How Much Does New Flooring Cost in Gainesville, GA?

By Eric Bubniak, owner of EBD Construction LLC · October 19, 2026

How much does new flooring cost in Gainesville, GA?

Here are typical Gainesville-area installed prices, including materials and labor. Basic materials in simple, square rooms land at the low end; premium wood or tile, patterns and lots of cuts land at the high end. This is a guide, not a quote.

And here is what common projects usually cost in total:

Common extras: tearing out carpet $0.50 to $1 per sq ft, tile or glued-down floors $2 to $5 per sq ft; subfloor repair $500 to $3,000; leveling a dipped or uneven floor $500 to $3,000; new baseboards or shoe molding $500 to $3,000 for a main level; moving furniture and appliances $200 to $800.

Tip: Doing the whole main level at once usually costs less per square foot than doing it room by room, and it gets rid of the thresholds and color mismatches where one floor meets another.

Which flooring is best for a Gainesville home?

North Georgia's humid summers, red clay that tracks in on every shoe, and lots of crawl-space and basement homes all shape what works. Here's how the common choices hold up:

• Luxury vinyl plank (LVP). The most popular choice we see right now. It's waterproof, stands up to dogs and kids, looks like wood and can go in every room, including kitchens, baths and basements. Buy a thick wear layer (20 mil or more) for busy households. It can't be refinished, and cheap LVP can look like plastic.
• Engineered hardwood. Real wood on top of a plywood core. It moves less with humidity than solid wood, so it's a safer choice over concrete slabs, basements and crawl spaces. Thicker wear layers can be sanded and refinished once or twice.
• Solid hardwood. The classic for living rooms, dining rooms and halls. It can be sanded and refinished many times and lasts the life of the house. It dents more easily and doesn't belong in baths or below grade.
• Tile. Porcelain tile is the best floor for bathrooms, laundry rooms and mudrooms. It's waterproof and nearly indestructible, but it's cold and hard underfoot, and it needs a stiff subfloor or it will crack.
• Laminate. Cheaper than LVP and more scratch-resistant, but most laminates don't like standing water, so keep them out of baths and laundry rooms.
• Carpet. Still the most comfortable and cheapest choice for bedrooms and bonus rooms, but most buyers now want hard floors in living areas.

Should I choose luxury vinyl plank or hardwood?

Choose LVP if you have pets, young kids or a basement, want one floor through the kitchen and baths, or are on a tighter budget. Choose hardwood if you're planning to stay a long time, want a floor that can be refinished instead of replaced, or are in a price range where buyers expect real wood. A lot of Hall County homeowners split the difference: hardwood in the living, dining and bedrooms, and LVP or tile in the kitchen, baths, laundry and basement.

Should I refinish or replace my hardwood floors?

If you already have solid hardwood under that carpet or under a worn finish, refinishing is often the best money you can spend on a house. The floor is sanded to bare wood, stained if you want a new color, and coated with fresh finish, for about $3 to $6 per square foot.

Refinish when the boards are solid and tight and the damage is surface scratches, gray worn paths or an orange 1990s color. Replace when boards are cupped, buckled or black from water, when they move or squeak badly underfoot, when the wood has been sanded so many times the nails show, or when it's a thin engineered floor with no wear layer left. Small damaged areas can often be patched with matching boards before refinishing.

What problems can show up under the old floor?

This is where hiring a general contractor instead of a flooring store pays off. Once the old floor is up, we often find:

• Soft or rotted subfloor around toilets, tubs, dishwashers, refrigerator ice makers and exterior doors.
• Moisture from the crawl space. Many older Gainesville homes sit over damp crawl spaces, which cups wood floors and grows mold. A vapor barrier or dehumidifier may need to come first.
• Dips and humps from settled framing or a poured slab that isn't flat. Floating floors and tile both need a flat surface.
• Squeaks and bounce from loose subfloor or undersized joists, which we can screw down or stiffen while the floor is open.

Because Eric's crew does carpentry, tile, trim and drywall, these get fixed the same week instead of stopping the job while you hunt for another contractor.

How long does a flooring project take?

1. Consultation and measuring: Eric walks the house, checks the subfloor and moisture, and measures. You get a written estimate.
2. Ordering: stocked LVP, laminate and tile can be ready in days; special-order wood or tile takes about 1 to 3 weeks. Hardwood is delivered early and sits in the house for 3 to 7 days to adjust to the humidity.
3. Tear-out and prep: old flooring comes out, subfloor is repaired and leveled, usually 1 to 2 days.
4. Installation: a room takes 1 to 2 days, a main level 3 to 7 days, a whole house 1 to 3 weeks. Tile needs an extra day for grout.
5. Trim and cleanup: baseboards, shoe molding, transitions and stair noses go on, doors are trimmed if needed, and furniture goes back.

Can I replace carpeted stairs with wood?

Yes, and it's one of the most requested parts of a flooring job. The carpet and pad come off, the old rough treads are cut flush or removed, and new hardwood treads and painted risers go on, usually $2,000 to $8,000 for a standard 13 to 15 step staircase. For railings, iron balusters and opening up a closed staircase, see our staircase remodel guide. It's also the right time to replace dated spindles with iron balusters and a new handrail.

Do I need a permit for new flooring?

Replacing floor coverings usually doesn't need a permit in Gainesville or unincorporated Hall County. Replacing rotted subfloor or joists, or flooring that's part of a bigger remodel with walls, plumbing or electrical changes, may. Eric pulls every permit himself. See our building permits guide for details.

Is new flooring worth it when selling a house?

Usually, yes. Worn carpet, stained grout and three different floors on one level are among the first things buyers and appraisers notice, and listing photos of matching hard floors make rooms look bigger. Refinishing existing hardwood is one of the cheapest, best-returning things you can do before you list. See which remodels add the most value for more.

Flooring is often part of a bigger project. If you're also redoing the kitchen, opening walls or updating the whole main level, see our whole-home renovation guide and kitchen remodeling guide. For basements, see our basement finishing guide.

Where does EBD Construction work?

• Gainesville
• Flowery Branch
• Oakwood
• Buford
• Braselton
• Chestnut Mountain
• Murrayville
• Lake Lanier homes
• All of Hall County
• Towns north of Gainesville

Why hire EBD Construction for new floors?

• We fix what's underneath. Soft subfloor, crawl-space moisture, dips and squeaks get repaired by the same crew, not left under a new floor.
• Floors, stairs and trim in one job. Baseboards, stair treads, railings, transitions and door trimming are all handled, so the finished room looks complete.
• You talk to the owner. Eric Bubniak is your point of contact from the first visit to the final walkthrough.
• The same crew every time. Three full-time builders who have worked together for over a decade.
• Local for 15+ years. Based in Gainesville, licensed and insured, all work guaranteed, with 5-star reviews on Thumbtack.

Flooring FAQs

Ready for new floors?

Call Eric Bubniak at 404-925-7481 or fill out the form below. Tell us which rooms you're thinking about and what's on the floor now, and we'll come measure, check the subfloor and give you a written estimate.

Get a free consultation