The floor covering itself. It is cosmetic, it prices per square foot, and it is one of the very few things in a listing you can actually put a number on from photos alone. This is the card that names the problem. The material cards price it: laminate and vinyl plank, engineered vs solid hardwood, tile, and carpet each behave differently and cost differently.
$3 to $7 per sq ft installed for laminate; $5 to $9 for luxury vinyl plank; $8 to $15 for hardwood; $10 to $20 for tileMonitorFinishes
The quick answer
Flooring is cosmetic and it prices per square foot, so even a partial or mixed floor carries a real number. In the GTA in 2026, laminate runs $3 to $7 per sq ft installed, luxury vinyl plank $5 to $9 per sq ft, hardwood $8 to $15 per sq ft, and tile $10 to $20 per sq ft. Price only the rooms that need doing. If planks are cupping or lifting, that is moisture, not flooring.
Because flooring prices per square foot, a partial or mixed floor still carries a real number, which makes it one of the easiest negotiation line items in a house. Mixed materials, or a floor that simply stops mid-run, usually means the work was done piecemeal by an owner rather than by a trade. That raises the second question, and it is the more important one: was the subfloor levelled, and is anything being covered up?
How to spot it
Gaps at seams or along the edges; missing or mismatched transitions and quarter round; one material running into another mid-room; unfinished edges; and noticeably different floor heights between rooms.
What it costs
GTA, 2026, supplied and installed: laminate $3 to $7 per sq ft, luxury vinyl plank $5 to $9, hardwood $8 to $15, porcelain or ceramic tile $10 to $20. Removal of the old floor, subfloor levelling, transitions, trim, and stairs are all extra, and they are where quotes drift upward. Before you price a hardwood replacement, read the refinishing card: a sound hardwood floor sands and refinishes for a third of what a new one costs.
What to do
Monitor and price it. Measure only the rooms that actually need doing. Ask who installed it and whether the subfloor was levelled.
Education and triage, not a home inspection. Casaroo prices flooring per square foot from what your photos show. A flooring contractor confirms the subfloor and whether the existing floor can be saved. We flag; we don't inspect.
Common questions
Can I ask the seller to replace the flooring, or should I ask for a credit?
A credit is usually the better ask, and sellers often prefer it too. If the seller does the work before closing, they will do it to their budget and their taste, not yours. Price the rooms you actually intend to redo per square foot, bring that number, and ask for it off the price. Flooring is one of the easiest items to negotiate on because the cost is arithmetic, not opinion.
Does new flooring in a listing mean the floor underneath is fine?
No, and this is worth being careful about. New flooring is the cheapest way to cover a floor that has water damage, a bad patch, or a subfloor that was never levelled. It does not mean any of those things are present. It means you cannot see whether they are, which is a different problem and a good reason to ask when the floor was laid, by whom, and what was under it.
Installed per-square-foot rates: (**Tier B**, aggregated marketplace data). Flooring lifespans: (**Tier B**). Ranges vary with material grade, subfloor condition, removal, and access. Get a contractor quote for your specific rooms.
Last reviewed 2026-07-12.
This guide is general education, not a home inspection and not advice for your specific property. Always
consult the appropriate licensed professional, and get a licensed home inspection before you remove conditions
or buy. Cost ranges are 2026 estimates that vary by region, size, and access; confirm specifics with a
qualified professional.