LVT is the most requested floor we fit, and the first question is nearly always the same: what will it actually cost? The honest answer is that the plank itself is only part of the bill. Preparation, edging, door bars, waste and the shape of the room all matter, and a fitter who ignores them is either guessing or planning to charge you later. The ranges below are typical of the jobs we price around Sidcup, Bexley, Dartford, Welling, Bromley and Greenwich in 2026. They are guidance rather than a quotation, because no two floors are the same, but they should let you sanity check anything you have already been sent.
Material cost: what LVT itself costs
Click LVT, which floats over an underlay, generally sits at the lower end because it needs less adhesive and less preparation. Glue down LVT costs more to fit but looks and feels closer to a real tile or board, and it is the version most commonly specified by the premium brands.
As a rough guide for materials only, budget click LVT starts low, mid range click and entry glue down planks sit in the middle, and designer glue down ranges from the well known brands sit at the top. Pattern work such as herringbone or a tile with a feature border uses more plank and more labour, so treat it as a separate tier rather than a small upgrade.
- Budget click LVT: cheapest per m2, quickest to lay, best for bedrooms and low traffic rooms.
- Mid range glue down: the sweet spot for kitchens, hallways and open plan spaces.
- Designer and brand ranges: highest material cost, widest choice of format and finish.
- Herringbone and tile patterns: more waste and roughly a third more fitting time.
Labour: what a fitter is actually charging for
Labour on an LVT job covers lifting old flooring, setting out, cutting, gluing or clicking, trimming around pipes and thresholds, and finishing edges neatly. Small rooms are rarely cheap per square metre, because the setting out and cutting time barely changes whether the room is six or sixteen square metres.
Most reputable local fitters price per square metre with a minimum charge, or day rate the whole job on larger properties. Either is fine, provided the number you are quoted is written down and covers the work described. A verbal figure with no scope attached is the single most common cause of a job going wrong.
Subfloor preparation: the biggest variable
If your subfloor is flat, dry and sound, preparation is cheap. If it is not, this is where the cost sits. Old chipboard that has swollen at the joints, concrete with a hump near a doorway, or floorboards with a two millimetre step between them all show through LVT once it is down, because the plank is thin and unforgiving.
Typical remedies are plywood overboarding on timber floors, a latex smoothing compound on concrete, or a self levelling screed where levels are badly out. Each adds material and drying time. A good fitter will tell you which one your floor needs at the survey rather than discovering it on fitting day.
- Plywood overlay on timber: adds material plus fixing time, gives the flattest result.
- Latex smoothing compound: for minor dips, ripples and old adhesive residue.
- Self levelling screed: for floors that are genuinely out of level rather than simply rough.
- Damp proof membrane: needed on some solid floors, non negotiable where readings are high.
Extras that change the total
Lifting and disposing of old carpet or laminate, taking up gripper rod and staples, removing kitchen plinths, easing doors that no longer clear the new height, and supplying scotia or door bars are all real work with real cost. So is moving furniture and appliances.
Ask for these as separate lines on the quote. It is not about squeezing the price down. It is about knowing what has been allowed for, so nothing is added halfway through the day.
How to compare two LVT quotes properly
Put both quotes side by side and check five things: the exact product and range, the square metre figure used, the preparation allowed for, the edging and thresholds included, and the waste allowance. If one quote is much cheaper, one of those five is usually missing.
Be wary of a quote that does not mention subfloor preparation at all. Either the fitter has surveyed the floor and confirmed it is sound, in which case they will happily say so in writing, or they have not looked, in which case the number is provisional.
Ways to bring the cost down without regretting it
Choose click LVT in bedrooms and glue down only where it matters, in the kitchen, hallway and any room with underfloor heating. Keep the format simple: a plain plank in a straight lay costs less to fit than herringbone and still looks smart.
Fit several rooms in one visit rather than spreading them over months. The setting out, tools and travel are shared, and the per room cost drops. Finally, sort access and clearance yourself where you can. An empty room fitted in one uninterrupted run is always the cheapest room to fit.
Want this priced for your own rooms?
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Frequently asked questions
Is LVT cheaper than laminate?
Entry level laminate is usually cheaper to buy, but good quality LVT lasts longer in wet areas and often works out better value over ten years. Fitting costs are broadly similar unless the LVT is glued down.
Do I pay extra for underlay with LVT?
Click LVT needs a thin, dense underlay, which is a modest additional cost. Glue down LVT does not use underlay at all, because it bonds straight to a prepared subfloor.
How much waste should be allowed?
Around ten per cent for a straight lay in a simple room, and more for diagonal or herringbone patterns and awkward shapes. Waste should be stated on the quote rather than discovered later.
Can you give a price over the phone?
We can give a realistic range over the phone once we know the rooms and rough sizes. The written quote follows a free site visit, because the subfloor decides a large part of the cost.