Flooring installation, Greater Seattle Area
Types of Flooring to Consider for Your Next Home Makeover
The main types of flooring for a home remodel are luxury vinyl plank, laminate, engineered wood, solid hardwood, porcelain or ceramic tile and carpet. Choose by water first: tile or waterproof vinyl plank for kitchens, bathrooms and basements, wood or laminate for dry rooms. Solid hardwood can be sanded the most times. We install all of them except carpet.
Below, each floor is compared by room, water and upkeep, with what we install and what it costs. For a written price on your own rooms, Book a Consultation.
How do the main flooring types compare by room, water and upkeep?
The table puts the six common floors side by side. The first five are the floors we install. Carpet is not on our flooring list, so it is here for comparison only.
Water decides most choices. Kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and basements on a slab take tile or waterproof vinyl plank. Dry rooms can take any of the six. After water, decide how long the floor should last: hardwood can be refinished for decades, and engineered wood only when its wear layer is 3/32 inch or thicker.
| Floor | Rooms it suits | Water | What to know | We install it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luxury vinyl plank | Kitchens, bathrooms, basements, whole condos | Waterproof plank can run through wet rooms | Costs less than wood or tile; our Basic price level | Yes |
| Laminate | Bedrooms, living rooms, hallways | Check the manufacturer's rating before a wet room | Clicks together as a floating floor | Yes |
| Engineered wood | Living rooms, bedrooms, hallways | Check the manufacturer's rating before a wet room | Sanded only if the wear layer is 3/32 inch or more | Yes |
| Solid hardwood | Living rooms, bedrooms, hallways, stairs | Check the manufacturer's rating before a wet room | Most solid floors can be sanded 6 to 8 times | Yes |
| Porcelain or ceramic tile | Bathrooms, kitchens, entries, laundry rooms | Porcelain: water absorption of 0.5% or less | Needs a flat, stiff base | Yes |
| Carpet | Bedrooms and dry living areas | Keep out of kitchens, baths and entries | Can trap allergens | No |
Sources: our flooring page (October 2026); Hardwood Floors Magazine, "How Many Times Can a Wood Floor Be Sanded?" (April 2025); ANSI A137.1:2022 via the ANSI Blog (read October 2026); American Lung Association, "Carpets and Rugs" (June 2024). Links are in the sections below.
Is luxury vinyl plank a good floor for kitchens and bathrooms?
Yes, when the plank is sold as waterproof. Luxury vinyl plank clicks together as a floating floor over an underlayment, and waterproof plank can run through a kitchen or a basement. It handles water and pets and costs less than hardwood, which is why it is the material in our Basic price level.
Our Renton condo job shows it in wet rooms. In 2024 we laid one luxury vinyl plank floor through the entry, the galley kitchen, the living room, both bedrooms and into the bathrooms, with no change of material at the wet rooms. That floor cost about $15,000 inside a whole condo remodel.
If dogs share the house, our guide Flooring for Dogs: A Pet Owner's Guide to Scratches, Water and Slips compares floors for homes with pets.
How is laminate flooring different from vinyl plank?
Laminate and vinyl plank install the same way: both click together as a floating floor over an underlayment. The difference is water. Waterproof vinyl plank can run through a kitchen or basement. Laminate suits bedrooms, living rooms and hallways, so check the rating its manufacturer gives before you put it in a kitchen, bathroom or basement.
Where water is likely, near a dishwasher, a toilet or a basement slab, choose waterproof vinyl plank or tile.
Solid hardwood or engineered wood: which lasts longer?
Solid hardwood lasts longest because it can be sanded the most. Hardwood Floors Magazine says in How Many Times Can a Wood Floor Be Sanded? (April 2025) that most solid wood floors can be sanded six to eight times, with a wear layer of around 1/4 inch or more. A traditional sand job removes 1/32 to 1/16 inch.
Engineered wood has a thinner wood wear layer. The same 2025 article puts engineered wear layers at 1/16 to 1/4 inch and does not recommend sanding one thinner than 3/32 inch. Ask for the wear layer before you buy if you want to refinish later.
We nail, glue or float wood to suit the product and the subfloor. Wood has to sit in the house before it goes down, for as long as its manufacturer specifies, and site-finished wood needs the room clear while the finish cures. In a Seattle condo in 2022 we took the old floor down to the concrete slab and laid a new wide plank wood floor through the living and dining area, for about $5,000.
When is porcelain or ceramic tile the right floor?
Tile is the right floor where water is certain: bathrooms, laundry rooms, entries and kitchens. Porcelain is a type of ceramic tile. Under the ANSI A137.1:2022 tile standard, porcelain is a ceramic tile with "a water absorption of 0.5% or less", as the ANSI Blog explains (read October 2026).
Tile needs a flat, stiff base. We set it with the layout started from the center of the room, so cut tiles land at the edges. Tile takes more labor per room than a floating floor, so it costs more to install.
In a Redmond master bathroom finished in 2023, wood-look floor tile runs across the room and straight into the shower to a linear drain, with no curb at the glass. That whole bathroom cost about $75,000 and took about 18 weeks of construction.
Where does carpet still make sense?
Carpet makes sense only in dry rooms, such as bedrooms. It does not belong in damp rooms, and it can trap allergens.
The American Lung Association's Carpets and Rugs page (updated June 2024) advises keeping carpet out of kitchens, bathrooms and entryways because they are frequently damp. Our guide Reasons to Upgrade Your Flooring covers carpet and allergens.
Carpet is not on our flooring list. When a homeowner replaces it, we lay vinyl plank, laminate, wood or tile.
What does each flooring type cost to install around Seattle?
Our starting price follows the material. Luxury vinyl plank is our Basic level, from $10,000+ for one or two rooms up to 400 sq ft. Engineered wood or tile is Mid-Range, from $15,000+. Site-finished hardwood or stone is Luxury, from $22,000+. Each price includes removal and haul away, subfloor prep and leveling, new baseboard and transitions, furniture moving and cleanup.
Tile and nailed hardwood take more labor per room than a click together floating floor, and the written estimate shows that difference. Subfloor replacement beyond minor repairs and moisture work on slabs are priced on top, in writing. Prices for a main floor and a whole house are in How Much Does Carpet Replacement Cost in Seattle, WA?
How do we help you choose a floor for each room?
We start at your house. We measure every room, check what is under the current floor where we can see it, and ask how each room is used: children, pets, water and sun. You pick the material and color, and we send an itemized, written price with a start date and the days on site.
If a natural or recycled material matters to you, see Eco-Friendly Flooring Options and the Labels to Look For. See Flooring Installation Across the Greater Seattle Area for the full service, and Home Remodeling Contractors in Seattle, WA for our work in the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to install new flooring?
Our pricing lists 2 to 4 days on site, after permits, for one or two rooms, 4 to 8 days for a main floor or condo and 1.5 to 3 weeks for a whole house with stairs. Site-finished wood adds drying time.
Can new flooring go over the old floor?
Sometimes. A floating floor can go over flat, well bonded vinyl or tile if the added height still works at doors, cabinets and appliances. Carpet always comes out, and anything loose, soft or uneven comes up so the new floor has a solid base. We decide at the consultation.
Does a condo need a special underlayment?
Often. Many condo associations set rules for hard floors and sound underlayment, so we ask for your building's rules before we order material.
Do I need a permit to replace flooring in Seattle?
The 2021 Seattle Residential Code, R105.2 item 2, exempts surface finishes over existing wall and ceiling systems, provided no changes are made to the building envelope. It does not name floor coverings, so we confirm the rule for your address. Moving plumbing or wiring a heated floor can need its own permit.
