How Much Does Marble Flooring Cost? [2024 Data]

Marble Flooring Installation Cost Factors 

Your marble flooring cost will depend on factors such as your location, the size of the room, the type of marble, and more.

Size of the Area 

The cost of your new floor depends on a wide variety of factors. The cost of many types of flooring, including marble floor costs, relies heavily on square footage.

For professional installation, the price is typically $10 to $20 per square foot. If you want custom designs or top-notch marble, the price will be higher. Basic marble will cost $8 per square foot on the lower end, while specialty marble will cost nearly $50 per square foot.

Type of Marble 

Not all marble is the same. The rarity, quarry location, and physical details of each type of marble impact its overall cost. Some types of marble, like Calacatta, which is only found in Italy, are found only in some locations. This can mean they’re limited in availability and more expensive to transport long distances, so they may be more expensive than more common types of marble or ones that are quarried near you.

Marble Tiles vs. Marble Slabs

Marble tiles cost $5 to $10 per square foot, while marble slabs for flooring can cost $10 to $20 per square foot. Marble slabs are thicker and heavier than tiles, making them more expensive. Marble slabs are more commonly used for counters or even walls, while tiles are better suited for flooring. 

Marble tile costs can also vary depending on several factors, from the type of marble to the size of the tile.

Grades of Marble

The quality of marble can help determine the cost. Quality grades are assigned from A to D, based on the appearance of the marble, color consistency, and whether it has blemishes, defects, or flaws.

Color 

When you think of marble, you probably picture a white slab with light gray veining. But marble comes in a variety of colors, from white to black and many in between, with rarer colors often costing more than white or gray. 

Pattern 

Most marble is set in a straight line, with even slabs or tiles lined up. For most installers, straight-set marble is the most affordable installation pattern. But custom marble patterns like herringbone, mosaic, diamond, and others can cost extra because of the skill and extra time it takes to cut and place the tiles or slabs. If you want your marble flooring set in a specialty pattern, plan to spend 10% to 25% more on labor costs.

Marble Finishes

Installing polished marble in your bathroom could be a recipe for disaster because this finish can be slippery, especially when wet. Instead, you should consider marble with a tumbled finish, which offers more slip resistance and is ideal for rooms with high moisture.

Tumbled finishes cost more but are worth it for rooms with higher slip risks. Other textured finishes, such as chiseled or flamed marble, can also cost more because of the added labor and time required to create these specialty finishes.

Labor 

Labor costs vary across cities and regions, and the experience and qualifications of your specific contractor can also make the price higher or lower. It is important to remember that the installation and materials you choose are the most important parts of the job.

If you hire an unqualified installer or one who doesn’t have enough experience with the type of marble you’ve chosen, you could end up with a substandard job. Since marble can be a costly type of flooring, skimping on labor costs could compromise the quality of your job and lower the return on your investment.

Cost of Marble Flooring by Type

When you go to purchase marble slabs or tile for flooring, your supplier will likely show you several common types of marble from which you can choose. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages, and prices vary due to rarity and quarry locations.

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Additional Costs to Consider

There’s more to consider than just the cost of the materials and installation when you choose marble, including the pros and cons of marble floors. There are also auxiliary costs to installation and maintenance. Here’s what you need to know:

Removing Furniture 

You’ll need to remove furniture from rooms where you’re installing marble flooring. If you have a lot of furniture or heavy furniture, it can be a big task to move and store it. Some flooring companies will move furniture for you, either as part of the job cost or at an extra cost. Expect this to cost $25 to $75 per room, but ask your contractor about their policies and fees for removing furniture.

Removal of Old Flooring

Because marble flooring must have a level, solid subfloor beneath it, you will need to remove your old flooring, like hardwood floors, before installing the marble. If you can do it yourself, you will likely only need to invest in tools you need for removal and possibly dump fees. If you’re hiring a pro to do it, the cost will depend on the type of flooring and flooring transition strips they’re removing. 

• Carpet removal: $1 to $2 per square foot

• Tile removal: $2 to $7 per square foot

• Hardwood floor removal: $2 to $5 per square foot

• Laminate floor removal: $0.60 to $4 per square foot

Subfloor Repairs 

Marble is heavy, and it can crack if it’s not well supported by a thick subfloor. If your subfloor needs to be replaced or repaired, the time to do it is before you install expensive new flooring. Hiring a pro to repair your existing subfloor can cost $2 to $10 per square foot, and you can expect to pay $10 to $60 per square foot for flooring joist repairs. Subfloor replacement will cost $3 to $10 per square foot, depending on labor and the thickness and type of materials.

Trim and Baseboards

You may be able to reuse your old trim or baseboards, but if they’re damaged or don’t meet your design goals, you'll need to replace them. Budget for $3 to $12 per linear foot for materials and installation, depending on the quality, material, size, and complexity of the trim or baseboards you choose.

Marble Finish

Marble usually comes with a complimentary polished finish, but if you want a custom finish, there are many to choose from, like honed (smooth, velvety), tumbled (buffed), brushed (worn, silky), sawed/distressed/raw (rough, course, dull), chiseled (deep, uneven grooves), sandblasted (smooth-textured), and bush-hammered (rugged, uniform pitting). Each has a cost, ranging from approximately $10 to $35 per square foot on top of the price of the marble itself.

Sealant

Since it’s a natural stone that’s porous, you’ll need to seal your new marble floors to help them resist liquids, staining, and scratching. You should have your floors sealed as soon as they’re installed and then regularly throughout their lives as scratches and natural wear and tear break down the sealant. This is a process you can do yourself or hire a pro to do. If you hire it out, you can expect to pay $0.50 to $2.50 per square foot, depending on the location, type of marble, and type of sealant.

Radiant Floor Heating

Marble floors are beautiful, but they can feel cold, especially in colder climates and during the winter months. Fortunately, radiant heating pairs well with marble floors. Marble conducts heat well, making radiant heating very effective and efficient to warm the floors and your whole home. You’ll need to install the radiant heating system before you install your floors, and you should budget between $10 and $90 per square foot, depending on the type of radiant heat system you choose and other details of your job.

How Much Does It Cost to Install Marble Floors Yourself?

Installing marble floors yourself can save you between $3 and $10 per square foot on labor costs. However, marble floor installation presents unique challenges that many DIYers may not want to take on.

Marble slabs and tiles are fragile and prone to breakage during installation, so the project should be left to experienced professionals.

If you do attempt it yourself, it’s best to choose marble tiles rather than slabs since slabs are much more fragile. Choosing tiles that are already mounted on a gridded backing will also help prevent them from breaking and will make the job easier.

Equipment will cost $300 to $450, depending on what you have on hand versus what you need. Those items may include the following:

• Safety equipment (goggles, a respirator, work gloves, knee pads, hearing protection)

• Cutting tools (wet saw, utility knife)

• Setting tools and materials (level, chalk line, tape measure, thin-set mortar, trowels, spacers)

• Finishing materials (grout, grout float, sealant)

All of this is on top of the cost of the marble material, which you’ll need to carefully measure and estimate so that you don’t have too much but also don’t run short during the job.

Angi Tip

When ordering flooring materials, first measure the square footage of the floor space. You may need to add an extra 10% for wastage during the installation process. A flooring pro can provide guidance for more challenging layouts or stairs.

Samantha Velez

Content Editor, Angi

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro 

As tempting as it might be, unless you’re a skilled flooring installer with experience setting tile and stone flooring, don’t attempt to install marble floors yourself to save money. On the contrary, this could actually cost you more if you damage the expensive product. How to install marble flooring is nothing like how to install linoleum flooring or other types of flooring, and your inexperience could be costly.

Marble tiles, and especially marble slabs, are fragile and must be set correctly on the correct subflooring or they will crack, chip, or fracture. They’re also difficult to cut to size during tiling. Trying to save money by DIYing with an expensive material may end up costing you more than hiring a pro if you need to replace broken slabs or tiles. Instead, call local flooring companies that have experience installing marble flooring.

Ways to Save on Marble Flooring Installation 

Marble flooring simply isn’t a low-budget item, and while you can take a few steps to save money on installation costs, if it’s still too costly for your budget, you may need to consider a different material. That said, here are ways to get the look you want without breaking the bank.

Choose a Marble You Can Afford

Different types of marble and different marble materials have a variety of price points; you may be able to find marble that gives you the look you want at a lower cost if you’re willing to be flexible. Consider Carrara, Crema Marfil, or other less-expensive types of marble. You can also save money by choosing a lower grade of marble that still meets your quality needs.

Be Flexible About Quality

Talk with your marble supplier about budget-friendly options that may be marked down because they have less marbling, uneven coloring, or slight damage. Look for mesh-backed tiles or lower-quality tiles that have holes filled with resin. These materials can still look great even though they may be more prone to cracking or need to be placed in lower-traffic locations.

Look for Remnants and Reclaimed Marble

If you don’t have a huge space to cover and want to dress it up with a luxury material like marble, you may have luck shopping at a bargain store, the remnant section of a local stone supplier, or sourcing reclaimed marble that’s been removed from another building. While the amounts and selection will be more limited, you may just score a bargain that looks like a million bucks.

Hire a Skilled Installer

It might seem counterintuitive, but hiring a more expensive installer might actually save you money. If the contractor charges more per hour but is faster than a less-skilled installer, the job will likely take less time and can end up costing less. You also are less likely to end up with broken tiles or a low-quality installation if you hire someone who knows what they’re doing.

Don’t DIY Marble Flooring

Unless you’re a pro with experience laying marble floors, go with professional installation to protect your investment in more costly materials. The job will go faster, the installation will be higher quality, and you’ll know it was done correctly.

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 extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on 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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