Installing an engineered timber floor in Australia in 2026 typically costs between $35 and $140 per square metre in labour, depending on the install method, your subfloor, and the complexity of the room. Floating installs sit at the bottom of that range; glued direct-stick installs over concrete sit at the top. Add materials, underlay, prep and removal as separate lines. Here’s how the numbers actually break down.

2026 install rates per m² (labour)

These are labour-only ranges for residential rooms in metro Sydney and Brisbane. Regional rates run 10-20% lower; CBD jobs run higher.

• Floating install (click system over underlay): $35-$55 per m². Standard 5G or 2G click planks, prepared subfloor, straight-laid.
• Floating install with herringbone or chevron pattern: $70-$110 per m². The pattern doubles the set-out time and the cuts.
• Glue-down (direct-stick) over concrete: $80-$140 per m². More adhesive, more clamping, slower per board, but the most stable result on a slab.
• Secret-nail to plywood or battens: $70-$120 per m². Common on first-floor timber subfloors.
• Stair nosings and skirting trims: typically $40-$90 per linear metre, quoted separately.

For the cost of the boards themselves (which is a separate line on the quote), the engineered timber flooring prices guide breaks down product cost by wear-layer thickness, core type and finish.

Subfloor prep — the line that catches people out

Engineered timber needs a flat, dry, clean subfloor. The Australian Standard tolerance is roughly 3 mm over 3 metres. Most existing slabs and timber subfloors don’t meet that out of the box, so prep is almost always part of the job.

• Self-levelling compound: $25-$45 per m² for a standard 5-10 mm pour.
• Moisture testing on concrete: $150-$300 flat fee per job, non-negotiable on slabs under 12 months old.
• Moisture barrier or epoxy DPM: $25-$50 per m² if the slab tests damp.
• Removal of existing flooring: $15-$35 per m² for carpet or floating laminate; $40-$80 per m² for glued vinyl or tiles.
• Disposal and skip: $200-$600 depending on volume.

If you’re laying over a slab and not sure what’s involved, the lay vinyl on a concrete floor guide covers the same prep principles — moisture testing, levelling and DPM apply equally to engineered timber.

Underlay — when it’s needed and what it costs

Floating installs need an underlay between the boards and the subfloor. Glue-down installs don’t use underlay — the adhesive does the same job. Underlay options for engineered timber:

• Standard 2 mm foam underlay: $4-$8 per m² supplied and laid. Fine for upstairs rooms over particleboard.
• 3 mm acoustic underlay: $8-$14 per m². Required by most strata schemes for apartments.
• Combined moisture barrier and acoustic underlay: $12-$20 per m². The default choice for ground-floor concrete slabs.

What pushes the install cost up

• Pattern. Herringbone or chevron easily doubles the labour rate against straight planks.
• Wide planks (220 mm+). Need a flatter subfloor, more clamping, and more attention to expansion gaps.
• Cut-heavy rooms. Bathrooms-adjacent hallways, pantries, and rooms with lots of doorframes and built-ins all add cuts.
• Stairs. Each tread is hand-cut and glue-fixed. Expect $80-$160 per tread on top of the floor rate.
• Strata access. Apartment installs with lift bookings, after-hours work, or strict noise windows run 10-15% higher.

How to read an engineered flooring quote

A fair quote separates these lines clearly: product (boards), underlay, install labour per m², subfloor prep, removal of existing flooring, scotia or skirting, and stairs. A single lump-sum number with no breakdown is a guess, not a quote. Get three quotes for any job over 30 m². Ask whether the installer is covered by the manufacturer’s warranty — many engineered timber warranties are voided by incorrect install method, and a cheap rate from an uncertified installer can cost you the warranty.

For comparison shopping, the hybrid flooring cost guide covers the same install lines for hybrid and SPC, and the tiler rates per m² guide covers tiles. Engineered timber tends to land between hybrid (cheapest to install) and tiles (most expensive) on labour cost.

Budget benchmarks

• Small bedroom (12 m²) floating install: $1,500-$2,400 all-in including underlay, scotia and basic prep.
• Open-plan living/dining (40 m²) floating install: $4,500-$7,500 all-in.
• Whole ground floor (90 m²) glue-down over concrete: $13,000-$22,000 all-in including levelling and DPM.
• Herringbone feature room (20 m²): $3,200-$5,500 all-in for labour, underlay and prep — boards are extra.

These ranges assume metro postcodes and a standard residential build. Custom inlays, mixed timber species, and heritage subfloors all sit above these benchmarks. Bring your room dimensions and a photo of the existing subfloor to the showroom and we’ll cost it out properly.

Looking at real timber? Browse the full engineered timber flooring range at The Flooring Guys — oak and Australian species from 12mm to 21mm, with samples available.

What to verify before you buy