Price and cost per square foot calculator
Work out price per square foot, or total project cost from a square foot rate. Multiply the area by the price per square foot for the total, or divide a total price by the area to get the rate you can compare against another quote.
Cost Per Square Foot Calculator
Typical cost per square foot by material
The table below separates what you pay for the material from what you pay once a crew installs it. Materials-only is the carton price divided by its coverage. Installed adds underlayment, trim, prep and the crew's time, and it is the number most bids quote.
These are 2026 US planning ranges drawn from published cost data (Homewyse, Modernize, HomeGuide, Angi). They are estimates, not quotes — labour rates move by region, season and how much subfloor repair the job turns up. Use them to sanity-check a bid, not to replace one.
Outside flooring: interior repaint runs about $1.50-$4 per sq ft of wall area including labour, and new residential construction runs roughly $150-$300 per sq ft of finished space depending on region and finish level.
| Material | Materials only | Installed | Labour share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardwood | $4–$15 | $11–$25 | ~50% |
| Laminate | $1–$6 | $4–$14 | ~55% |
| Vinyl plank | $2–$10 | $4–$16 | ~55% |
| Ceramic / porcelain tile | Varies by tile | Varies by tile | ~60% |
| Carpet | $1–$5 | $2–$8 | ~60% |
| Bamboo | $3–$8 | $7–$17 | ~50% |
Material vs. installed cost
“Cost per square foot” can mean material only, installation only, or installed (material + labor + materials). Always confirm which you're comparing.
For DIY projects, you're paying material cost. For contractor bids, you're paying installed cost. The multiplier is typically 2-3× material for moderate-skill work, higher for specialty trades.
The cost-per-sq-ft formula in practice
Cost per sq ft = total project cost ÷ total square footage. Reversed: total cost = sq ft × cost per sq ft.
Worked example, hardwood flooring: 300 sq ft × $4.50/sq ft material = $1,350. Add 10% waste: $1,485. Add labor at $3/sq ft: $900. Total: $2,385.
Worked example, paint job: 350 sq ft of wall × 2 coats ÷ 350 sq ft/gal = 2 gallons at $50/gal = $100 paint. Add labor at $1.50/sq ft of wall: $525. Total: $625.
Worked example, kitchen remodel: 200 sq ft × $200/sq ft = $40,000 basic, $300/sq ft = $60,000 mid-range, $500/sq ft = $100,000 custom.
Always separate material cost from labor cost. Material is fixed by sq ft. Labor varies dramatically by project complexity.
Worked example: pricing a 320 sq ft kitchen floor
Run the numbers in the same order every time and the estimate stops drifting. Measure the honest area first, add waste second, price the material third, then add labour. Folding waste into the measurement is how a budget quietly grows.
Step 1 — measure. A kitchen of 20 ft × 16 ft is 320 sq ft. That is the honest measured area, before anything is added.
Step 2 — add waste. A standard staggered layout takes 10%. 320 × 1.10 = 352 sq ft to order.
Step 3 — price the material. Mid-range laminate at $3.50 per sq ft: 352 × $3.50 = $1,232. You pay for the area you order, not the area you measured.
Step 4 — add labour. Installation at $4.00 per sq ft is charged on the installed area, not the ordered area: 320 × $4.00 = $1,280.
Total: $1,232 + $1,280 = $2,512, or about $7.85 per square foot installed. That lands inside the $4-$14 installed band for laminate, which is the check that tells you the estimate is sane.
Note which number each cost is multiplied by. Material follows the ordered area because you buy whole boxes including offcuts. Labour follows the measured area because a crew installs the floor, not the scrap. Mixing the two is the most common costing error on a small job.
| Line | Basis | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Measured area | 20 × 16 ft | — | 320 sq ft |
| Area to order | +10% waste | — | 352 sq ft |
| Material | 352 sq ft ordered | $3.50 / sq ft | $1,232 |
| Labour | 320 sq ft installed | $4.00 / sq ft | $1,280 |
| Total | — | ≈$7.85 / sq ft | $2,512 |
Material vs labor cost share by trade
Painting: 80% labor, 20% material. A $4/sq ft paint job is roughly $3.20 labor + $0.80 material.
Carpet flooring: 60% labor, 40% material. A $5/sq ft carpet job is $3 labor + $2 material.
Hardwood flooring: 50% labor, 50% material. A $10/sq ft hardwood is $5 labor + $5 material.
Tile flooring: 60% labor, 40% material. A $15/sq ft tile is $9 labor + $6 material.
Asphalt roofing: 50/50. A $5/sq ft roof is $2.50 labor + $2.50 material.
Drywall: 50/50. A $2.50/sq ft drywall job is $1.25 labor + $1.25 material.
When budgeting, separate material from labor. Buying higher-grade material doesn't increase labor cost — installing $10/sq ft hardwood costs the same labor as $5/sq ft hardwood. This is why premium materials often have better cost-per-coverage ratios.
Regional cost variation
Cost per sq ft varies by region more than most homeowners expect. Typical 2026 spreads around the national bands above:
Hardwood installed: roughly 20% below the national band in the Midwest, roughly 25% above it on the West Coast and in the Northeast corridor.
Tile installed: $10-20/sq ft, ±30% by region.
Carpet installed: $3-7/sq ft, less regional variation.
Exterior paint: $1.50-3.50/sq ft, +50% in high-cost coastal markets.
Concrete (plain slab): $4-8/sq ft, ±25% by region.
Drywall installed and finished: $1.50-3/sq ft.
Kitchen remodel: $150-500/sq ft, varies most with finish level.
Bathroom remodel: $200-600/sq ft.
New home construction: $150-300/sq ft national, $500+/sq ft in custom builds.
Always get 3+ quotes. Pricing varies 30-50% between contractors for the same scope.
Pro tips
Always include waste factor
Cost estimates with no waste factor underestimate by 5-25%. Apply the waste factor to the area BEFORE multiplying by cost.
Get three bids
Contractor pricing varies wildly by region and season. Three bids give you a real range. Median (middle bid) usually wins.
Materials vs. labor
Track them separately. Materials are usually the smaller line item - labor is what blows budgets. A $5/sq ft material can become a $15/sq ft installed cost.
Big jobs get cheaper per sq ft
Setup and mobilization are fixed costs. A 100 sq ft tile job might cost $20/sq ft; a 500 sq ft job is $14/sq ft for the same product.