01Trade cost
Flooring and tile cost in Canada
Substrate preparation and finished floor: carpet tile, resilient, hardwood, tile or polished concrete. Substrate preparation is the line that moves, and it is invisible until the old floor comes up.
02The rate
Commercial hourly
$70 – $125
Billed rate, national band
General hourly
$60 – $105
House-scale work
Commercial $/sf
$10 – $21
12% of hard cost
General $/sf
$33 – $51
From the residential band
The cost per square foot above is not a separate dataset. It is 4% of the curated new-build hard-cost band and 12% of the curated fit-out band that the market pages already publish, so this page can never contradict them.
03General versus commercial
The two segments, side by side
| Segment | Hourly | New build $/sf | Fit-out $/sf |
|---|---|---|---|
| General / residential | $60 – $105 | $11 – $17 | $33 – $51 |
| Commercial | $70 – $125 | $9 – $13 | $10 – $21 |
Why commercial flooring and tile bills higher
Commercial flooring is specified for traffic class and slip resistance, installed with moisture testing and a warranted adhesive system, and often phased around occupancy. Residential installation carries none of that.
What the quoted rate covers
Normally: Substrate preparation and levelling as scoped; Material supply and installation; Base, transitions and standard trims. Normally not: Moisture testing and remediation of a failing slab; Asbestos abatement of existing floor adhesive; Phased or after-hours installation; Extended attic stock beyond standard.
Buildlor facts
- Flooring and tile is 4% of hard cost on a new build.
- Flooring and tile is 12% of hard cost on a fit-out.
- Hard cost is typically 60 to 75 percent of an all-in budget, so a trade's share of the total is smaller again.
04What moves the number
Cost drivers
- Substrate flatness and moisture: a slab that fails a moisture test can add more than the flooring itself.
- Material class: a heavy-traffic commercial carpet tile or porcelain prices well above a residential equivalent.
- Pattern and layout: a diagonal or feature layout raises both waste and labour.
- Transitions and thresholds multiply with the number of adjoining floor types.
05By market
Flooring and tile cost by city
Every market below carries a curated cost factor, so the trade rate moves with it. Markets we publish a dedicated page for are linked.
| Market | Commercial $/sf | General $/sf |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto, ON | $10 – $23 | $35 – $55 |
| Montreal, QC | $9 – $21 | $32 – $49 |
| Calgary, AB | $9 – $21 | $33 – $50 |
| Ottawa, ON | $10 – $22 | $34 – $52 |
| Edmonton, AB | $9 – $21 | $32 – $49 |
| Winnipeg, MB | $9 – $20 | $30 – $47 |
| Mississauga, ON | $10 – $23 | $35 – $54 |
| Vancouver, BC | $11 – $24 | $38 – $58 |
| Brampton, ON | $10 – $22 | $35 – $54 |
| Hamilton, ON | $10 – $22 | $34 – $52 |
| Surrey, BC | $10 – $23 | $36 – $55 |
| Quebec City, QC | $9 – $20 | $30 – $47 |
| Halifax, NS | $9 – $20 | $31 – $48 |
| Laval, QC | $9 – $20 | $31 – $48 |
| London, ON | $9 – $21 | $32 – $49 |
| Victoria, BC | $10 – $23 | $35 – $55 |
| Markham, ON | $10 – $22 | $35 – $54 |
| Vaughan, ON | $10 – $23 | $35 – $54 |
| Saskatoon, SK | $9 – $20 | $31 – $48 |
| Gatineau, QC | $9 – $20 | $31 – $48 |
| Kitchener, ON | $9 – $21 | $33 – $51 |
| Longueuil, QC | $9 – $20 | $31 – $48 |
| Regina, SK | $9 – $20 | $30 – $47 |
| Burnaby, BC | $11 – $24 | $37 – $57 |
| Windsor, ON | $9 – $20 | $31 – $48 |
06Questions
How much does flooring and tile cost per hour?
Flooring and tile is billed in a band, not at one rate. Commercial work bills above general work for the same hour because of documentation, inspection and coordination. The bands on this page are national baselines; the market table shows how they move by city.
Why is commercial flooring and tile more expensive than residential?
Commercial flooring is specified for traffic class and slip resistance, installed with moisture testing and a warranted adhesive system, and often phased around occupancy. Residential installation carries none of that.
What share of a construction budget is flooring and tile?
4% of hard cost on a new build and 12% of a fit-out, on the division splits Buildlor publishes. Those shares are how the cost per square foot on this page is derived.
Is this a quote?
No. Buildlor is a data publisher, not a contractor. These are indicative benchmarks for the stage before you tender, and every page states what it excludes.
Buildlor Construction Cost Index · Last updated 2026-01-15 · Maintained by Buildlor Cost Desk
Not advice — Buildlor is a data publisher. We do not bid, price, estimate, or build work, and nothing here is a quote, a tender price, or construction advice. Figures are indicative order-of-magnitude benchmarks for early budgeting and must be confirmed by a qualified cost consultant, quantity surveyor, or general contractor before you rely on them. About Buildlor