Hardwood Prices in Calgary
| Item | Price range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Hardwood | $8–$16 / sq ft | Solid $5–$15 · engineered $4–$12 |
| Solid hardwood | $5–$15 / sq ft | |
| Engineered hardwood | $4–$12 / sq ft | |
| Stairs — hardwood | $80–$150 / step | |
| Herringbone / diagonal layout (add-on) | $1–$3 / sq ft | |
| Subfloor preparation (add-on) | $1–$4 / sq ft | |
| Old flooring removal (add-on) | $0.50–$3 / sq ft |
Hardwood is the widest price band of any floor we install, because “hardwood” covers everything from a builder-grade engineered board to wide-plank white oak finished on site.
What Sets Your Price
Solid or engineered
Solid boards are milled from one piece of wood and can be refinished many times. Engineered boards use a real wood veneer over a cross-layered core, cost less to buy, move less in dry air and can be installed over concrete and radiant heat. In Calgary basements and condos, engineered is not a compromise — it is the right product.
Species and grade
Common domestic species such as red oak sit at the accessible end; white oak, hickory, walnut and exotic species cost more. Grade matters just as much: clear and select grades, with minimal knots and colour variation, cost more per square foot than character grades with visible knots and streaks.
Board width
Strip flooring around 2¼ inches is the least expensive and the most stable. Wide planks of 6 inches and up cost more per square foot and demand more from the installation, especially in Calgary’s dry winters.
Prefinished or site-finished
Prefinished boards arrive cured and ready to walk on. Site-finished floors add several days of sanding, staining and multiple finish coats, with drying time between each — more labour, a smoother result and complete colour freedom.
Layout
A straight lay is the baseline. Diagonal and herringbone layouts add $1–$3 / sq ft in labour plus 15–20% extra material for waste.
The Add-Ons
- Stairs: $80–$150 / step, the most commonly underestimated line in a hardwood quote.
- Subfloor preparation: $1–$4 / sq ft where flattening, re-fastening or levelling is needed.
- Removal and disposal: $0.50–$3 / sq ft depending on what is coming out.
- Baseboard and transitions, plus trimming doors where the floor height changes.
- Vents and thresholds, including flush-mount floor vents that match the new floor.
Example Hardwood Budgets in Calgary
800 sq ft main floor in solid hardwood
Hardwood at $8 to $16 per square foot: $6,400 to $12,800. Removal of the old floor: $400 to $2,400. Subfloor preparation: $800 to $3,200. Total: roughly $7,600 to $18,400, with species, grade and finish choice setting where you land.
1,000 sq ft main floor plus a 14-step staircase
Hardwood at $8 to $16: $8,000 to $16,000. Stairs at $80 to $150 per step: $1,120 to $2,100. Removal: $500 to $3,000. Preparation: $1,000 to $4,000. Total: roughly $10,600 to $25,100.
700 sq ft condo in engineered hardwood over concrete
Engineered material at $4 to $12 per square foot plus glue-down installation puts the installed figure toward the middle of the $8 to $16 band. Add slab preparation at $1 to $4 per square foot ($700 to $2,800) and removal of the existing floor ($350 to $2,100). Acoustic underlayment may be required by the condo board — a line we confirm before quoting.
Refinishing instead
If your home already has sound hardwood under carpet, refinishing reuses the material entirely. It is consistently the cheapest route to a new-looking wood floor, and our floor refinishing page explains when it is possible.
Hardwood vs the Alternatives
| Floor | Installed range | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Hardwood | $8–$16 per sq ft | Highest resale appeal; not for below grade |
| Engineered hardwood | Within the hardwood range | Real wood that works over concrete and heat |
| Vinyl plank | $8–$15 per sq ft | Waterproof, lower maintenance, no refinishing |
| Laminate | From about $7 per sq ft | Cheapest wood look, cannot be refinished |
| Tile | $8–$15 per sq ft | Most durable, coldest underfoot |
Where to Spend and Where to Save
Worth paying for: a species hard enough for your household, proper subfloor preparation, a humidifier to protect the floor through Calgary winters, and stairs done in matching material rather than left mismatched.
Reasonable savings: choosing a character grade instead of clear, a 3- to 5-inch plank instead of wide plank, prefinished instead of site-finished, and a straight lay instead of a pattern. Each of those is a genuine cost reduction that does not shorten the life of the floor.
Want a square-footage number before you call? Our flooring calculator turns your room measurements into square footage, a waste allowance, the number of boxes to order and an estimated installed cost.
Getting an Exact Hardwood Quote
Final pricing depends on your specific project — request a free estimate for an exact quote. We measure the rooms and the stairs, check the subfloor and its moisture, talk through species and finish, and give you an itemized estimate — including the honest comparison against refinishing what you already have.