Flooring is the second-largest cosmetic decision after paint — it touches every room, gets seen first, and absorbs the most daily wear. In Chicagoland, flooring choice is also a winter-comfort decision: cold concrete basements, drafty old hardwood, and lake-effect humidity swings all influence what holds up. Our pricing reflects 280+ flooring projects completed since 2023, across hardwood, engineered hardwood, luxury vinyl plank (LVP), porcelain tile, and natural stone.
Typical range
$2,500 – $25,000
Average cost
$8,400
Resale ROI
60–100%
Five biggest variables: (1) material — LVP $4/sf vs solid white oak $22/sf installed; (2) subfloor condition — sound subfloor adds nothing, soft or uneven subfloor requires 1/4" plywood underlayment ($1.50/sf) or full replacement; (3) removal of existing flooring — carpet $1/sf, tile $3-$5/sf, glued-down hardwood $4-$6/sf; (4) plank width and layout — herringbone or chevron patterns add 30-50% labor; (5) acclimation — solid hardwood needs 7-10 days on-site before install in Chicagoland's humidity swings.
Tier 01
$2,500 – $5,000
12x14 to 16x18 room (200-300 sf). Includes removal of existing carpet/laminate, sound subfloor, LVP click-lock install, transitions to adjoining rooms, baseboard reuse.
Tier 02
$6,000 – $14,000
1,200–1,800 sf main floor of a Chicagoland home. LVP or engineered hardwood throughout. Includes removal, subfloor prep, transitions, and all trim work.
Tier 03
$14,000 – $25,000
Solid 3/4" hardwood (white oak, walnut) or porcelain/natural-stone tile throughout main level. Includes site-finishing, custom stain, or large-format tile install.
| Cost factor | Budget impact |
|---|---|
| Material per square foot installed | LVP $4-$8/sf · Engineered hardwood $7-$15/sf · Solid hardwood $10-$22/sf · Porcelain tile $9-$18/sf · Natural stone $14-$24/sf. |
| Existing flooring removal | Carpet $0.75-$1.50/sf · Vinyl/laminate $1.50/sf · Ceramic tile $3-$5/sf · Glued-down hardwood $4-$6/sf · Asbestos abatement (pre-1980 vinyl) $8-$12/sf. |
| Subfloor condition | Sound subfloor: $0. Plywood overlay: +$1.50/sf. Subfloor replacement: +$4-$6/sf. Self-leveling compound: $2-$4/sf. |
| Pattern complexity | Straight lay: included. Diagonal: +15%. Herringbone: +35%. Chevron: +50%. Large-format tile (24x24+): +20%. |
| Stair work | Hardwood stairs $90-$150/step. Adds substantially to whole-home projects with a flight to refinish. |
| Site-finishing vs prefinished | Prefinished saves 5-7 days project time. Site-finished allows custom stain and a smooth seamless surface (no micro-bevels). |
Hardwood flooring returns roughly 75-80% at resale and is widely considered a must-have in Tier-1 North Shore Chicagoland markets — homes without hardwood often sit on market 2-3x longer. LVP returns 50-60% but is dramatically more durable for families with kids and pets. Refinishing existing hardwood (rather than replacing) returns the highest percentage of any flooring decision — typically 100%+.
Typical ROI
60–100%
of project cost recouped at resale (Chicagoland metro)
Flooring installation does not require permits in any Chicagoland municipality. Removal of vinyl flooring installed before 1980 may contain asbestos and requires testing ($200) and licensed Illinois asbestos abatement contractor if positive. Pre-1978 homes with painted floor finishes also fall under EPA RRP rules.
CrestLine handles every permit and inspection as part of every project — included in the fixed-price proposal, no separate billing.
From a leaky faucet fix to a full kitchen remodel — get a free, no-obligation estimate from Chicagoland’s trusted home improvement team. Licensed, bonded & $2M insured.
