Deciding between prefinished hardwood and a floor that is finished on site comes down to three practical questions: what you pay, how long your home is a work site, and how the surface holds up over the years. Our catalogue covers the first route only. The boards in our solid hardwood collection are sold with the finish already on, and the material runs from $4.99 to $9.99 per sq. ft. Site finishing starts with raw, unfinished planks and brings sanding dust, stain and drying time into your rooms. The three routes are compared below on cost, mess and timeline, using our own prices for the factory-finished route and cited industry guidance for the site-finished one, because we do not offer site finishing.
The three finish routes, defined plainly
Prefinished, site finished and unfinished are not three competing products. They describe where and when the finish goes on the same piece of solid wood, and that timing is what changes the invoice and your week.
Route 1: factory-finished solid hardwood
The stain and the protective coating go on at the mill, and the boards arrive sealed. The wood flooring trade association NWFA describes factory-finished floors as those where "the finish and color are applied at the factory, long before it reaches your home", and adds: "You will be able to walk on the floors immediately after installation." For a homeowner, that second sentence is the whole appeal. Installation day ends with the rooms usable again.
Route 2: unfinished solid hardwood finished on site
Here the raw planks are nailed down first and the finish is built in your rooms afterwards. NWFA says a site finish "is applied at the job site, in the room where the flooring is being installed. This offers the most customization, with an unlimited palette of color and finish options, but also requires drying time during which you will not be able to walk on the floor." Expect sanding, stain, several coats and a wait between them before the room is usable again.
Route 3: unfinished planks on a finish-later or do-it-yourself schedule
Some homeowners buy unfinished boards so the work can be spread out, or so a small repair can be blended by hand. The definitions in NWFA's refinishable program document describe unfinished flooring as a product "that must have stain and/or a finish applied after installation", so the material is the same raw wood as route two; what changes is who sands and stains it, and how long the floor sits bare. We do not stock unfinished solid hardwood, so this route starts with boards from another supplier and either your own labour or a finishing specialist. Our catalogue carries 41 solid hardwood SKUs, and none of them is listed as unfinished.
What prefinished solid hardwood costs in our catalogue
Solid hardwood here is sold by the box, and boxes cover 17.0 sq ft, 18.9 sq ft or 20.0 sq ft. Dividing the box price by that coverage gives the material cost per sq. ft., which is the number worth comparing between floors. All 41 are listed at 19mm (3/4") thick; by their product titles, 37 are 4 1/4" wide and the other four are 3 1/4" wide.
| Product | Box price | Coverage | Material per sq. ft. | Width and species |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lauzon Essential Hard Maple Sapphir | $99.80 | 17.0 sq ft | $5.87 | 4 1/4" (108mm) wide hard maple |
| Lauzon Select and Better Hard Maple Vela | $118.83 | 17.0 sq ft | $6.99 | 4 1/4" (108mm) wide hard maple |
| Appalachian Natural Hard Maple Prestige Grade | $132.11 | 18.9 sq ft | $6.99 | 4 1/4" (108mm) wide maple, Prestige Grade |
| Appalachian Natural Red Oak Excel Grade | $101.87 | 18.9 sq ft | $5.39 | 4 1/4" (108mm) wide red oak, Excel Grade |
Prices checked October 6, 2026. Box prices and coverage come from our current catalogue.
Two useful observations come out of those rows. Red oak at $5.39 per sq. ft. undercuts the entry maple at $5.87, so the species on the label is not a reliable guide to the price. Across the whole collection the material spread is $4.99 to $9.99 per sq. ft., a gap of $5.00 between the least and most expensive board we carry.
The product pages spell out the factory finish on each of these four. Sapphir "is finished with a durable aluminum oxide coating", Vela is "finished with Lauzon's Polynium+ Titanium surface coating", and both Appalachian boards are "finished to a beautiful semi gloss sheen". That finish is part of the box price above, which is why the material line is the whole surface cost on this route.
What changes when the floor is finished on site
Site finishing is labour that happens after installation, so the money and the calendar both shift. We install solid hardwood at $2.00 per sq. ft. for a house or basement, and the sanding, staining and coating are a separate trade that we do not provide. If you are weighing a site finish, the board price and the installation rate still apply, and the finishing bill arrives as its own line from the specialist who does that work.
What we can put firm numbers on is our side of the job. Every quote adds a 5% waste allowance on material and installation labour, and Ontario HST of 13% applies to the subtotal. Removal of the old floor, delivery and stairs are separate lines, so tell us what is on the floor now and we will price those with your rooms. Our nail-down rate has no condo figure, so solid hardwood in a condo is priced after viewing. Check your building's own rules before you order.
The arithmetic we use for a factory-finished install is short enough to repeat at home:
- Waste-adjusted area: your room area multiplied by 1.05.
- Boxes: waste-adjusted area divided by square feet per box, rounded up to whole boxes.
- Material: boxes multiplied by the box price.
- Installation: waste-adjusted area multiplied by $2.00 per sq. ft.
- Subtotal: material plus installation. Add 13% HST for the total.
A 500 sq ft house project on three of our floors
The same 500 sq ft room looks different depending on the board, because box coverage changes how many boxes you buy. With the 5% waste allowance the area to buy and install is 525 sq ft, so installation is 525 multiplied by $2.00 per sq. ft., or $1,050.00 on every row below.
| Floor | Boxes | Material | Installation | Subtotal | HST | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential Hard Maple Sapphir | 31 | $3,093.80 | $1,050.00 | $4,143.80 | $538.69 | $4,682.49 |
| Select and Better Hard Maple Vela | 31 | $3,683.73 | $1,050.00 | $4,733.73 | $615.38 | $5,349.11 |
| Appalachian Natural Red Oak Excel Grade | 28 | $2,852.36 | $1,050.00 | $3,902.36 | $507.31 | $4,409.67 |
Measured over the 500 sq ft you actually floor, Sapphir works out to $8.29 per sq. ft. before HST and $9.36 with it, Vela to $9.47 and $10.70, and the red oak to $7.80 and $8.82. None of these totals includes removing your old floor or delivery, both of which we confirm at quote.
Mess, dust and time: how the routes differ in your home
Factory-finished planks arrive sealed, so installation is measuring, cutting, nailing and cleanup. No sanding or staining happens in your rooms, and by NWFA's wording the floor can be walked on as soon as installation is done. For a household that cannot move out while work goes on, that is the main practical gain.
Site finishing adds two processes inside the house. Raw planks are laid first, then the whole floor is sanded, stained and coated, with drying time built in between steps. The customisation is real, and so is the disruption.
| Route | What happens in your rooms | When you can walk on it |
|---|---|---|
| Factory finished | Installation only | Immediately after installation, per NWFA |
| Site finished by a specialist | Installation, then sanding, staining and coating | After the final coat has dried |
| Unfinished, finished later | Installation now, finishing when the work resumes | Only after the floor is coated |
If timing is the deciding factor, ask the finishing specialist for a written schedule before you commit: the number of coats and the drying window between them set how long the rooms stay empty, and that schedule varies by product.
Durability and refinishing: what the route does not change
Solid hardwood is one piece of wood rather than a veneer over a core. NWFA's homeowner site states: "Solid wood flooring is made of one piece of wood from top to bottom", and "One of the many benefits of solid wood flooring is it can be sanded and refinished many times." Choosing a finish route does not change that: a factory-finished solid board and a site-finished solid board are the same kind of floor, and both can be sanded back later.
NWFA defines refinishing as "sanding a previously finished floor to bare wood and applying new stain or finish", and its sand and finish guidelines state that, in general, if the wear thickness is less than 3/32", the floor should not be sanded. That is the benchmark a refinisher checks before quoting the work, and a very thin surface is a stop sign rather than a green light.
NWFA's finishes page notes that "Aluminum oxide finishes are applied during the manufacturing process" and adds "These finishes are extremely durable." It also makes a point that suits this decision: "The less sheen, the less you will notice small scratches and other normal wear." Our own range covers both ends of that scale. Vela's product page describes "an ultra-matte smooth finish", while both Appalachian boards carry Semi Gloss in their titles, so a busy hallway may favour the lower sheen whichever route you take.
Which route fits your project
- You want the floor back in service fast. Factory-finished is the route we stock and the one we can price from the tables above.
- You must match an existing floor or want a custom stain. NWFA credits a site finish with the most customization, and it is quoted by the finishing specialist.
- You are finishing in stages. Unfinished boards let you pause, but the floor stays bare until it is coated, so protect it while it waits.
- You are in a condo. Condo nail-down jobs are priced after viewing, and your building's own rules come first.
If you want the wider price picture before choosing, our hardwood flooring cost guide breaks down cost per square foot across the collection. For budget-friendly options that still look the part, see cheap hardwood that looks premium. Species, grades and sheen levels are covered in the solid hardwood species and finish guide, and the nail schedule guide explains what happens under the boards.
Prefinished vs site finished hardwood: common questions
Is prefinished hardwood cheaper than a site-finished floor?
With our boards, two lines are known before you order: material between $4.99 and $9.99 per sq. ft. and installation at $2.00 per sq. ft. in a house or basement. A site-finished floor carries a board price and installation plus sanding, staining and coating from a separate trade, which is quoted on site rather than from a catalogue.
Can a factory-finished floor be refinished later?
Yes. NWFA's definition of refinishing starts from any previously finished floor, sanded down to raw wood and given fresh stain or finish, and the 3/32" sanding benchmark it cites is written for previously finished floors in general. A refinisher checks the remaining thickness before quoting.
How long do I have to stay off a site-finished floor?
NWFA states that a site finish requires drying time during which the floor cannot be walked on, and the exact window depends on the coating system your finisher uses. Ask for the schedule in writing, because it decides how many nights the rooms are out of use.
Do you sell unfinished red oak or maple?
No. None of the 41 solid hardwood SKUs we carry is listed as unfinished, and that includes the red oak and maple boards in the table above. A site-finished project therefore starts with unfinished planks from another supplier and a finisher who handles the sanding and coating.
Does the finish route change the price per square foot of the boards?
The board price is the board price, and ours is published by the box with the coverage listed. What changes between routes is the labour that follows installation: our $2.00 per sq. ft. nail-down rate, plus the finishing work if you choose a site finish.
Get a solid hardwood quote in Toronto and the GTA
Send us your room measurements, the building type and what is on the floor now, and we will run the material and installation numbers above with your own square footage, then confirm removal and delivery at the same time. You can request a quote online or reach us through our contact page.
Top Floorings Depot
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 1, Toronto, ON M1W 3K5
www.topfloorings.com
Call: 416-499-0117
Text: 416-770-8819