How Much Does It Cost To Hire Someone To Lay Laminate Flooring?

If you are considering giving your home a bit of a makeover, one of the things you will have thought about is the flooring. While carpets can feel nice underfoot, they’re often a lot more difficult to keep clean. If you’ve got a busy household with kids and pets, you will want something that’s practical and still looks good. That’s where laminate flooring comes in but how much does it cost to hire someone to put in laminate flooring?

Generally speaking, you will be charged by the square metre when it comes to laying laminate flooring. However, some people will charge a daily rate according to how much they will get done in that time; this is normally around £150 but this price can differ depending on several factors. 

You must also consider that you will not only be charged labour costs for the laminate flooring but you’ll need to pay for the materials themselves. On average, you will be able to purchase laminate flooring planks for as little as £6 per square metre but for higher quality products, you might expect to pay  £15 per square metre. It all depends on what you are looking for. 

In terms of what you will be charged for the fitting, the contractor you use may charge different amounts to the next person. Generally speaking, however, in the UK, you would expect to pay between £8 and £12 per square metre for labour. 

The good news is that almost every laminate floor fitter will offer a free quote which allows you to compare prices and get the best deal for you. But that doesn’t always mean going for the cheapest option. 

Choosing The Right Person For The Job

When you choose someone to fit your laminate flooring, you want to make sure that you are getting someone who knows what they are doing. It can be tempting to go for the cheapest quote in the belief that you will save money but this isn’t always the case. Be mindful of checking previous work and looking at reviews and some people will charge less because of a lack of experience or training. 

When your fitter arrives at your home, they will typically expect you to have cleared the room of any obstacles such as furniture. One of the first things that the fitter will do is to remove the old floor, if this hasn’t already been done. You will need to consider that the cost of removing and disposing of old flooring will be added to your bill. If you don’t like the idea of this additional cost, we would suggest getting rid of the old floor before the fitter arrives.

It’s also important to talk to your fitter about underlay. This is an important feature of any installation and while many people think that it isn’t necessary, we would hasten to disagree. You see underlay will make the laminate feel softer underfoot and will help to create a smoother surface on which to lay it, making the final result more even.

We would highly recommend purchasing all the materials including planks, underlay, door bars and anything else before the fitter arrives. They will help you make the right decisions and this will eliminate the need to stop work and order new materials partway through the job. 

Factors That May Affect The Cost Of Laminate Flooring

If you have neighbours that live below you then you will need to consider that the subfloor and underlay are adequate in reducing noise and disruption. If they are not, the mere act of you walking across the flooring could cause a cacophony below. For this reason, you may need additional subfloor preparations which could bump up the cost of the fitting. 

Generally speaking, underlay will come in at around £5 per square metre but this will depend on the type and thickness that you choose. Moreover, the size of the room you are having flooring fitted in will determine the overall cost. For example, a large room of around 40 metres square might cost up to £800 all in while a room that only measures 15 metres square may only cost around £200. And that’s only for labour!

You should also think about other factors that may affect the overall cost including the quality and thickness of the boards, the shape of the room and where you live. 

What’s Involved With The Work?

You might be thinking that the cost of installing laminate flooring isn’t worth it as those prices can rack up pretty quickly. But when you think about what is involved with the work, it becomes easier to understand why fitters will charge as much as they do. 

As a rule of thumb, the installation of your laminate flooring will take place in four stages as follows.

• First of all, the fitters will measure the room. This is pretty simple in a square or rectangular room but when alcoves and irregular shapes are thrown into the mix, it can get a little more complicated. 
• Next, your fitter will prepare the subfloor which may involve varying levels of work depending on its condition. It needs to be smooth and free of moisture and in some cases, the skirting boards may have to be removed. 
• Following this preparation, your fitter will now install the underlay.
• The last step is to lay the laminate flooring boards down.

Recent Article: What Does Work Look Like As A Floor Layer

Conclusion

Laminate flooring is a popular choice for domestic properties thanks to its easy maintenance, practicality and excellent choice of styles, designs and colours. However, when it comes to installing it, many of us need a helping hand which is where professional fitters become a must. 

The average cost of installing laminate flooring in the UK is around £150 per day. This is made up from labour fees and the cost of the materials. These figures will vary around the country according to aspects such as location, the quality of the materials and the complexity of the job.