Flooring Cost Australia 2026
Flooring costs vary widely by material — from budget carpet to premium hardwood. Installation complexity and subfloor condition also affect the final price.
| City | Typical range | Year on year |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | $52–$230/sqm | ↑ +3.4% |
| Melbourne | $47–$210/sqm | ↑ +3.2% |
| Brisbane | $45–$200/sqm | ↑ +3.5% |
| Perth | $47–$210/sqm | ↑ +2.8% |
| Adelaide | $41–$185/sqm | ↑ +3.9% |
| Gold Coast | $44–$195/sqm | ↑ +3.5% |
| Canberra | $50–$220/sqm | ↑ +3.3% |
| Hobart | $40–$180/sqm | ↑ +3.3% |
| Darwin | $45–$200/sqm | ↑ +3.3% |
| Newcastle | $43–$190/sqm | ↑ +3.4% |
| Geelong | $42–$185/sqm | ↑ +3.2% |
| Sunshine Coast | $44–$195/sqm | ↑ +3.5% |
| Townsville | $49–$215/sqm | ↑ +3.5% |
| Wollongong | $49–$215/sqm | ↑ +3.4% |
| Byron Bay | $47–$210/sqm | ↑ +3.4% |
Choose Your City
National Pricing Overview
| 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 |
How flooring prices compare across 17 cities and how they move month to month: Tradie Price Index, October 2026 →
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Typical total: a 3-bed house (~100–130m²) typically runs about $5,000–$10,000 installed for mainstream flooring – budget carpet a little less, premium timber and hardwood higher.
Flooring in Australia costs anywhere from $45/sqm for carpet up to $280/sqm for solid hardwood, supply and installation included. The most popular mid-range options — vinyl plank and hybrid flooring — sit around $75–$80/sqm, offering good durability and water resistance.
We've compiled pricing from flooring specialists across Australia as of October 2026. All prices include supply, installation, and GST.
Flooring Costs by Material
The material you choose drives both the cost and longevity of your new floors. Here's how the main flooring options compare for Australian homes:
| Material | Supply + install per m² | Typical per m² | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carpet | $45–$110 | $70 | 8–12 years |
| Vinyl plank (SPC/LVP) | $50–$100 | $75 | 15–25 years |
| Laminate | $50–$100 | $65 | 10–20 years |
| Engineered timber | $110–$200 | $140 | 20–30 years |
| Solid hardwood | $150–$280 | $200 | 30–50+ years |
| Hybrid flooring | $55–$120 | $80 | 15–25 years |
| Polished concrete (existing slab) | $60–$170 | $110 | 50+ years |
| Tiles (porcelain) | $80–$200 | $130 | 30+ years |
| Bamboo | $80–$150 | $120 | 20–25 years |
These are supplied-and-installed prices. If you buy the boards yourself, labour-only installation of a floating floor (vinyl plank, hybrid or laminate) runs $25–$55 per m², typically about $35.
Vinyl plank (SPC/LVP) has become the most popular flooring choice in Australian renovations — it's waterproof, durable, looks like timber, and installs quickly as a floating floor. For a typical 3-bedroom house (100–130m² of flooring), vinyl plank costs $5,000–$13,000 all-in vs $15,000–$36,400 for solid hardwood.
Flooring Costs for a Whole House
Here's what it costs to floor a typical Australian home, broken down by house size and material:
| Home Size | Area (approx) | Carpet | Vinyl Plank | Engineered Timber | Hardwood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-bed unit | 60–90m² | $4,200–$6,300 | $4,500–$6,750 | $8,400–$12,600 | $12,000–$18,000 |
| 3-bed house | 100–130m² | $7,000–$9,100 | $7,500–$9,750 | $14,000–$18,200 | $20,000–$26,000 |
| 4-bed house | 140–180m² | $9,800–$12,600 | $10,500–$13,500 | $19,600–$25,200 | $28,000–$36,000 |
These figures use each material's typical installed rate across the size range shown — budget products land below them and premium lines above. Removing old flooring adds $8–$25 per m², and subfloor levelling runs $20–$90 per m² where it's needed. For the full breakdown — every material, removal and prep costs, and worked examples — see the whole-house flooring cost guide.
What Affects Flooring Costs in Australia
Material choice
Carpet ($45–$110/sqm in Australia) is the most budget-friendly. Vinyl plank and hybrid ($50–$120/sqm) offer a mid-range sweet spot. Engineered timber and solid hardwood ($110–$280/sqm) are premium.
Room size & layout
Larger rooms in Australian homes are cheaper per sqm. Lots of cuts around doorframes, corners, and obstacles increase labour time and waste.
Subfloor condition
If your subfloor is uneven, levelling adds $20–$90/sqm. Concrete slabs often need grinding; timber subfloors may need sheeting. This is a common hidden cost.
Old flooring removal
Removing existing flooring in Australia adds $8–$25/sqm. Carpet is cheap to remove; tiles and glued-down vinyl are more labour-intensive.
Underlay & accessories
Quality underlay significantly affects comfort, noise, and lifespan. Skirting boards ($10–$30/m in Australia), transitions, and thresholds are often quoted separately.
Stairs & multiple levels
Stairs in Australian homes are priced per step and are labour-intensive. Multi-level homes with different flooring types across levels cost more to coordinate.
How to Save Money on Flooring Cost in Australia
Sloping, bouncy or sunken timber subfloors? Grinding or self-levelling compound only fixes minor surface undulations. If your floors slope toward one wall, bounce underfoot or have decayed bearers, joists or stumps underneath, the subfloor structure must be levelled before laying new hybrid, vinyl plank or hardwood boards — see our restumping, reblocking and subfloor levelling cost guide.
Flooring Cost in Australia by Floor Area
Take a floor of 110 square metres in vinyl plank. At $50–$100 a square metre that comes to $5,500–$11,000. Lifting the old floor first at $8–$25 a square metre adds $880–$2,750, and 70 metres of new skirting at $10–$30 a metre adds $700–$2,100.
Layout moves a floor of that size as well as the area does. Rooms full of doorways add cuts and offcuts, stairs are priced per step, and a home with a different floor on each level takes more coordinating. The flooring calculator on this page turns your own room sizes into square metres and an installed cost for each type of floor.
Flooring Cost in Australia: What the Quote Should Include
Flooring quotes across Australia only compare once each one lists the same jobs: the area measured, the product named, and the extras around the floor on their own lines. A low per-square-metre rate can quietly leave removal, levelling or skirting out of the total.
- Floor area in square metres, counted room by room with hallways and robes shown, so you can check the number the rate is multiplied by.
- The product named in full, such as vinyl plank, hybrid, laminate, engineered timber or tiles, with the board width or wear layer where it applies.
- Subfloor levelling shown as its own line against $20–$90 a square metre, with the number of square metres it covers written next to it.
- Taking up and disposing of the old floor as a separate line against $8–$25 a square metre, naming what is coming up.
- Skirting boards by the metre against $10–$30 a metre, with door trims, thresholds and underlay listed beside them.
- An installation-only price, read against $25–$55 a square metre for a floating floor, if you are supplying the boards yourself.
- Stairs priced per step, and any different floor on another level listed on its own.
- Product warranty and installation warranty as two written items, with start and finish dates, payment stages and GST shown.
Frequently Asked Questions — Flooring Cost in Australia
About This Guide
Our flooring cost guides cover 17 major Australian cities with location-adjusted pricing. Updated monthly — last reviewed October 2026.
