925 at typical rates.