If you are weighing an in home flooring estimate in Toronto or the GTA, the money part is simple. Our online estimate from photos is free, with no conditions. The in-home measure is not free: it carries a fee (ask us for the amount), and the full fee is credited to your project when you go ahead, with no time limit. The sections below cover what happens at the visit, why a quote can move afterwards, and when photos are enough. This page is about the process rather than prices, so for rates see our flooring installation cost in Toronto guide and the flooring installation service collection.
What costs nothing, what carries a fee, and how the credit works
| Option | Cost to you | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Online estimate from photos | Free, with no conditions | An estimate based on the photos you send |
| In-home measure | A fee; ask us for the amount | Every room measured, the subfloor checked, and a written itemized quote after the visit |
The photo route runs through our Free Estimate form. Nothing is attached to it, so it suits an early look at a project.
The in-home measure is a separate service, and we do not offer it at no charge. It has a fee, and we would rather you ask us for the amount than guess at a figure from a web page. What matters for your decision is how the fee is treated: when you go ahead with the project, the full fee is credited to the project. The credit has no time limit.
What happens at the in-home measure
Each check at the visit exists because it can change a line on your quote. Here is what we do, and what each step moves.
Every room is measured
We measure every room in the project, and the total comes from the tape rather than from an estimate on paper. A self-measured number can leave out the small spaces, such as closets, an alcove or a hallway, and measuring everything puts them back in. If you want a first pass before the visit, see our guide on how to measure a room for flooring yourself.
The subfloor: flatness and squeaks
We check the subfloor for flatness and for squeaks. What we find goes into the written itemized quote, so this page puts no figure on subfloor work. If you want the flatness numbers themselves, our subfloor flatness tolerances guide collects them.
Samples come with us
We bring samples to the visit, so you can hold a plank against your own walls and doors. Our guide on how to test flooring samples at home explains what to look for.
Stairs, trims and transitions
We check stairs, trims and transitions. Doorways where one floor meets another are looked at, and so are the stairs, and what we find goes into the itemized quote. If you want to know which transition piece goes where, read our transition strips guide. For published market prices on stairs, our staircase flooring cost per step guide covers that ground, and we give no stair figure on this page.
A written itemized quote follows
After the visit we send a written itemized quote. Itemized means material, labour and the other lines are listed separately, so you can read each one. When it arrives, our guide to whether a flooring quote is fair shows what to look at first.
Why the quote can change after the visit: the same floors at 400 and 436 sq ft
The area on paper and the area on site can differ, and flooring is sold in whole boxes, so a small change in area can add several boxes. The example below is an illustration, not a customer job. Imagine a homeowner who tallies a set of rooms at 400 sq ft. At the visit every room is measured, and the closets, an alcove and a hallway that the first number left out bring the total to 436 sq ft.
Both figures use our quote default of 5% waste. That gives 400 sq ft × 1.05 = 420 sq ft and 436 sq ft × 1.05 = 457.8 sq ft. We then round up to whole boxes and multiply by the box price. Here are three in-stock floors from our catalogue:
| Floor | Box price | Coverage per box | Price per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riche Blonde Sand Oak SPC vinyl plank, 6mm with IXPE pad | $44.68 | 23.64 sq ft | $1.89 |
| Krono K6207 laminate, 12mm | $23.00 | 13.61 sq ft | $1.69 |
| Villa European oak engineered hardwood, 19mm | $83.31 | 19.42 sq ft | $4.29 |
Prices checked November 1, 2026. Box prices and coverage come from our current catalogue, and the price per sq ft is the box price divided by the coverage.
Now the same three floors, priced twice. Material only, before HST:
| Floor | As measured: 400 sq ft (420 sq ft with 5% waste) | On site: 436 sq ft (457.8 sq ft with 5% waste) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6mm SPC vinyl plank | 18 boxes, $804.24 (covers 425.52 sq ft) | 20 boxes, $893.60 | +2 boxes, +$89.36 |
| 12mm laminate | 31 boxes, $713.00 (covers 421.91 sq ft) | 34 boxes, $782.00 | +3 boxes, +$69.00 |
| 19mm engineered oak | 22 boxes, $1,832.82 (covers 427.24 sq ft) | 24 boxes, $1,999.44 | +2 boxes, +$166.62 |
The on-site area is only 36 sq ft larger, yet every floor needs two or three more boxes. How big the step is depends on the box and the price, as the three floors show.
Take the vinyl plank first. The Riche Blonde Sand Oak is a 6mm SPC plank with an IXPE pad, and it comes 23.64 sq ft to a box. Nineteen boxes cover 449.16 sq ft, which falls short of the 457.8 sq ft the larger measurement calls for, so the order becomes 20 boxes.
The laminate runs the other way. The Krono K6207 is a 12mm laminate at 13.61 sq ft per box, so boxes are smaller and more of them are needed: 34 instead of 31. Each box costs $23.00, which makes this the smallest dollar change of the three.
The engineered oak shows the largest step. The Villa is 19mm thick and listed as nail-down, with 19.42 sq ft per box at $83.31. Two extra boxes add $166.62, and the subfloor check at the visit matters directly for a nail-down floor.
The 5% is our default for a quote, and the right allowance for a given room can differ. Our guide on how much extra flooring to order covers waste by material.
Labour and transitions: two lines the visit pins down
Area also feeds labour. Our posted installation rate for vinyl plank is $1.50 per sq ft for a house and $2.00 per sq ft for a condo, labour only. That rate is for larger jobs, and a smaller job is priced after viewing. Applying the house rate to the SPC example, with waste included in the area:
| Line (SPC example, house) | As measured | On site |
|---|---|---|
| Area with 5% waste | 420 sq ft | 457.8 sq ft |
| Material | $804.24 | $893.60 |
| Installation at $1.50 per sq ft | $630.00 | $686.70 |
| Material plus labour, before HST | $1,434.24 | $1,580.30 |
The gap is $146.06 before tax, from one corrected measurement. Adding 13% HST to the on-site figure gives $205.44 of tax and a total of $1,785.74. Every other figure on this page is before HST, and the example leaves out removal, delivery, trim and anything else the visit turns up. We quote no installation figure here for the laminate or the engineered oak, so those appear on your written quote.
One transition example
Transitions are checked at the visit and priced by the linear foot. Our posted rate is $10.00 per linear ft in a house and $15.00 per linear ft in a condo, for T-moulding and for reducer alike. As an illustration, three doorways of 3 ft each make 9 linear ft, so 9 × $10.00 = $90.00 in a house, or $135.00 at the condo rate. Shaving a door has no posted price, so it is priced after the door is seen.
Photo estimate or in-home measure: which one fits
Both routes have a place, and the choice follows what you are about to decide. A sensible order is photos first for a budget, then the visit before material is ordered or installation is booked.
| Where you are | Start with |
|---|---|
| Setting a rough budget | Online estimate from photos |
| Comparing materials early | Online estimate from photos |
| About to order material | In-home measure |
| About to book installation | In-home measure |
| Stairs, several doorways or many small spaces | In-home measure |
If an in-home flooring estimate feels like more than you need right now, the photo route costs you nothing to try. The visit comes into its own once whole boxes are about to be bought. The full fee is credited to the project when you go ahead, so the visit is a step toward the job.
What to have ready before the visit
- A list of the rooms, closets and hallways you want included.
- The floor you are considering, or the product names of the samples you like.
- A note of what is on the floor now.
- Any squeaks or uneven spots you have noticed, and where.
- Whether the stairs are part of the project.
- The doorways where the new floor will meet a different one.
Frequently asked questions about the in-home measure
Does the in-home measure cost anything?
Yes. It carries a fee, so it is not offered at no charge. Contact us for the amount, since this page does not publish one. When you go ahead with the project, the whole fee is credited to it.
Is the online estimate from photos really free?
Yes. The estimate you request through the Free Estimate form costs nothing and has no conditions attached.
How does the fee credit work?
The full fee is credited to the project when you go ahead with it. No time limit applies, so the credit does not lapse while you decide.
Why can the quote change after the visit?
The visit swaps assumptions for measurements. Rooms are measured, the subfloor is checked, and stairs, trims and transitions are looked at, and each can alter a line. A change in area also passes through to whole boxes, as in the 400 versus 436 sq ft example above.
Should I measure my rooms before asking for an estimate?
A rough tally helps with budgeting, and it gives you a number to compare against later. Treat it as a starting point: the written quote is built on the figures taken at the visit.
Get an estimate or ask about a measure in Toronto and the GTA
Send photos of your rooms with our online estimate request, or get in touch to ask about an in-home measure and the fee amount.
Top Floorings Depot
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 1, Toronto, ON M1W 3K5
www.topfloorings.com
Call: 416-499-0117
Text: 416-770-8819