Decorating & finishing
Flooring cost calculator
Laminate and vinyl click flooring are very DIY-friendly: no glue, no special skills, and a good result over a weekend. Carpet is faster to cost but needs a fitter for a proper stretch.
- Full DIY
- £370
- Smart Hybrid
- £370
- Full Trade
- £710
Typical mid-range job, Midlands rates. Yours updates below.
Updated November 2026. Estimates based on typical UK prices.
Cost calculator
Price this job three ways
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Smart Hybrid saves £340 against a full trade job.
Smart Hybrid
You take on what you can, a trade handles the rest.
£370
- Materials
- £330
- Labour
- £0
- Extras
- £40
- You take on: lift and remove old flooring, laminate fitting.
- Everything else stays with a trade.
Turn this into a plan
Get the order of work, who to book and a budget tracker, all editable.
Order of work for this job
A typical order. Always confirm timing with whoever you book, since some steps can overlap.
- 1
Strip out
- Lift and remove old flooringYou · ~0.5 days
- 2
Flooring
- Laminate fittingYou
How we worked out the materials›
- Laminate flooring£20814 m² of floor + 8% wastage = 15.12 m²
- Underlay£11214 m² of floor, no wastage allowance needed
- Threshold strip£101 × £10 = £10
Estimates only, based on regional averages. Always get 2 to 3 written quotes from local trades.
The price
What affects the cost?
- 1
Floor type
Carpet, laminate, vinyl and tile vary widely in price, as do underlay and trims.
- 2
Floor area and waste
Allow about 8–10% extra for cuts. Diagonal or herringbone layouts waste more.
- 3
Subfloor condition
An uneven floor needs levelling compound or ply first, which adds cost and time.
- 4
Removing the old floor
Lifting carpet, old vinyl or tiles takes time and a skip for the waste.
- 5
Skirting and trims
New skirting, thresholds and trims finish the job and cost extra.
Be honest with yourself
Can you do this yourself?
You can do
- Click-together laminate or vinyl planks
- Lifting old carpet and underlay
- Fitting skirting, scotia and thresholds
- Laying underlay
Leave to a pro
- Stretched carpet over gripper rods
- Levelling a badly uneven subfloor
- Solid hardwood fixing and sanding
The rules
No regulations apply to flooring itself. If you lift boards, take care of pipes and cables beneath.
DIY guide
How to lay laminate or click vinyl flooring, step by step
Tools you'll need
- Saw (jigsaw or hand saw)
- Tape measure and pencil
- Spacers and a tapping block
- Pull bar
- Craft knife
- Pry bar and hammer
Materials
- Flooring with 8–10% extra
- Underlay (with a damp-proof layer on concrete)
- Threshold strips
- Skirting or scotia beading
- Floor fixings
- 1
Measure and order with spare
~0.5 daysMeasure the floor area, add 8–10% for cuts and offcuts, and buy everything from the same batch. Let the boxes acclimatise in the room, flat, for at least 48 hours.
- 2
Lift the old floor and prepare the base
~0.5 daysRemove the old covering, skirting if needed, and check the subfloor. It must be flat, dry and clean. Fix loose boards, fill dips, and sweep thoroughly.
Tip: A long spirit level or straight edge laid across the floor shows dips and humps straight away.
- 3
Roll out the underlay
~0.25 daysLay underlay across the whole floor, butting the edges and taping the joins. On concrete, use underlay with a damp-proof membrane.
- 4
Plan the layout
~0.25 daysWork out board widths so you do not finish with a narrow strip at the far wall. Start along the longest, straightest wall, and stagger the end joins by at least 30 cm.
- 5
Lay the first rows
~0.5 daysFit spacers against the wall for a 10 mm expansion gap and click the first row together. Use offcuts to start each new row and keep joins staggered.
Never fix laminate tight to the walls. It needs room to expand, or it will buckle.
- 6
Cut round doors and obstacles
~0.5 daysUndercut door frames with a scrap board and a saw so the plank slides underneath, and cut pipe holes slightly oversize, covering them with pipe rosettes.
- 7
Finish the last row
~0.25 daysMeasure and cut the final row to width allowing the expansion gap, and use a pull bar to click it into place.
- 8
Fit trims and skirting
~0.5 daysRemove spacers and fit skirting, scotia beading and thresholds. Fix trims to the wall, never through the floor, so it can still move.
Learn from others
Common mistakes to avoid
- Not leaving the boards to acclimatise
- No expansion gap at the walls
- Laying over a damp or uneven floor and getting soft spots or creaks
- Fixing the trims through the floor so it cannot move
- Running every join in the same line so the floor looks like a grid
Frequently asked questions
How much does new flooring cost?
For a typical medium room with laminate flooring, expect from around £370 doing it yourself to £710 fully fitted. Carpet fitting is usually left to a trade, while laminate, vinyl and tile can all be DIY jobs depending on your confidence.
How much does carpet cost per m²?
Mid-range carpet costs around £22 per m², plus underlay and fitting. Carpet fitting itself needs a knee kicker and some practice to avoid visible seams, so it usually stays with a trade even for otherwise confident DIYers.
Can I fit my own laminate or vinyl flooring?
Yes — laminate and vinyl are click-fit or glue-down systems designed for DIY installation. Mid-range laminate costs around £26 per pack, and fitting it yourself avoids the labour cost entirely.
Do I need to remove the old flooring first?
Almost always, yes — laying new flooring over old carpet or damaged boards leads to an uneven finish. Lifting old flooring is itself a straightforward, if unglamorous, DIY job.
Ready to plan it?
Add this job to your renovation plan to get the order of work, who to book and a budget you can track.