Most flooring prices online are material-only, which is why quotes so often land higher than people expect. This guide gives you realistic supply-and-fit figures per room for 2026, based on the jobs we price week in, week out across South East London and Kent.
How flooring is priced in the UK
Almost every flooring quote is built from four parts: the floor covering itself, the underlay or adhesive, the subfloor preparation, and the labour to fit it. Trims, thresholds, door trimming, furniture moving and waste removal sit on top. When a website advertises laminate at £12 per square metre, that is the first part only — typically less than half the finished cost.
Labour is charged either per square metre or per day. Straightforward click-fit rooms are usually priced per square metre; anything awkward — herringbone, stairs, small bathrooms with lots of cutting, or heavy preparation — tends to move to a day rate because the metreage no longer reflects the work involved.
The other figure that moves a quote is waste. A rectangular bedroom might carry 5–8% waste. An L-shaped through-lounge with a bay window and a diagonal lay can carry 15% or more. That waste is real material you pay for, so simple room shapes genuinely are cheaper per square metre.
Typical supply-and-fit costs by room
The figures below assume a mid-range product, a sound subfloor needing light preparation, and normal access. They are the ranges we quote most often in 2026 across Sidcup, Bexleyheath, Bromley, Dartford and Gravesend.
- Average double bedroom (12 m²): carpet £430–£780 · laminate £400–£620 · LVT £560–£900
- Large lounge (20 m²): carpet £700–£1,300 · laminate £650–£1,050 · LVT £900–£1,500
- Kitchen or kitchen-diner (14 m²): LVT £650–£1,150 · sheet vinyl £420–£700 (LVT is usually the recommendation here)
- Hallway, stairs and landing: carpet £600–£1,200 · LVT hall with carpeted stairs £850–£1,600
- Small bathroom or cloakroom (4 m²): sheet vinyl £280–£450 · LVT £350–£600
- Whole three-bedroom house: £3,200–£7,500 depending on the mix of materials
What pushes the price up
Subfloor preparation is the biggest variable and the one nobody budgets for. Older Kent properties frequently have uneven concrete, springy floorboards or the remains of bitumen adhesive. Latex self-levelling compound typically adds £10–£18 per square metre; overlaying with 6mm plywood adds £14–£22. On a 20 m² room that is several hundred pounds that no online calculator will show you.
Pattern work also changes the maths. Herringbone and chevron LVT take roughly twice as long to lay as a straight plank floor and carry higher waste, so expect 40–70% more on the labour element. Borders, feature strips and inlaid thresholds add further time.
Finally, the practical extras: lifting and disposing of old flooring (£3–£6 per m² plus tip fees), easing and rehanging doors (£15–£30 each), moving heavy furniture, and scaffolding-free access to upper flats. None of these are large individually, but together they often account for 10–15% of a quote.
Where it is worth spending more
If your budget is finite, spend it in the places that take punishment. Hallways, stairs and kitchens see the vast majority of footfall in a family home, and a cheap floor there will look tired within three years. Bedrooms are the opposite — they are low-traffic, so a mid-range carpet or laminate will still look good a decade later.
On LVT, the specification that matters most is the wear layer. A 0.3mm wear layer is fine for a spare bedroom; for a kitchen or hall you want 0.55mm or better. The uplift is usually £6–£10 per square metre and it roughly doubles the realistic life of the floor.
With carpet, the equivalent decision is underlay. Fitting a premium carpet over a budget 7mm underlay is a false economy — an 11mm PU underlay costs perhaps £60 more on a bedroom and makes a mid-range carpet feel and wear like a much more expensive one.
How to get a quote you can actually compare
Ask every fitter to break the quote into materials, underlay or adhesive, preparation, labour, trims and removal. Once they are itemised, you can see instantly why one quote is £400 higher — usually because it includes preparation that the cheaper one has quietly assumed away.
Get the subfloor inspected before you commit. A fitter who quotes from a phone call and a room size has no idea what is under your existing floor, which is how 'unexpected' extra charges appear on fitting day. A ten-minute site visit removes that risk entirely.
Finally, check whether the price includes VAT, waste removal and door trimming. Those three omissions are the most common reason a bargain quote stops being a bargain.
Want this priced for your own rooms?
We measure, check the subfloor and give you an itemised written quote — free, with no obligation, across South East London and Kent.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to floor a whole house in Kent?
For a typical three-bedroom house in 2026, budget £3,200–£7,500 supplied and fitted. The spread depends mainly on whether you use carpet throughout or LVT in the kitchen, hall and living areas, and on how much subfloor preparation is needed.
Is fitting usually included in flooring prices?
Rarely on retail websites. Advertised prices are almost always material-only. A realistic finished cost is roughly double to two-and-a-half times the material price once underlay, preparation, trims and labour are added.
How much does subfloor preparation add?
Latex self-levelling typically adds £10–£18 per m² and plywood overlay £14–£22 per m². Not every floor needs it — but LVT almost always does unless the existing subfloor is already flat and sound.
Do you charge for a quote?
No. Site visits and written quotes across South East London and Kent are free and carry no obligation.