Installation day asks four things of you: an empty floor area, a clear path from your door to the room, working power, and a house held at its normal living temperature. Old-floor removal and trim sit outside our base installation rate, so it helps to know what they run to first.
This is the install-day checklist: what to clear, what the crew needs on arrival and what to hand over, rather than the whole project timeline. Our flooring installation service covers hardwood, engineered hardwood, laminate and SPC vinyl plank, and knowing how to prepare for flooring installation comes down to the same three things for each: access, empty rooms and timing.
Before the installers arrive: the short version
- Clear the floor completely. Nothing stays in the rooms being done, including closet floors and under-bed storage.
- Plan the fixtures you cannot lift. Fridges, washers, dryers and gas appliances need a decision before the morning.
- Give the crew a way in. A parking spot near the entry you want used, and a door that can stay open.
- Keep power on. Working outlets in the rooms, plus somewhere to cut boards.
- Move pets and children. Doors stay open, tools are loud, and offcuts land on the floor.
- Hold living temperature. Heating runs as usual, since the boxes have to sit in the room before the floor goes down.
The three floors used as examples are current catalogue items.
- Riche Blonde Sand Oak 6mm SPC vinyl plank: $62.93 per 23.64 sq ft box, or $2.66 per sq ft, listed as waterproof, with a 12mil wear layer and an attached IXPE pad.
- Villa European Oak engineered hardwood: $97.00 per 19.42 sq ft box, or $4.99 per sq ft, with a 3mm oak top layer, a wire brushed finish and a nail-down installation method.
- Egger EM7206 laminate: $40.48 per 21.42 sq ft box, or $1.89 per sq ft, 8mm thick with a click-lock joint.
Prices checked October 6, 2026.
What has to come off the floor and out of the rooms
Every piece left in a scheduled room is a piece the crew has to work around or carry out before the first board goes down.
Furniture, appliances and doors
Large furniture should be out of the scheduled rooms, and out of the path from the entry, before the bell rings. A fridge or washer that has to move should be disconnected in advance, and anything on a gas line is a job for a gas technician you book yourself. Doors may come off their hinges for access, and door shaving for a door that ends up too low over the new floor is priced after viewing.
Closets, walls and the small things
Closet floors need to be empty, because the crew lays planks right to the back wall. Area rugs come up, lamps and cords leave the floor, and electronics get unplugged. Artwork and mirrors should come down, since nailing hardwood vibrates the room.
Who moves the heavy pieces
Furniture moving does not appear on the included list for our vinyl installation service, which names on-site measurement and layout planning, the click-lock installation itself and post-installation cleanup. Name every heavy piece when you ask for the price. A piano, a safe or an aquarium needs its own arrangement, and some cannot be handled by a flooring crew at all.
Access, parking and power: what the crew needs from you
- Parking. A spot near the entry saves a long carry.
- Elevators and stairs. In a condo, book the elevator and loading area with building management, and check your building's own rules.
- Cutting space. Boards are cut outside when the weather allows and inside when it does not, so a driveway or porch helps.
- Power and water. Working outlets near the work zone, plus access to a bathroom.
Noise, dust and using the room afterwards
Removal is the loudest and dustiest phase, and the one most likely to surprise someone working from home. Carpet comes up quickly, while a glued floor or tile is slower, heavier work that leaves more dust.
Dust control is worth setting up before the first board comes up. Tape plastic over the doorways of rooms that are not part of the job, and change the furnace filter once the dustiest part of the day is over. Plan on losing the room for the day, and when the furniture goes back, lift it rather than dragging it across the new surface.
Acclimation: the hand-off you cannot rush on the day
Boards need time in the room before installation starts, and that part of preparation happens days earlier. EGGER's laminate laying guide says the boards must acclimate properly to the room where they will be installed: lay the packages flat in that room and leave them for at least 48 hours.
The hand-off means the boxes arrive early, the house stays at living temperature while they sit, and the packages go into the rooms where the floor is going rather than a cold garage. Set the delivery date with that wait in mind, and our full acclimation guide covers the longer waits and the seasonal difference in a Toronto home.
The walkthrough at the start and at the end
Two short conversations protect the job. At the start, walk the rooms with the crew lead, point out a squeak or a door that already sticks, and agree the plank direction.
At the end, walk the finished floor in socks with the lights on. Check that vents are back in place and that doors clear the new floor, and keep one unopened leftover box, stored flat indoors, for a future repair.
What our base installation price does not cover
Final pricing depends on room size, subfloor condition, layout complexity and any additional prep work, so the figures below are the lines that most often sit beside the installation rate.
| Extra line | Rate | Cost on 800 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Carpet removal and disposal, house or basement | $0.70 per sq ft | $560.00 |
| Quarter round, remove old and install new, not painted | $1.30 per linear ft | $312.00 for 240 linear ft |
| Delivery, Toronto M postal codes | $150.00 flat | $150.00 |
Carpet removal is charged on the area being cleared. Trim is estimated at 0.3 linear ft per square foot of floor area, which gives the 240 linear ft on 800 sq ft at the house rate. Delivery is a flat rate for M postal codes.
The same 800 sq ft in two materials
Material comes in whole boxes with a 5% waste allowance, so an 800 sq ft floor becomes 840 sq ft of ordering: 40 boxes of the 8mm laminate, covering 856.80 sq ft, or 36 boxes of the 6mm vinyl plank, covering 851.04 sq ft. Laminate costs $1,619.20 and needs underlayment as well: five rolls at $50.00 each, or $250.00. The vinyl plank costs $2,265.48 with no roll, so the laminate lands at $1,869.20 against $2,265.48, a difference of $396.28 before trim, removal, delivery and 13% HST.
Glued flooring and tile removal, stair nosing, levelling and subfloor repair are priced after viewing, because the work depends on what is under the old floor. Our LVP and SPC installation service lists subfloor prep, trim, transitions, stairs and removal as not included and quoted separately.
For the wider project, our flooring installation cost in Toronto guide breaks labour rates down by floor type, and the complete flooring renovation timeline shows where installation day lands between your first visit and move-in.
Frequently asked questions about preparing for installation day
Do I need to move all the furniture before the installers arrive?
Everything on the floor of the rooms being worked on has to be out, including closet contents and anything under a bed. Small pieces can be stacked in another room or a garage. Heavy items are the ones to raise with us first, since moving them is not part of the listed installation work.
Who disconnects the fridge, washer and dryer?
Plan that yourself before the day. Appliance disconnection is not among the inclusions on our vinyl installation service, so book a gas technician for a gas dryer or range, and shut off the water supply behind a washer before it is pulled out.
How much do floor installers charge to move furniture?
We do not publish a furniture-moving rate, because a piano and a side table are not the same job, and none of our listed labour rates covers it. Ask about it when you send your measurements, with a list of the heavy pieces, the stairs involved and where everything has to go.
Do I have to be home during the installation?
Not for the whole day, but stay reachable by phone and be there for the start, since layout direction and unexpected subfloor conditions may need a decision. The final walkthrough is the other moment worth attending.
Can my pets stay in the house on installation day?
A closed room at the far end of the home works for a quiet job, but the noisiest work is hard on animals, so a day out or boarding is often easier. If the pet stays, tell the crew where it is.
Do new floors have to sit in the house before they go down?
For the laminate shown here, yes: EGGER's instruction is a minimum of 48 hours with the packages lying flat in the room. Other floors follow their own manufacturer timing, so check it when the install date is set. Either way, the cartons wait indoors at living temperature, not in a garage or on a balcony.
Book your install day with the prep already planned
Measure your rooms, note what is in them, and list what has to come up off the floor. Ask for a firm quote before booking, with the trim, removal and any prep shown as separate lines, so the morning is about laying the floor rather than moving furniture. When your list is ready, request a quote with your room sizes.
Top Floorings Depot
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 1, Toronto, ON M1W 3K5
www.topfloorings.com
Call: 416-499-0117
Text: 416-770-8819