The following material and installation estimates are based on Home Advisor averages for 2020 and are provided by square foot (sq. ft.).

• Hardwood: $6 to $25
• Laminate: $2.70 to $10
• Linoleum: $3.50 to $5
• Vinyl Sheets: $2.50 to $4.50
• Natural Stone Tiles: $6 to $55
• Ceramic Tiles: $4.50 to $45
• Porcelain Tile: $7 to $55

Luxury Vinyl Tile and Plank Cost Breakdown

• Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) Material: $2.50 to $5
• Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) Material: $2.50 to $5
• Commercial Vinyl Material: $1 to $5
• Vinyl Installation Cost: $3 to $10

The Pros and Cons of Your Flooring Options

Home and business owners should take their time and research their flooring options before they make any decisions about such a big investment. At Metroflor we’re unsurprisingly big believers in LVP and LVT, and we think you will find the expert consensus backs up our faith in luxury vinyl.

Home Advisor only lists two cons on luxury vinyl tile and plank: the inability to refinish and VOCs.

It’s true that luxury vinyl can’t be refinished, and it’s true that some (not all) types of vinyl can degrade indoor air quality due to VOC emissions, which is why it’s important to thoroughly research your brand options before making a purchase.

If you’re shopping for vinyl tile or plank, it’s highly recommended that you look into the manufacturer’s reputation relating to VOC testing. Metroflor’s luxury vinyl products have been FloorScore® certified, which means they exceed even the toughest VOC testing and safety standards.

And while you’ll never refinish vinyl tiles or plank, some types are very easy to replace, especially Attraxion magnetic LVT and LVP. Luxury vinyl is a highly engineered, multifaceted product with tough wear layers designed to ensure the tiles and planks stand up to high traffic for years.

It’s true that in a high-traffic area you may end up only getting 15 or 20 years out of luxury vinyl instead of the up to 100 years you could get out of a high-quality, frequently refinished hardwood floor; but vinyl floor owners don’t have to deal with the drawbacks of hardwood.

Being able to “refinish” a floor may sound great, but keep in mind how expensive, messy, inconvenient and time consuming that process is (about $3 to $8 per square foot). A refinishing job may end up costing more than completely reflooring with LVT or LVP in some cases.

There’s also no real debate on luxury vinyl’s durability and water resistance. Wood’s theoretical longevity relies upon an assumption of maintenance and care. Bring standing water or high concentrations of moisture into the mix and expectations change dramatically.

LVT and LVP, on the other hand, are renowned for their water-resistant properties. For bathrooms, kitchens and homes with children or pets, luxury vinyl’s topmost scratch-resistant wear layer and its resilience to spills makes it a superior choice.

Newer variations of laminate flooring come with some of the same issues as hardwood, plus they can’t be refinished.

The new trend of attaching a very thin plank (like a veneer) of wood to laminate as the topmost layer allows some types of laminate flooring to look like real wood at a fraction of the price (in the range of $0.70 for each sq. ft. of maple or oak with a $2 to $6 installation cost).

The problem is that this thin layer can’t be refinished, but it still has the same vulnerabilities as natural wood. That thin wood veneer also doesn’t qualify as real hardwood flooring, and home valuation will reflect the fact that the floors are laminate.

Natural stone can be a beautiful, durable option, but it too requires quite a bit of upkeep compared to a low-maintenance flooring like LVT or LVP. Costs can range dramatically depending on the type of natural stone and the installer.

Granite runs from $6 on the low end to $22 at the high end. Marble floors cost around $9 to $20 for materials and installation. The cheapest natural stone option, travertine, is in the $6 to $13 range, making it similar to hardwood in price.

The tile flooring with the most diversity in terms of style and quality are ceramics. The low-end machine-made ceramic tiles tends to be very sterile and cold while the high-end mosaic flooring options can be truly a work of art that carries a commensurate price tag.

You may be most familiar with ceramic or porcelain tiles in bathrooms or kitchens because they tend to be relatively water resistant, but they are colder and often less comfortable than materials like wood or luxury vinyl.

Tile is nearly always the most expensive installation type. Laying ceramic or natural stone is painstaking, time-consuming work that requires specialization. Labor costs are usually in the $4 to $14 per sq. ft. range for flooring and $25 to $32 per sq. ft. for backsplashes and countertops.

Why Choose Luxury Vinyl Tile or Plank Instead of More Affordable Sheet Vinyl?

Sheet vinyl has some of the same durable properties LVT and LVP boast at around $0.50 to $2 per sq. ft. material cost, but it’s usually of lower aesthetic quality and is generally a detriment to home valuation.

The other major drawback is replacement. If a luxury vinyl tile or luxury viny plank is damaged, that one piece can be replaced with a new tile or plank. Vinyl sheets are rolled out as a whole. Replacing it requires replacing the entire sheet, which could entail complete reflooring.

Although it may be cheaper, if you calculate material and labor costs required for more frequent reflooring, it often makes more sense to go with a longer-lasting, higher-quality product like LVT or LVP.

Find Out Why LVT and LVP Is the Ideal Blend of Affordability and Quality

The majority of home and business owners are in the middle-rung of flooring shoppers. They want something that looks great, will last a long time, won’t require a ton of maintenance, will stand up to moisture and traffic and will either improve valuation or at the very least not damage it.

LVT and LVP from Metroflor check all the boxes, making luxury vinyl a great option for homes and businesses. Visit our website or contact a Metroflor dealer near you for more information.