What hardwood floors really cost in West Chester

On this page

1. Boyle's prices
2. What's not included
3. Three worked examples
4. Refinish or replace
5. What drives wood cost
6. Why minimums exist
7. Your exact number
8. FAQs

Most flooring companies won't put a number on their website. We understand why: every floor is different, and nobody wants to quote a price that changes once they see the room. But you can't plan a budget without a starting point, so here are ours.

Boyle's hardwood prices

Prices as of October 2026.

What the prices don't include

These are quoted on top of the per-square-foot price, because they vary so much from house to house:

• The wood itself, on new installations. Our installation price is labor. You choose the flooring, and its cost depends on species, plank width, grade, construction, and finish.
• Trim. Removing and reinstalling baseboards or shoe molding, or adding new trim.
• Removal of the existing floor. Tearing out old carpet, vinyl, or hardwood and hauling it away.
• Furniture moving. You can clear the rooms yourself, or we can move furniture for an added charge.
• Stairs. Refinishing a staircase or installing new wood treads is priced per job, because step count, landings, and railings change the work completely.

Your itemized quote lists each of these separately, so you can see exactly where the money goes.

Three examples, worked out

These examples use our per-square-foot prices only. They leave out trim, removal, furniture moving, stairs, and, for installations, the wood.

Refinishing a 350 sq ft living and dining room: 350 × $5.75 = $2,012.50.

Refinishing one 180 sq ft bedroom: 180 × $5.75 = $1,035, which is below the minimum, so the job is $1,350. If a hallway or second bedroom also needs work, doing them together usually costs less per room than coming back for each one later.

Installing 500 sq ft of new engineered hardwood: 500 × $4.00 to $5.00 = $2,000 to $2,500 in installation labor, plus the wood. If an old floor has to come out first, removal is added.

Refinish or replace: which costs less?

Glance at the table and installation ($4 to $5) looks cheaper than refinishing ($5.75). It isn't, once you count everything. The installation price is labor only. A new floor also needs the wood, often removal of the old floor, and sometimes subfloor work. A refinish restores the floor you already own, and its price already includes the stain and finish, so there is no wood to buy and nothing to tear out.

When the boards are sound, refinishing almost always costs less than replacing, and it keeps the character of the original floor. Our own two in-house crews do the refinishing. Replacement makes sense when boards are water-damaged, have been sanded too thin, or when you want a different species or plank width. See how we decide between refinishing, recoating, and replacing.

A screen and recoat, at $3.25 per square foot, costs least of all. It is the right call when the finish is dull and lightly scratched but hasn't worn through to the wood, and it can push off a full refinish by years.

What drives the cost of the wood

On a new installation, the flooring you choose usually moves the total more than anything else. Five things set the price of the wood:

1. Species. Red oak is often one of the more affordable choices; walnut and some white oak lines often cost more.
2. Plank width. Wide planks generally cost more per square foot than narrow strips.
3. Grade. Clear, uniform grades cost more than character grades with knots and color variation.
4. Construction. Solid or engineered, and for engineered, the thickness of the real-wood wear layer.
5. Finish. Factory finishes vary in durability and warranty.

Boyle's carries solid and engineered hardwood from Shaw, Anderson Tuftex, Bruce, Mirage, Mullican, and Wickham at several price points. Compare species, hardness, and construction on our hardwood page.

Why minimums exist

A crew, a truck, and equipment cost the same to bring to your house whether the job is one closet or a whole floor. Minimums cover that. If your project is small, ask whether anything else in the house is worth doing on the same visit.

How to get your exact number

The per-square-foot prices get you close. Your exact price depends on things only a visit can confirm: the floor's condition and thickness, the subfloor, trim, stairs, and what is coming out. A Boyle's design representative measures every room, checks the floor, and leaves you with an itemized quote, so you can see what each part of the job costs before any work starts. Financing is available through the Shaw credit card with approved credit, and it's worth checking current offers before you schedule.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to refinish hardwood floors in West Chester?

At Boyle's, a full refinish (sanding, optional stain, and two or three coats of finish) is $5.75 per square foot including stain and finish materials, with a $1,350 minimum, as of October 2026. Stairs, trim, and furniture moving are quoted separately.

How much does hardwood installation cost per square foot?

Boyle's charges $4.00 to $5.00 per square foot to install new prefinished solid or engineered hardwood, with an $850 minimum. That is labor only; the cost of the wood is added to it.

Is it cheaper to refinish or replace hardwood floors?

Refinishing is almost always cheaper when the boards are sound, because there is no new wood to buy and no old floor to remove.

What is a screen and recoat, and what does it cost?

A screen and recoat lightly abrades the existing finish and adds a fresh coat without sanding to bare wood. At Boyle's it is $3.25 per square foot. It works when the finish is dull but not worn through.

How much does it cost to refinish stairs?

Stairs are priced per job, because the number of steps, landings, and railings changes the work. We quote them on the free in-home visit.