How Much Does it Cost to Repair a Floor?

Repairing a worn or damaged floor can significantly improve the appearance of your home, usually for less than it would cost to replace the entire floor. Many factors influence the cost  of the project -- including labor, square footage, and the extent of existing damage -- but homeowners on average have reported that it costs between $181 and $477. Learn more about what goes into flooring repair, as well as what you need to account for in your budget.

On This Page:

1. Flooring Repair Costs & Types
• Hardwood
• Carpet
• Laminate
• Tile
• Vinyl
2. Other Floor Repair Cost Factors
• Square Footage
• Condition of the Floor
• Stairs and Accessibility
• Repair vs. Replacement

Cost to Repair Different Types of Floors

The type of floor that is damaged will greatly impact the cost of your flooring repair project. Some of the most common flooring types include hardwood, carpet, laminate, tile and vinyl.

Hardwood Flooring Repairs

The average cost to repair a hardwood floor is $200 to $650 per repair, depending on the problem and type of hardwood floor. The most common hardwood flooring repairs include masking small blemishes and refinishing and resealing surfaces. If your floor is showing significant signs of damage, such as major stains and scratches, you may need to replace one or more flooring planks. Many smaller blemishes can be sanded out; in these cases, replacement is not required. You may also encounter the following issues with a hardwood floor:

• Sagging wood panels: Repair the subfloor, as well as the beams and joists holding up the floor. This fix may require repairs to the structure of your home as well.
• Rotted floor joists: If you can get to the subfloor, replace floor joists with new ones; otherwise, hire a hardwood flooring professional to help.
• Squeaky floors: Use screws, shims or shank nails to penetrate through the subfloor and hold the squeaking plank in place.
• Buckling and/or crowning: Call a flooring professional to identify the cause; then reattach the planks to the subflooring.
• Fading/discoloration: Use stains to recolor the wood.
• Warping: Identify the source of the moisture and replace affected planks.

When determining whether to move forward with repairs or install new flooring altogether, weigh the benefits versus the drawbacks of a hardwood floor. While wood is good for resale value and is durable and easy to maintain, it’s also costly to repair. It wears away over time, so you’ll most likely have to replace it with a new floor sooner or later.

Carpet Repairs

Repairing a carpet averages $130 to $300 per project, depending on the issue. Carpeting is commonly used in living rooms and basements for its energy efficiency, soundproofing ability, and softness. But major problems can result if carpet is stained, flooded or otherwise significantly damaged. The following issues may require repair:

• Stains/discolorations
• Tears
• Seam exposures
• Lumps/wrinkles

Though minor stains may be removed, discolorations and other irreparable color changes will require the help of a carpet professional. Likewise, seam exposures and lumps require carpet mending and stretching -- jobs we do not recommend tackling yourself, as they are easy to mess up and are both expensive and time-consuming.

Laminate Repairs

The cost to repair your laminate flooring is about $140 to $600 per project, depending on what you need fixed. Over time, laminate flooring may present:

• Stains
• Burns
• Scratches
• Cracks
• Buckling
• Loose areas

Laminate is durable and highly stain resistant, but major damage -- like cracks or burns -- can be difficult and expensive to repair. Despite laminate’s ability to mimic hardwood’s appearance, the material cannot be refinished or sanded down. If there is a major stain or burn in your laminate -- or even a deep scratch -- you will likely have to replace a section of plank or more.

Tile Flooring Repairs

If you need to have your tile flooring repaired, it can cost between $200 and $700 per project, though it could vary by the issue. Tile flooring is durable, affordable and easy to maintain; it can also be cold, difficult to replace and easily damaged, depending on the subtype you choose (ceramic/porcelain, natural stone, vinyl, travertine, slate, etc.). Some common repairs you may encounter with a tile floor include:

• Stains and discolorations
• Minor cracks and chips
• Broken tiles
• Loose tile
• Cracked grout

Stains and discolorations may sometimes be cleaned off of tile; other times, chemical damage necessitates replacement. The same applies to cracks and chips -- a small crack is repairable; major cracks require replacement. Broken tiles must be replaced, and loose tiles will need new grout to keep them in place. If your grout is cracked, you will need to invest in repairing it to keep the tiles in place and the grout looking clean.

Vinyl Floor Repairs

The cost to have vinyl flooring repaired is anywhere between $100 and $300 per job, though you might pay more if the damage is extensive. Vinyl flooring is durable and economic -- and there are various styles from which to choose. Vinyl rarely needs repairing, but you could encounter:

• Scratches
• Dents
• Loose seams
• Cracks

Your repair costs will vary depending on the difficulty of your vinyl medium (i.e., whether you’re working with vinyl tile, planks or sheets). For example, replacing a vinyl tile is usually simpler than replacing a sheet because sheet repair requires pairing a new sheet to match the existing flooring exactly. It’s generally easier to repair scratches, dents and loose seams in tiles and planks as well.

Additional Factors for Pricing Floor Repairs

We recommend that you consult with a flooring contractor before attempting to repair your floor on your own; DIY flooring repair often results in exacerbated damage. Once you’ve informed your flooring contractor about the type of flooring you have -- and the problems you’re having with it -- you can inquire into additional factors that will affect the cost of your flooring repair project. Ask questions regarding these factors before you hire a contractor, so you’ll know what’s included in your quote.

Square Footage

Following flooring type, the second most critical factor in the cost of your flooring repair project will be the size of the room. A flooring contractor will likely charge by square foot. The bigger the room -- or rooms -- the more the contractor will charge. Provide your contractor with the exact square footage of your project area to get the most accurate possible quote.

Flooring Condition

Your price will also depend on whether the damage to your existing flooring is minor or severe. If you have minor scratches or dents in the flooring, it will cost less to fix than major burns, dents or buckling. Major repairs require more of the contractor’s time, materials and labor. Take pictures of the damage and email them to potential contractors to help them give you a reasonable and accurate quote.

Stairs and Accessibility

Repairing a flat floor is usually much easier than repairing a slanted floor or flooring on stairs or hard-to-reach areas. If you need to have a contractor fix flooring in your small pantry -- or under  the appliances in your kitchen -- it may cost more than a more straightforward job. That’s because he will need to move your appliances or shelving to diagnose the problem and make any necessary repairs.

Repair vs. Replacement

If there is significant damage to many areas of your flooring, as you’d see in damage caused by flooding, your repair costs could exceed the cost of replacement. In this case, it’s best to replace your flooring altogether. There are also some types of damage -- chemical, structural, etc. -- that are impossible to fix; these will require that you replace your flooring as well.