Updated 25 September 2026
Wood or laminate flooring cost UK 2026
The going rate for wood or laminate flooring in 2026 is laminate: £15–£40/m² · engineered wood: £20–£45/m² (labour only). Below: a calculator, what the job involves, materials at three price levels, and the prep that changes the price.
Market band£15–£40/m²
Worked example, 20 m²£565
Time on site1.5 days
Wood or laminate flooring calculator
Price a real job freeUses your rates, your speed and your receipts.
Market bands
| Option | Band | Source |
|---|---|---|
| laminate | £15–£40/m² | Checkatrade |
| engineered wood | £20–£45/m² | Trade Flooring UK |
What the job involves
| Stage | Task | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| prep | Lay underlay | 0.05 h per m² |
| lay | Lay floor | 0.35 h per m² |
| lay | Beading, thresholds and door undercuts | 0.05 h per m² + 1.5 h |
Materials at three price levels
| Material | Budget | Trade choice | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flooring underlay per m² | £2 3 mm foam — Levels minor bumps | £4 5 mm acoustic with DPM — Quieter, moisture barrier | £7 UFH-rated acoustic underlay — Works with underfloor heating |
| Beading and threshold strips set | £20 MDF scotia, aluminium thresholds — Covers the expansion gap | £35 Matching scotia and wood thresholds — Tidy finish | £60 Solid wood beading and bars — Premium finish |
Trade prices ex VAT, estimates checked 2026-09-25. Log your receipts in Grafto and your own prices replace these.
What changes the price
- Floor? laminate · engineered wood · solid wood big effect
- Subfloor? timber · concrete big effect
- Who supplies the flooring? customer · me big effect
- Lift old flooring? no · yes
- Underfloor heating? no · yes
- Lived in during the work? empty · lived in
Good practice
- Lived-in home: time for dust sheets and moving furniture
- Concrete: moisture-test before timber goes down
- Underfloor heating: UFH-rated underlay and boards
Prep to look for
| Condition | Check | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Uneven floor | visible slopes, gaps under skirting | Uneven floor: extra packing and levelling time |
| Damp floor | tide marks, mould at floor edges | Moisture test the slab. Moisture-test before timber goes down |
| Woodworm | small round exit holes, fine powder (frass) | Woodworm treatment, only if active £150–£600. Woodworm: treat before fitting new timber |
Questions
How much does wood or laminate flooring cost in the UK in 2026?
The researched market band is laminate: £15–£40/m² · engineered wood: £20–£45/m² (labour only), from Checkatrade. A worked example of 20 m² comes to about £492–£677 across budget, trade and premium materials.
How long does wood or laminate flooring take?
The worked example of 20 m² takes about 1.5 working days.
What changes the price of wood or laminate flooring?
Mainly floor, subfloor, who supplies the flooring, plus any prep found on site: uneven floor, damp floor, woodworm.