Despite a recent growth spurt in the U.S. economy, the U.S. flooring market is declining faster than the economy's rate of slowing. Some of this is due to consumers retrenching in the face of a slowing economy. Additionally, inflation is causing all prices to rise and consumers are prioritizing spending.
Overall, winter can be an excellent time to find good deals. Late December to January are popular times to shop for floors as many people wind down after the holiday season.
In 2025, the revenue in the Floor Covering market in the United States amounts to US$6.15bn. This market segment is projected to grow annually by 2.58% (CAGR 2025-2029).
Apply “The Rule of Three” to Home Flooring
This rule says you should use three flooring types at maximum throughout the whole home. For example, you might use hardwood in public areas of the house, except the kitchen and bathroom, where you use vinyl linoleum.
Starting a flooring business in California can be a profitable opportunity in the growing industry. With careful planning, branding, and marketing, you can establish yourself as a successful entrepreneur.
Mark It Up
On average, the markup on flooring is between 38%-45%; this is slightly lower for carpeting, which tends to range between 20%-30%.
Typically, a crew of two installers can do about 750-1,000 square feet of flooring per day. Small spaces with minimal obstacles may only take a day, but larger areas and multiple rooms will take longer.
Put a mark on the board at the 3 feet point. Now, measure the adjacent board from the same corner to 4 feet and put a mark there. Then, measure the distance between the two marks. If it is 5 feet, then you have a perfectly square corner.
Top 6 Most Popular Flooring in New Homes 2025. The most popular flooring in new homes is wood floors, including prefinished hardwood, unfinished hardwood, and engineered wood followed by laminate, luxury vinyl tiles, and luxury vinyl planks.
In 2024, wood LVT trends are shifting from the rustic, distressed aesthetic to softer wood graining and more minimalist wood looks. Preference for grey-hued or industrial wood colorways is now moving toward warmer, richer color tones and soft beiges to evoke an overarching Scandinavian feel.
Quality for the Price
Costco doesn't skimp on quality. They usually carry reputable brands like Mohawk and Harmonics. These brands are known for producing laminate flooring that looks great and can handle the daily march of household traffic.
Flooring installation can cost anywhere from $2 to $20 per square foot of flooring installed, or $1,000 to $10,000 for 500 square feet of flooring. The national average flooring installation cost is around $7 per square foot or $3,500 per 500 square feet, which includes the cost of both materials and labor.
Parallel Planks
The direction you install your flooring makes an immense impact on the flow and spatial feel of a room. We recommend placing the planks parallel to the widest wall. This will create an elongated look by drawing attention to the longest portion of the space.
Choosing the same flooring for all the rooms creates a unified and harmonious environment, and creates a visual effect that expands its dimensions, which allows us to better plan a reform. However, in open-plan dwellings such as studios or lofts, the flooring can help to delimit areas in an organic way.
Most flooring manufacturers specify a flatness tolerance, typically 1/8” over a 6-foot span, or 3/16” over 10 feet. However, tolerances can be much tighter especially for industrial and healthcare applications. In the level areas, we needed to achieve a near-zero deviation—less than 1/8” over 10 feet.
A 1000-square-foot space will take around two to three days with a couple of people working on it. However, the timeframe can also depend on the space.
1 common oak. A flooring product characterized by prominent color variation that also contains prominent characters (with size limits) such as knots, open checks, worm holes, along with machining and drying variations. No. 1 Common is a tasteful floor where prominent variation is expected.
On average, hardwood floors can last anywhere from 75 to 100 years. Regular maintenance, including refinishing every 10 to 20 years, can extend the life of a hardwood floor even further.
To estimate a flooring job, measure the total square footage of the space and calculate how much material you'll need. Factor in costs like labor, equipment, overhead, and profit margin. You can even add a percentage for waste, especially for materials like tile or hardwood that may need cutting.
When a general contractor begins a construction project, estimated costs typically include materials, labor, subcontractor fees and other direct expenses. To cover the expenses – and make a profit – a contractor applies an additional percentage to the total estimated costs. The additional percentage is the markup.
Without a doubt, hardwood floors are preferred over carpet and vinyl. Tile is popular, too. If hardwood is in your home – even if it's under the carpet or in bad shape – restoring it, rather than installing carpet or vinyl, will be the most profitable course of action.