Homeowners love the warmth and resale value hardwood floors add, yet many are surprised by how widely prices fluctuate from one project to the next. At CountBricks, we turn guesswork into data-driven clarity. Our AI listens to onsite conversations, pulls live material rates, and delivers an itemized residential estimate in minutes. Below, our experts break down every cost variable so you can enter your next flooring project with open eyes and tighter margins.
Species, grade, and board format set your starting point.
• Solid red oak strip: Widely available and economical—CountBricks clients in Des Moines see material ranges of $3.50 – $5.25 per sq ft.
• Engineered maple plank: Greater dimensional stability, averaging $4.75 – $6.75 per sq ft.
• Premium exotics (e.g., Brazilian cherry): Expect $8.00 – $14.00 per sq ft. CountBricks’ live-pricing API alerts you to volatile import surcharges in real time.
Even perfect boards fail without a sound base. CountBricks estimates automatically add:
• Moisture-barrier underlayment: $0.45 – $0.70 per sq ft
• Self-leveling compound for uneven slabs: $1.25 – $2.10 per sq ft
• Subfloor repair contingencies: Our AI flags soft spots during blueprint takeoffs, prompting you to allocate contingency allowances before change orders explode.
Experienced installers can place 150–200 sq ft per crew per day, but layout complexity changes everything. CountBricks benchmarks local union wage sheets, travel zones, and overtime rules to calculate:
• Straight-lay installations: $3.00 – $4.00 per sq ft labor
• Herringbone or chevron patterns: Add 25 – 45 percent labor premium
• Stair treads and nosings: $40 – $65 each, auto-itemized in the CountBricks line-up when our blueprint scan detects stair runs
You can buy factory-finished boards or finish onsite. Each has cost and schedule impacts.
• Prefinished boards: Higher material cost (+$0.75 – $1.25 per sq ft) but saves two days of sanding and coating labor
• Onsite polyurethane: $1.75 – $2.50 per sq ft including sanding, stain, and three coats
• Low-VOC oil finishes: +$0.60 per sq ft; CountBricks’ “Green-Build” toggle automatically swaps in eco-compliant adhesives and finishes for LEED projects
Removing carpet is quick; pulling glued-down parquet is another story. CountBricks voice capture lets the crew call out site realities while walking the space—our AI rebuilds the estimate on the fly.
• Carpet tear-out: $0.45 – $0.65 per sq ft including haul-off
• Glued wood demo: $1.25 – $1.90 per sq ft plus potential slab grinding
• Dumpster and tipping fees: Calculated by zip code within CountBricks.com/services
Labor markets and freight change city by city. CountBricks taps live databases, so your Des Moines quote reflects Midwest trucking rather than coastal port fees. National cost guides can’t replicate that granularity.
• Baseboard removal & reinstallation: $1.00 – $1.60 per linear foot
• Door trimming: $25 – $45 each, flagged automatically for every threshold in the digital plan set
• Furniture moving: Many installers exclude it; CountBricks gives you an optional line item so there are no “surprise” add-ons come installation day
1. Mid-grade red oak material: $4.50 × 1,000 = $4,500
2. Underlayment and prep: $1.40 × 1,000 = $1,400
3. Labor, straight lay: $3.50 × 1,000 = $3,500
4. Onsite finishing: $2.00 × 1,000 = $2,000
5. Carpet tear-out & disposal: $0.55 × 1,000 = $550
Total projected cost: $11,950 or $11.95 per sq ft
Because CountBricks pulls supplier discounts tied to your contractor account, many of our users report average savings of 6–12 percent over manual spreadsheets.
1. Open a new project at CountBricks.com/estimate and upload the floorplan PDF or start a voice session on site.
2. Speak naturally—“We have ¾-inch white oak, straight lay, replace 60 feet of base.” The AI transcribes and tags each scope element.
3. Review the autogenerated line items. Toggle materials or finishes to see instant price impacts.
4. Approve the estimate to auto-generate a branded homeowner quote or sync to your invoicing workflow.
5. Track real-time cost variance as purchase orders finalize; CountBricks’ dashboard updates your profit in dollars, not guesses.
• Instant accuracy: Live supplier feeds and local labor tables right inside the estimate
• Fewer change orders: Voice-driven site notes reduce overlooked details
• Faster approvals: Homeowners receive clear, professional quotes they can e-sign immediately
• Integrated takeoffs: AI reads blueprints, counts boards, and even suggests optimal waste factors
• Unified workflow: Estimates convert to invoices in a single click, syncing with the accounting software you already use
If you’re tired of back-of-napkin math or outdated cost books, see how CountBricks transforms hardwood flooring bids into predictable profit. Explore features at CountBricks.com/services or schedule a free demo at CountBricks.com/consultation.
When the Harper family purchased a 1970s colonial in West Des Moines, they budgeted $14 per sq ft to replace carpet with 2,200 sq ft of engineered white oak. Their contractor, Red River Homes, tapped CountBricks to prepare the bid.
• Overstock Opportunity: Our live-inventory feed flagged a regional distributor clearing last year’s white oak line—priced 18 percent below current catalog rates.
• Subfloor Anomalies: Blueprint takeoff detected two sunken areas. A voice note from the site walk auto-added 150 sq ft of self-leveling compound, preventing a costly mid-job surprise.
• Optimized Waste Factor: CountBricks’ cut-map suggested a 7 percent waste allowance instead of the 10 percent blanket figure the crew usually used, saving 140 sq ft of material.
• Final contract price: $11.92 per sq ft—more than 10 percent under the owners’ provisional budget
• Approval time: 6 hours from first site walk to signed digital quote
• Margin protection: Red River Homes reported a 2.3 percent increase in net profit compared with their previous manual estimating workflow
• Speak, Don’t Type: Use CountBricks’ mobile voice capture while you’re still on site. The less time between observation and estimate, the fewer details slip through the cracks.
• Compare Finish Scenarios: Toggle between prefinished and onsite finish within the platform to see schedule and cost impacts instantly.
• Leverage Supplier Deals: Check the “Alternate Product” suggestions CountBricks provides; flash sales can shave dollars off every square foot.
• Track Variance: Sync material purchase orders to your original estimate so you know—in real time—whether you’re beating or bleeding your budget.
From rapid voice-to-estimate conversion to dynamic pricing feeds, CountBricks gives residential contractors a sharper, faster, and more profitable way to calculate the cost to install hardwood flooring. Explore live demos or start a free trial today at CountBricks.com/consultation.
