How Much Does It Cost to Refinish Hardwood Floors? [2024 Data]
Normal range: $1,101 - $2,666
Homeowners spend an average of $1,883 to refinish hardwood floors. Prices can range between $600 and $4,500, depending on your room design and the state of your floors.
We take great pride in a well-preserved, richly-hued hardwood floor to add a touch of classic coziness to our home. But how much does it cost to refinish hardwood floors? While this floor favorite is beautiful and sturdy, it can get scratched, warped, and faded from typical wear and tear over the years. When the time comes, expect to pay an average of $1,883—but it ranges between $1,101 and $2,666—for the cost to refinish hardwood floors, depending on the size, shape, and style of your hardwood.
While this floor favorite is beautiful and sturdy, it can get scratched, warped, and faded from typical wear and tear over the years. Refinishing your floor can bring back its former glory.
- Average
- $1,883
- Low end
- $600
- high end
- $4,500
Hardwood Floor Refinishing Cost Factors
Like most home renovation jobs, nailing down your specific price to refinish hardwood floors will depend on your unique home. When you receive a quote from your local floor team, expect the price tag to make your wood floors look new to come down to the following factors.
Size
Above all else, your final hardwood floor finish cost will likely come down to square footage. A smaller space will, naturally, mean a lower price tag in the long run.
| Square Footage | Cost |
|---|---|
| 40 | $80–$280 |
| 100 | $200–$800 |
| 250 | $900–$1,800 |
| 400 | $1,000–$2,500 |
| 1,000 | $2,000–$5,000 |
You may receive a more affordable per-square-foot quote for larger spaces—a bit like buying in bulk.
Overall, professional floor refinishers will charge anywhere from $3 to $8 per square foot. The cost jumps a bit to between $5 and $8 per square foot for the less-disruptive dustless refinishing method—a process that requires commercial vacuums. These numbers come from the combined cost of the job from start to finish, including sanding, staining, and finishing.
For example, sanding alone costs $0.50 to $3 per square foot, while staining adds $1 to $3 per square foot. The team will top everything off with a coat of finish, running you $1 to $2 per square foot.
Hardwood Floor Material
Your home's hardwood flooring material can sway the cost of refinishing.
| Type of Wood Flooring | Average Refinishing Cost |
|---|---|
| Bamboo | $2–$6 |
| Cherry | $3–$5 |
| Engineered Hardwood | $3–$5 |
| Oak | $3–$5 |
| Parquet | $3–$5 |
| Pine | $4–$7 |
| Mahogany | $6–$8 |
| Maple | $6–$8 |
Popular floor varieties such as cherry and oak cost between $3 and $5 per square foot. Professionals are familiar with their refinishing process, and the floors often don't require significant sanding. However, refinishing a material such as mahogany can cost up to $8 per square foot since it requires far more care to protect its deep hue.
Refinishing Method
You’ll pay more depending on your contractor's method of refinishing your floors. Traditional refinishing costs less than dustless refinishing.
Traditional Refinishing
Traditional refinishing costs $3 to $8 per square foot. During traditional refinishing, your contractor will sand down the top layer of your hardwood floor. This creates a lot of dust, which can be difficult to fully clean after-the-fact and can trigger allergies for some homeowners.
Dustless Refinishing
Dustless refinishing has a higher price tag at $5 to $8 per square foot. This method produces significantly less dust. During this process, your contractor will use a commercial vacuum attached to the sander to collect dust as it’s created (and before it can spread all over your room). This can be very beneficial for homeowners with allergies or breathing difficulties.
Flooring Condition
The inspiration to refinish your hardwood floors may have stemmed from spotting some serious damage. In some cases, your pro will need to spend more time sanding away scratches and dents, increasing floor sanding costs.
Your floor might also need more significant repairs. For most homeowners, flooring repairs cost $200 to $600. If you need to replace the floorboard, hardwood floor installation costs between $6 and $12 per square foot. You can also replace a floorboard yourself in some cases and save between $400 and $1,400 in labor in the process.
Labor
The other 80% of your estimate goes toward the extensive labor process. Add between $2 and $8 per square foot for labor to your total floor refinishing costs. The higher per-square-foot prices account for more complex floor materials like pine and mahogany. Areas that require more concentration, such as on steps, around tight corners, or on older floors, will also add to the price. If your team offers a quote in hours, expect to pay between $60 and $160 per hour for the full project.
Subfloor Repairs
Warped, sinking, or water-damaged floors may signal that your subflooring needs replacing. The cost to replace a subfloor ranges from $3 to $10 per square foot, but you may pay more in labor to remove and replace the hardwood flooring planks on top before and after.
Carpet Removal
Is it time to rip up that old wall-to-wall carpet and reveal the cherry oak floors underneath? Carpet removal costs between $120 and $720 on average, or between $1 and $5 per square foot. You could tackle the whole project yourself for about $25, but it is labor- and time-intensive. You will also need to pay between $75 and $150 to have the carpet hauled away.
Furniture Moving
Your hardwood floor pros may offer a special service to move the furniture out of the way for a fee of $20 to $50 per room. You may want to offer to move the furniture yourself if you're hoping to cut costs, but keep in mind that your floor team will have access to dollies, protective wrap, and a larger team to do the hauling.
Screening or Buffing
If your floors are only lightly damaged, you may only need to partially refinish them. Instead, you can use screening (or buffing) to lightly remove minor imperfections. Buffing a hardwood floor costs between $1 and $2.50 per square foot. Your contractor will use a thinner sanding disc to remove a thin layer of topcoat without touching the wood below. This means you won’t have to sand and restain the hardwood—just replace the topcoat.
Sanding and Staining
If you break down the refinishing process into stages, you can take a closer look at how the costs play out. Sanding a hardwood floor contributes between $0.50 and $3 per square foot, depending on the depth necessary to repair the damage.
Staining your floors and choosing a wood floor stain color is only necessary when you want to enrich the color. Fading from exposure to the sun or general wear and tear may call for it, but it's not always necessary. Add between $1 and $3 per square foot to the total cost to stain your floor. Remember you'll also need to set aside an extra 24 hours or so for the stain to dry.
Coating and Finishing
Your final topcoat adds a protective finish that acts as a barrier against wear and tear and provides a stylish sheen. Choose between an oil- or water-based polyurethane topcoat or various floor waxes and acid-cured finishes. A gallon of finish costs between $20 and $55 per gallon on average, though penetrating oil or acid-cured finish can cost much more. Here's what to expect:
| Type of Finish | Average Cost per Gallon |
|---|---|
| Oil-based polyurethane | $20–$45 |
| Water-based polyurethane | $25–$55 |
| Penetrating oil | $40–$100 |
| Acid-cured finish | $50–$80 |
Polishing
Polishing can refresh the look of tired floors in-between refinishes. This is a fairly simple DIY. Most homeowners spend $20 to $50 per gallon on hardwood floor polish. You’ll also need a sponge mop to spread the polish, which costs around $20, and a microfiber mop to finish the job, which costs $15 to $30.
Post Cleanup
Take a close look at the contractor's estimate to see if cleanup is included in the price. In many cases, the team will do a quick sweep through their work area, but they may not take care of all the dust that has accumulated around the room. You may be able to add this to your contract for an hourly rate of $60 to $160 or hire a local cleaner for a second pass.
Signs That You Should Refinish Your Hardwood Floors
Are you on the fence about whether it's time to refinish your hardwood floors?
While a few dents and dings here and there are often not enough to lug in the sander, there are a few telltale signs it's time to wipe the slate clean.
Significant gouges, scrapes, or dents throughout your floors
Major discoloration from stains or sun exposure
Signs of water damage such as rotting, warping, or bowing
Weak spots in the floors that indicate damaged subflooring
Missing panels, hardware, or areas of stain
An overall dull appearance across the floors
Refinishing vs. Replacing Hardwood Floors
If your floors have seen some hard years, you may have to decide whether to repair or replace your hardwood floors entirely. In many cases, you will be able to replace individual boards and areas of subflooring if the floor is warped from water damage, mold, or long-term wear and tear.
As for scratches, gouges, and discoloration, you will often be able to sand into the wood during the refinishing process to start fresh. In many cases, the decision will depend on the type, age, and condition of the wood. Since hardwood flooring costs more than other floor types, most homeowners try to repair it when possible. Always speak with an experienced floor installer if you're on the fence.
Cost to Refinish Hardwood Floors Yourself vs. Hiring a Pro
Tackling floor refinishing yourself is not recommended for those new to DIY home repairs. It may look a bit like painting a room at first glance, but the hardwood sanding process adds a complicated layer that requires a professional eye. Incorrect sanding or sanding too often could lead to having your hardwood floors replaced—a much costlier undertaking. It’s better to hire a wood floor refinishing company near you.
All this being said, you'll likely pay between $500 and $1,000 to refinish hardwood floors yourself, whereas hiring a pro to do the entire job costs between $1,101 and $2,666 on average.
Tips to Save on Hardwood Refinishing Costs
The best way to lower your bottom line is to decide whether you truly need full refinishing. Remember, buffing your floors will cost only $1 to $2.50 per square foot and is a much easier DIY. Here are some other cost-saving tidbits to keep in mind:
Compare at least three professional estimates before signing a contract.
Move the furniture out and back into the room yourself.
Clean the space yourself after the process.
Inquire about holiday or low-season specials from local companies.
Consider hardwood floor repairs for scratches and dents before scheduling a full refinish.
Ginny Bartolone contributed to this piece.
How Angi Gets Its Cost Data
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We’ve surveyed over 10,000 real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Most hardwood floors require refinishing every seven to 10 years, depending on the condition they’re in and the thickness. If humidity affects your floors or water damage, fading from sunlight, heavy foot traffic, or major scratches from furniture are showing, bump up the date to ensure your floors are protected.
It is less expensive to refinish hardwood floors than it is to replace them. When replacing wood floors, you’ll have to remove and dispose of the old floor. Then, you’ll have to pay for the floor planks, materials, and labor to install the new floor. On the other hand, refinishing a wood floor involves replacing only the finish, so floor refinishing prices are lower.
Between polishes and refinishing, properly cleaning your floors will lengthen the time between visits from the flooring team. For best results: Between polishes and refinishing, properly cleaning your floors will lengthen the time between visits from the flooring team. For best results:
Always choose the best cleaner for your specific type of finish
Avoid saturating your wood with too much water
Address stains before they set
Use gentle tools for stains and grit
Professionals will set aside between two and seven days to refinish the hardwood flooring in your home. The lengthy process comes down to how many coats of stain and finish are required to revitalize your floors. Each coat takes several hours to a full day to dry, but a company may prefer to break up the work overnight to ensure that it dries properly.