Floor Removal Cost by Type: Tile, Hardwood, Carpet and Vinyl

Floor Removal Cost by Type: Tile, Hardwood, Carpet and Vinyl

Not all floors cost the same to rip out. The material matters, but how it was installed matters more. Here's how the main types stack up, from cheapest to most work.

1. Carpet

Stretch in carpet is the cheapest floor to remove. It's cut, rolled and hauled. The pad, tack strip and staples come out with it. Glue down carpet costs more because the glue stays on the slab.

More detail in our post on carpet removal cost.

2. Floating LVP and Laminate

Floating floors aren't stuck to anything. The planks unlock and lift. That makes them quick to remove, unless they run under built ins or through a dozen doorways.

3. Nail Down Hardwood

Nailed hardwood takes more time. Each board has to be pried up without gouging the subfloor, then every nail and staple has to come out. Rushing it means paying to fix plywood later.

4. Tile

Tile is heavy, sharp and dusty. On top of the tile there's grout and thinset or mortar to deal with. In Sacramento we usually see tile removal run $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot. See our full tile removal cost guide.

5. Glue Down Anything

Glue down hardwood, glue down vinyl and VCT are usually the most work per foot. The floor comes up, but the adhesive stays. It has to be scraped or ground off so the next floor bonds and sits flat.

Older VCT and black mastic can contain asbestos. That needs testing before anyone disturbs it. More on that in our asbestos floor tile guide.

Why Two Quotes Can Be So Far Apart

When quotes don't match, it's usually because they don't cover the same work. One includes thinset grinding and haul away. The other stops at "tear out." Line them up side by side:

  • Does it include adhesive or thinset removal?
  • Is haul away included, or extra?
  • Who moves toilets, appliances and baseboards?
  • What happens if they find damage underneath?
  • Is there a change order policy?

How We Price It

We look at the floor in person, check how it was installed and give you one number. Our No Change Order Promise means that number doesn't move once we start. We handle floor removal in Sacramento, including dustless tile removal, hardwood floor removal and carpet removal.

Get your floor removal price or call (916) 542-3333. We price every job in your home, and the price we quote is the price you pay.

Old floor coming out? We price it in your home, and that's the price you pay.

(916) 542-3333Get your floor removal price