Cost to Refinish Hardwood Floors in 2024 – NerdWallet

You can expect to spend between $3 and $8 per square foot when refinishing your home’s hardwood floors. A single room could cost a few hundred dollars, while expenses could exceed $6,000 for the whole house.

The main considerations that affect the price are the size of the floor, type of wood and type of finish. When it comes time to pay for your floors, you can explore different methods of financing to find the best solution for your needs.

The square footage of the space will play a large role in calculating the final price.

• 40 square feet: $120-$320. 

• 100 square feet: $300-$800.

• 400 square feet: $1,200-$3,200.

• 1,000 square feet: $3,000-$8,000. 

The type of flooring in your home will be factored into your cost estimate.

• Bamboo: $2-$6 per square foot.

• Cherry: $3-$5 per square foot.

• Engineered wood: $3-$6 per square foot.

• Oak: $3-$5 per square foot.

• Parquet: $3-$6 per square foot.

• Mahogany: $5-$8 per square foot.

• Maple: $6-$8 per square foot.

Your costs will also depend on the refinishing processes required for your floors.

• Sanding: $0.50-$3 per square foot. 

• Staining: $1-$3 per square foot. 

• Recoating: $1-$2 per square foot. 

According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2022 Remodeling Impact Report, refinishing hardwood floors had greater cost recovery than every other interior project measured. By their estimate, the average homeowner spent $3,400 on this project and gained $5,000 of value, recovering 147% of the project investment.

If you’re not planning to pay for your floors out of your savings, you have several options for financing the project.

You can seek out a card with a 0% APR introductory period, which typically lasts for 15 months. Provided that you can pay off the card before this period ends, this strategy allows you to stretch the payments over time without accruing interest. See NerdWallet’s picks for the best 0% APR and low interest credit cards.

These are unsecured loans, making them less risky than home equity options that put your house on the line. They’re also available to homeowners regardless of how much equity you’ve built up. See NerdWallet’s list of the best home improvement loans to learn more.

Homeowners with equity have options for borrowing at a lower interest rate than you’ll find with most unsecured personal loans.

There are three main options for borrowing against your home’s equity. The first is a home equity line of credit (HELOC), which is an open line of credit that you can borrow from as needed for 10 years. During this time, you’re only required to repay interest, which is typically calculated at a variable rate. After that initial period, you can’t borrow anymore, and minimum payments will include both interest and principal. See NerdWallet’s list of the best HELOC lenders to find the right choice for your needs.

A second option for accessing your home’s equity is through a home equity loan. These loans are delivered as a lump sum, and have a fixed interest rate and a fixed balance that you start paying back right away. See NerdWallet’s selection of the best home equity loan lenders to explore your options.

Finally, if you want to change your mortgage rate or repayment terms, you could use a cash-out refinance to cover the cost to refinish your hardwood floors. A cash-out refinance replaces your mortgage with a new, larger loan at current interest rates. You can use the difference in any way you like, including to make your floors shine like new. See NerdWallet’s assessment of the best cash-out refinance lenders to find a match for your needs.