Condo over a concrete slab
Vinyl plank or engineered hardwood on an acoustic underlay that meets the strata's rating. Solid hardwood rarely makes sense on a slab.
- Best fit
- LVP or engineered
- Typical cost
- $6 – $15 / sq ft
- Watch for
- Sound bylaw
Serving Vancouver & the Lower Mainland
Flooring Installation Over a Flat, Quiet Subfloor
Hardwood, vinyl plank, laminate and tile, installed by a crew that levels the subfloor first, in condos, basements and old Vancouver houses.
- ✓Subfloor checked, levelled and moisture-tested before any plank goes down
- ✓Acoustic underlay matched to your strata's sound bylaw
- ✓Written quote per square foot, with removal, levelling and trim itemised
- ✓Licensed & insured · $5M liability · WorkSafeBC registered · 2-year workmanship warranty
From $5 per sq ft installedtypical 800 sq ft condo in vinyl plank · 2–4 days
Free measure · written quote · reply within one business hour
Free flooring quote
Tell us the rooms, the rough square footage and the floor you like.
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Pricing · 2026
Flooring Installation Cost, Per Square Foot
Installed prices, material and labour, for Vancouver homes this year. Prep work is listed separately because it is where quotes that look cheap usually hide their extras.
| Flooring or prep item | Installed cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Laminate | $4 – $9 / sq ft | Budget-friendly, not for wet areas |
| Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) | $5 – $11 / sq ft | Waterproof core, most condo-friendly |
| Engineered hardwood | $9 – $18 / sq ft | Real wood, stable over concrete |
| Solid hardwood, 3/4" oak | $14 – $26 / sq ft | Can be refinished many times |
| Porcelain or ceramic tile | $12 – $25 / sq ft | Kitchens, baths, entries |
| Old flooring removal and disposal | $1.50 – $3 / sq ft | Carpet, laminate, glued vinyl |
| Self-levelling or patching the subfloor | $2 – $5 / sq ft | Only where the floor is out of flat |
| Stairs | $90 – $160 / tread | Nosings and risers included |
| Hardwood refinishing (sand and coat) | $4 – $7 / sq ft | Often cheaper than replacing |
Example: an 800 sq ft condo in mid-range vinyl plank with carpet removal and acoustic underlay usually lands between $6,000 and $11,000. Baseboards and door trimming are itemised on the quote, never assumed.
Room by room
Matching the Floor to the Room: Condos, Basements and Older Houses
There is no best floor, only the right floor for the space underneath it. Here is what we recommend most often in Vancouver homes.
Basement on concrete
Waterproof vinyl plank or porcelain tile over a moisture-tested slab. Laminate and solid wood struggle with basement humidity.
- Best fit
- LVP or tile
- Typical cost
- $5 – $14 / sq ft
- Watch for
- Slab moisture
Older house on joists
Solid or engineered hardwood nailed to a flattened plywood subfloor. Original fir floors are often worth refinishing instead of replacing.
- Best fit
- Hardwood
- Typical cost
- $10 – $26 / sq ft
- Watch for
- Dips and squeaks
Ask which floor suits my home
We bring samples to the free measure so you can see them in your own light.
Recent installs
Floors We’ve Laid
Recent flooring from Vancouver condos and houses. Each project page shows the full before-and-after set.
West 1st Avenue, VancouverWide-plank floor through the main living levelPlank flooring
West 1st Avenue, VancouverSelf-levelling pour before installation, the step most quotes skipSubfloor prep
Marinaside Crescent, Vancouver750 sq ft False Creek condo, full renovationCondo
909 Mainland Street, Vancouver550 sq ft Yaletown condo, plank throughoutCondo
Howe Street, VancouverFloor run under the kitchen before cabinets go inKitchen floor
1008 Beach Avenue, VancouverContinuous plank from entry to living roomCondo
Client feedback
Reviews of Our Flooring Crews
Most of our Google reviews come from flooring clients. A few of them, word for word:
What flooring clients hold us to
- No hollow spots or bounce: the subfloor is flattened first
- Clean transitions at doors, tile and stairs, not thick reducer strips
- Baseboards scribed back tight, nails filled and touched up
- Furniture moved and returned, and the dust leaves with us
Flooring clients on Google
5.0from 21 Google reviews
Every review is on our Google Business Profile. Ask us and we will put you in touch with a past client near you.
★★★★★
Reimagine replaced 900 sq.ft. of old flooring with floating vinyl planks at a competitive price. Saj and his team provided great service, were efficient, reliable and knowledgeable.
★★★★★
The Reimagine crew did a first class job removing my old laminate flooring and installing the new laminate. There were custom built-ins they had to deal with, removing, re-installing and finishing nicely.
★★★★★
Above and beyond. Reimagine helped us replace all the carpet with vinyl in our new home. They finished ahead of schedule and pulled in more staff to wrap up earlier to make our cleaning and moving easier.
Every step
Flooring Installers Who Fix the Subfloor First
Most floor failures start below the floor. Our flooring quotes include the work underneath, not just the planks you see.
Laser measure & moisture test
Room-by-room measurement, moisture readings on concrete and a flatness check with a straightedge.
Old flooring out
Carpet, tack strip, laminate or glued vinyl removed and hauled away; baseboards pulled and saved where possible.
Level, patch & fasten
High spots ground, low spots filled with self-leveller, loose subfloor screwed down to stop squeaks.
Acoustic & moisture layers
Underlay chosen to meet the strata's sound rating, plus a vapour layer over concrete where the product requires it.
Floor, transitions & stairs
Acclimated material installed to the manufacturer's spec, door jambs undercut, clean transitions to tile.
Baseboards & clean-up
Baseboards reinstalled or new ones fitted, filled and touched up, furniture back in place.
How it runs
From Measure to Baseboards: The Installation Process
- 1about 45 min
Free measure with samples
We measure every room, test the subfloor and bring samples so you can see them in your own light.
- 21 – 2 days
Written quote
Price per square foot plus every prep and trim item on its own line.
- 31 – 3 weeks
Material and strata
Material ordered and delivered to acclimate; strata flooring approval submitted with the underlay spec.
- 41 – 2 days
Removal and prep
Old floor out, subfloor levelled and fastened, moisture barrier where needed.
- 51 – 4 days
Installation
Floor, transitions and stairs installed room by room so you keep part of the home usable.
- 61 day
Trim and walkthrough
Baseboards, touch-ups, clean-up and a walkthrough together.
Let the floor settle in first
Hardwood and engineered floors should sit in the room they are going into before installation, typically one to two weeks, so they adjust to your home's humidity. Keep indoor humidity roughly between 35 and 55 percent year-round and the gaps and cupping that Vancouver winters cause are far less likely.
Condo rules
Installing Hard Flooring in a Condo: Strata & Sound Rules
Flooring does not need a City permit, but in a strata it almost always needs approval, and the approval is mostly about the noise your neighbours below will hear.
Alteration agreement first
Most stratas require a signed alteration agreement before carpet is replaced with a hard floor, along with our insurance certificate and WorkSafeBC clearance.
Meet the impact rating
Many Vancouver bylaws set a minimum impact rating for the floor-and-underlay assembly. We match the underlay to your bylaw and supply the product data the strata asks for.
Hours, elevator & disposal
Work within the building's hours, a booked service elevator, protected hallways, and debris hauled off-site rather than left in the garbage room.
Questions
Flooring FAQs
How much does flooring installation cost in Vancouver?
Installed prices in Vancouver range from about $4 to $9 per sq ft for laminate, $5 to $11 for vinyl plank, $9 to $18 for engineered hardwood, $14 to $26 for solid hardwood and $12 to $25 for tile. Removal and subfloor levelling are extra and depend on what is underneath.
What is the cost to install hardwood or laminate per square foot?
Hardwood installation in Vancouver typically runs $9 to $26 per sq ft installed depending on engineered or solid construction and plank width. Laminate is $4 to $9 per sq ft installed.
Hardwood, vinyl or laminate: which is best?
Vinyl plank for condos, basements and kitchens where water is a risk. Engineered hardwood when you want real wood over concrete. Solid hardwood on joists in houses. Laminate when the budget is tight and the room stays dry.
How long does flooring installation take?
A typical 800 sq ft condo in vinyl plank takes two to four days including removal and baseboards. Hardwood in a whole house can take one to two weeks, plus the acclimation time before it.
Can you install flooring over my existing floor?
Sometimes. Floating vinyl or laminate can go over flat, well-bonded tile or vinyl. We never install over carpet, and we check height at doors, appliances and stairs before recommending it.
Is vinyl plank really waterproof?
The plank itself is. The seams and edges are not a pool liner, so in bathrooms and basements we still deal with moisture at the slab and seal the perimeter.
Do you install flooring in basements?
Yes. We moisture-test the slab first and usually recommend vinyl plank or tile. Our basement flooring guide compares the options.
Can old hardwood be refinished instead of replaced?
Often. If there is enough wear layer left, sanding and recoating costs about $4 to $7 per sq ft, far less than new hardwood.
Service area
Where We Install Floors
We install floors in condos, townhouses and houses from downtown Vancouver out to the Tri-Cities.
Renovations in North VancouverRenovations in West VancouverRenovations in BurnabyVancouverRichmondNew WestminsterCoquitlamPort Coquitlam
Other renovation services
Flooring know-how
Flooring Guides From the Install Crew
Practical articles on the floor underneath the floor, where most problems start.
Guide
Best Flooring for Basements in Damp Climates
Which floors survive a damp basement, and which ones don’t.
Read the guide →GuideHow to Remove Carpet Glue
Getting old carpet adhesive off before a new floor goes down.
Read the guide →GuideHow to Fix a Cracked Floor Tile Without Replacing It
When a cracked tile can be repaired instead of replaced.
Read the guide →Next step
Get a Written Flooring Quote
Book a free measure. We test the subfloor, bring samples and send a written price per square foot with every prep item listed.
No obligation · reply within one business hour · we never share your details
Book your flooring measure
About 45 minutes, samples included.
Visit or call
Contact Our Flooring Team
Call, email or visit our downtown office on West Hastings Street. Flooring measures are booked at your home.
Reimagine Construction and Renovation
- Office
- 1021 W Hastings St
Vancouver, BC V6C 0B2 - Phone
- 604-339-9491
- [email protected]
- Service area
- City of Vancouver and the Lower Mainland