Flooring keeps a low profile, but it has a massive impact on the overall feel of your home. So, choosing the right flooring fit for your home is important, as the wrong choice could throw off your carefully built aesthetics. When selecting the perfect flooring option, you should consider key things like home value, the look and feel you’re after, and your and your family’s needs.
But flooring can be expensive. If you’re working with a budget but still want to transform your home with spiffy new flooring, here are seven great cheap flooring options.
Looking for affordable flooring installation in your home? Use the tool below to get a quote from top flooring companies now.
Top Pick
4.7
Complimentary post-installation follow-ups
Provides convenient in-home consultations
Hundreds of flooring showrooms nationwide
Limited Time:
10% off all floors during the Twenty-Twenty-FLOOR-Event
Best Shop-At-Home Experience
4.8
Offers next-day installations on certain flooring options
Multiple financing options
Mobile showroom option for convenient at-home shopping
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Limited Time:
Currently offering a 1/2 price sale
Best Flooring Options
3.8
Natural and engineered hardwood options
Offers augmented reality visualizer tool
Provides free samples online and in-store
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Limited Time:
20% Off Select Flooring
Highlights
- Ceramic tile flooring, at $1 per square foot, is the cheapest option on our list.
- Cheap flooring costs anywhere from $1 to $6 per square foot.
- Professional installation is usually the best path to ensure high-quality results.
What Cheap Flooring Options Do We Recommend?
Ceramic tile is your best bet if you’re looking for the cheapest flooring option. It’s durable, waterproof, and great for high-traffic areas, so you’ll get excellent value. However, it’s not your only choice. Here are the cheap flooring ideas we’ll cover in detail below:
- Carpet
- Engineered hardwood
- Laminate
- Linoleum
- Luxury Vinyl Plank and Tile
- Sheet vinyl
- Tile
Carpet
Carpeted floors are a strong budget-friendly choice. At only $2.50 per square foot on average, carpet is one of the cheapest home improvement options.
You can choose from three main types of pile, including cut pile, loop pile, and cut and loop combined pile, each offering a slightly different profile. Carpet is widely available in dozens of colors, materials, grades, types, and backings, so there’s no shortage of options.
Carpet comes in multiple options for installation, including pre-cut squares, rolls, and peel-and-stick. Pre-cut squares and peel-and-stick tiles are easy to install, as they come with their own adhesive and simply require you to affix them to the floor. In many cases, you can add carpet over your existing floor.
Wall-to-wall carpet requires more finesse, as you’ll need special tools and careful measurements to ensure a smooth, seamless installation. If you’re not precise, you might end up with bumps, wrinkles, and weak seams, so this carpet type requires a bit more experience.
In the end, though, your efforts will pay off, as carpet can last up to 15 years and sometimes longer with proper care and light traffic.
Dozens of colors, piles, grades, types, and backings are available
Easier and faster to install than most flooring types
Offers cushioning and thermal insulation
Captures stains and odors
Collects dust and other allergens that can become a problem for people with allergies
Creates a hospitable environment for dust mites and other pests
Tricky to clean
Engineered Hardwood
If you dream of hardwood floors but don’t have the budget for them, engineered hardwood can be an excellent alternative.Check out our article for our hardwood floor cost analysis.
Starting at around $6 per square foot, engineered hardwood offers the same warm, homey appearance as hardwood without the exorbitant price. These flooring panels are made with layers of real wood with a core material in the middle to add stability. Since the planks interlock, engineered hardwood is easy to install and ranks among our top choices for scratch-resistant floors.
Thanks to the core material pressed beneath natural hardwood, these floors can last up to 30 years. Considering the price of engineered hardwood, its lifespan is impressive. It comes in multiple options, including oak, hickory, and maple.
It’s important to note that engineered hardwood only features a thin layer of hardwood atop the core material, which is made of pressed plywood. This means you can only refinish the hardwood layer a few times before it wears down and exposes the plywood core.
Read our article about how to get scratches from dogs out of wood flooring for more flooring information.
Beautiful, wood-like appearance at a low cost
More cost-effective than solid wood flooring
More environmentally friendly and sustainable than traditional hardwoods
Temperature and moisture resistant
Can only be refinished a few times
May consist of ultra-cheap materials
Requires more care than other flooring types covered here
Check out our solid and engineered hardwood comparison
Learn more about installing engineered hardwood flooring:
Laminate
Laminate is a popular pick among budget-friendly flooring options, as it can take on the appearance of various materials and create a surprisingly realistic-looking result. Laminate flooring costs around $2.50 per square foot, making it an excellent alternative for folks on a budget.
Laminate is a composite of materials and is often designed to mirror the look of stone or hardwood. Manufacturers achieve this realistic look by embossing a photographic image on the surface.
Laminate is fairly simple to install, as it floats atop the subfloor or concrete floor instead of being glued down. The prep involves some work, but once the pieces are cut, and you start working, the click-and-lock design makes the process go quickly.
Today’s Homeowner Tips
Laminate floors aren’t as durable as those made of other materials like vinyl. They’re not ideal for moist areas, including bathrooms and kitchens, as the material isn’t waterproof. These floors will only last around 10 years, but considering the price, the lifespan is to be expected.
Easy to install
Offers a realistic-looking alternative to hardwood and stone
Durable and resistant to scratches, stains, and fading
Can’t be installed in kitchens, bathrooms, or other areas with high moisture
Prone to warping if installed incorrectly
Prone to water damage
Linoleum
Linoleum might be the perfect match if you’re searching for an inexpensive, eco-friendly flooring material. Linoleum is made from natural materials — linseed oil from flax plants and rosins from pine trees — making it biodegradable and recyclable. The cost of linoleum flooring starts at around $2 per square foot but can climb higher for luxury or designer styles.
True linoleum features natural materials, including natural resins, color pigments, linseed oil, cork powder, limestone, and wood flour. For the most part, linoleum is available in solid colors, including purple, white, cream, red, green, gray, and yellow, but some multi-color options are available.
The flexible material comes in planks or rolls similar to vinyl flooring and is relatively easy to install. However, it takes careful planning to ensure correct measurements, like any flooring material. Linoleum is easy to clean since it is typically one solid sheet per room.
Linoleum can last up to 40 years with proper care and maintenance, as it’s incredibly durable.
Comfortable, soft feel underfoot
Durable and resistant to wear and tear
Easy to install
Eco-friendly option
Direct sunlight may cause discoloration or yellowing
Susceptible to dents from furniture legs
Luxury Vinyl Plank and Tiles
Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) will likely be your best bet if you appreciate the look of hardwood plank floors. Luxury vinyl plank flooring is designed to closely mimic wood and comes in various options, including oak, hickory, walnut, and maple.
This flooring is relatively straightforward to install, as it comes in planks instead of sheets that are easier to handle. Some planks are glued down, while others feature a peel-and-stick design. Some even feature a click-and-lock system for straightforward installations.
Costs vary based on the type of vinyl plank you choose — multiple options include engineered, luxury, waterproof, and rigid core. On average, this material starts at around $2 per square foot.
On the other hand, vinyl tile mimics the appearance of traditional tile but is made of the same materials as vinyl plank.
With proper care and maintenance, vinyl plank flooring can last 20 years.
Easier to handle than sheet vinyl
Scuff, dent, and scratch resistant
Suitable for busy households with heavy foot traffic
Can be tricky to remove, especially if the installation required adhesive
Cannot be repaired
May emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Sheet Vinyl
Sold in pre-cut lengths with widths of 6 feet and 12 feet, sheet vinyl is an excellent choice for flooring. This material is incredibly inexpensive, starting at around $1.25 per square foot, although it can climb to over $5 per square foot for luxury brands.
Easy to maintain
Resistant to stains and general wear and tear
Surprising durability considering the cost
Water-resistant
Can be difficult to remove
Releases VOCs in the first few years after manufacturing
Susceptible to discoloration when on rubber-backed mats or exposed to direct sunlight
Tile
While tile probably isn’t the first thing you think of when considering cheap flooring materials, it’s surprisingly inexpensive. There are two main types of tile flooring: ceramic and porcelain.
Ceramic tile starts at around $1 per square foot, making it the cheapest option we cover here. This durable material can last for years with proper care and maintenance. However, pay attention to the PEI (Porcelain Enamel Institute) scale rating. You’ll want to purchase durable ceramic tile rated at least three on this scale, as anything lower will be too thin and brittle.
The other option is porcelain tile, which usually starts higher — around $5 per square foot. While certain porcelain tiles can feature steep prices, budget-friendly options are available. This material is denser than ceramic, which gives it better water resistance and slightly better durability.
Today’s Homeowner Tips
The added water resistance of porcelain tiles makes them an excellent pick for damp areas, including kitchens and bathrooms.
Durable and long-lasting
Easy to keep clean
Increases home value
Waterproof
Can be tricky to maintain grout lines
Hard and cold underfoot
Unforgiving to fragile objects dropped on them
Learn more about choosing the best floor for your kitchen:
How Do These Affordable Flooring Options Compare?
Each of these affordable flooring options has its place. For example, if you want a soft, padded surface with thermal insulation, carpet tiles or wall-to-wall carpeting might be your best option.
Engineered hardwood is an excellent choice for those who want the look and feel of real wood without the cost of solid wood flooring. Laminate and vinyl, including sheet vinyl and vinyl plank, are excellent choices for busy homes with heavy foot traffic or pets.
Tile is a strong choice for folks needing an easy-to-clean and durable option who don’t mind the chill of the tile under their feet. Since the material is waterproof with its grouted seams, tile is often the best choice for damp areas, including bathrooms and kitchens, and for busy homes with pets.
Linoleum offers solid durability, an impressive lifespan, and is eco-friendly, so it’s a good option for environmentally conscious homeowners.
Top Pick
4.7
Complimentary post-installation follow-ups
Provides convenient in-home consultations
Hundreds of flooring showrooms nationwide
Limited Time:
10% off all floors during the Twenty-Twenty-FLOOR-Event
Best Shop-At-Home Experience
4.8
Offers next-day installations on certain flooring options
Multiple financing options
Mobile showroom option for convenient at-home shopping
GET QUOTE
Limited Time:
Currently offering a 1/2 price sale
Best Flooring Options
3.8
Natural and engineered hardwood options
Offers augmented reality visualizer tool
Provides free samples online and in-store
GET QUOTE
Limited Time:
20% Off Select Flooring
What’s the Cheapest Flooring Option?
The most inexpensive flooring option of the bunch is tile, with sheet vinyl a close second. The comparison below offers a quick overview of starting costs per square foot to help you decide which option best fits your budget.
Is DIY Worth the Cost Savings of Installing Cheap Flooring?
When replacing your home’s flooring, you might be tempted to cut costs by DIYing the project. Some floors can be painted as a DIY alternative to expensive flooring. However, it’s best to hire a professional in most cases, as installing flooring requires careful, precise measurements and skill.
If you accidentally messed up your measurements with carpet, you could end up with bumps, wrinkles, and weak seams. Plus, improper measurements could result in wasted material and require you to purchase more, so hiring a professional is best.
Some projects, depending on the type of flooring, require special tools to complete. For example, installing wall-to-wall carpet requires a stretcher, seam roller, seaming iron, knee kicker, and other tools designed for carpet installations. If you don’t already have these things, buying them could be just as expensive as hiring a professional (if not more so).
Hiring a Professional Flooring Installer
Today’s Homeowner Tips
On average, you should expect to pay between $0.60 and $4 per square foot for the installation.
The process of hiring a professional flooring installer is fairly simple. You can use our tool to immediately connect with a local flooring installer.
Otherwise, here are a few essential steps to ensure everything goes smoothly.
- Get multiple quotes: Use the tool below to shop around and ask various installers for quotes to find the best price for your project.
- Read customer reviews: Take a few minutes to read through reviews, as customer testimonials can go a long way in speaking for a company’s reputation. Look through examples of the installer’s work and ask about their experience.
- Ask questions: Talk to the flooring installer about their installation warranties, if any, and ask if they have any certifications or licenses for this type of project.
- Choose the right installer for you: Choose a reputable installer with extensive experience, strong customer testimonials, decent warranties, and applicable certifications and licenses.
- Schedule the installation date: Once you select an installer, you can proceed with your project by scheduling an installation date.
- Get Free Estimates
So, What Cheap Flooring Option Is Best For Your Home?
The best cheap flooring option for your home comes down to factors specific to you. Consider personal preference, aesthetic expectations, budget, traffic, installation area, and pets, as these will help you decide which option best suits your needs.
While vinyl plank might be the best option for some people, tile will be the perfect fit for others. So, choose a flooring material that best suits your specific needs.
FAQs About the Best Cheap Flooring Options
What is the easiest cheap flooring to install?
Most laminate flooring types are one of the easiest materials to work with, as laminate is flexible and doesn’t require too many specialized products. Carpet tiles are another easy option — simply cut them to size if necessary and glue them down.
What is the best cheap flooring for pets?
The best cheap flooring for homes with pets is usually tile, vinyl, or laminate. Tile is easy to clean, holds up well, and is resistant to scuffs, dents, and scratches, so it’s an excellent pick for busy pet homes.
What is the best cheap flooring for high-traffic areas?
Vinyl and laminate flooring products are usually the best for high-traffic areas, as they’re made of decently durable materials and hold up well. They include vinyl plank, vinyl sheets, and regular laminate.
What is the cheapest DIY flooring?
The cheapest DIY flooring option on our list is ceramic tile, which costs about $1 per square foot. However, like every other flooring option on this list, you’ll need some know-how for installation, so DIYing the project might not be ideal for everyone.
Is it cheaper to install carpet or laminate?
Both carpet and laminate cost around $2.50 per square foot. However, you may find pricier or cheaper options with both.
