Flooring quotes are the hardest to compare of anything we sell. Two papers for the same drawing room can differ by a large margin, and in most cases neither is wrong: they are simply pricing different floors. Having fitted floors out of 46 Central Avenue for decades, we have seen the same pattern repeatedly. The headline rate gets all the attention, while the lines that actually move the total sit lower down the page.
We are not publishing a rupee-per-square-foot figure here, because a number without a specification attached is exactly how people end up comparing the wrong things. Instead, this guide explains what sets the price of a floor in Kolkata, so that you can read any quote, ours or anyone else’s, with confidence.
The seven things that decide what a floor costs
1. The material and its core
This is the biggest driver. SPC flooring has a stone-polymer core with no timber in it. Laminate has a wood-fibre core. Engineered wood has a real timber surface over a layered base. Solid wood is timber all the way through. Each sits at a different point on cost and on how it behaves in Kolkata’s humidity. Our guide to choosing between solid, engineered, laminate and SPC sets out the trade-offs.
2. Plank thickness
A thicker plank is a heavier, more stable product and costs more to make and carry. Thickness also affects door clearances and transitions into adjoining rooms, so it is worth deciding before you order rather than after.
3. The wear layer
The clear top layer is what takes foot traffic, furniture drag and the occasional dropped pan. A thin wear layer in a busy living room ages faster than a thicker one in the same room. Ask for it by name on the quote.
4. The subfloor you are laying over
Click-lock floors need a flat, dry base. Old Kolkata flats, particularly on ground floors, often have uneven screeds or damp. Levelling and moisture treatment are real labour and real material, and they are the most common line that appears late and surprises people.
5. Removing what is already there
If old tiles, a worn timber floor or a marble finish has to come out, the work includes breaking, clearing and carrying it away. Sometimes the existing floor can stay, and the flooring goes over it. That choice can move the total noticeably either way, so settle it at the site visit.
6. Underlay, skirting and finishing
Underlay, skirting boards, beading and door-bar transitions are small individually and significant together. A quote that omits them is not cheaper, only incomplete.
7. Area, layout and wastage
Rooms with alcoves, pillars, angled walls or a diagonal layout generate more offcuts than a plain rectangle. The wastage allowance should be agreed in writing before work starts.
How to compare two flooring quotes fairly
| Line to check | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Material | Brand, core type and plank thickness |
| Wear layer | Stated on the quote, not just in the brochure |
| Underlay | Included, and which type |
| Subfloor work | Levelling and moisture treatment included or extra |
| Old floor removal | Included, and who disposes of it |
| Skirting and transitions | Quantity and type |
| Wastage | Percentage allowed, written down |
| Warranty | What is covered, and who honours it |
Put two quotes side by side against this list. In our experience, most of the gap between them closes once the missing lines are added to the cheaper one.
Where people save money, and where they regret it
The sensible savings are in choosing a material that suits the room, not in trimming what sits underneath it. A moisture-proof floor in a ground-floor flat or a bathroom-adjacent passage is cheaper than replacing a swollen floor in two monsoons. The usual regrets run the other way: skipping subfloor preparation, accepting a thin wear layer in the busiest room, or leaving underlay off the quote to hit a number. Once a floor is down, those are expensive to fix.
Plan for upkeep too. A floor that is easy to maintain costs less over its life, and our guide to caring for wooden, SPC and laminate floors in Kolkata covers what each one needs. If you are pricing a whole home, our curtain price guide uses the same quote-reading approach for the windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does flooring cost in Kolkata?
There is no single honest number, because the same flat can be quoted at very different totals depending on the material, plank thickness, wear layer, subfloor condition and how much old flooring has to come out first. Treat any per-square-foot figure quoted without those details as an opening line, not a price. We explain every line of a quote at the showroom.
Is SPC flooring cheaper than wooden flooring?
The material line is usually where they differ, but the total depends on the job. SPC needs a flat subfloor and little else, while real timber adds finishing, sanding or a longer acclimatisation period. Compare complete installed quotes, not material rates.
What should be included in a flooring quote?
Material by brand and thickness, wear layer, underlay, skirting, installation labour, removal and disposal of the old floor, subfloor levelling, and a written wastage allowance. If one of these is missing, ask whether it is free or simply not mentioned.
Does the old floor have to be removed before new flooring is laid?
Not always. Many click-lock floors can go over sound, level tiles, but the surface has to be flat and dry, and door clearances have to be checked. Removal is a separate line on the quote because it is real work.
Why do two quotes for the same room differ so much?
Usually because they are not the same product. Core type, thickness, wear layer, underlay and skirting can all differ while the label simply says ‘wooden flooring’. Ask for the specification line by line.
How much extra flooring should I order?
Plan for cutting waste, and more in rooms with many corners, alcoves or a diagonal layout. Ask for the wastage percentage in writing so it is not a surprise on the final bill.
Can I see the floors before I decide?
Yes. Visit the showroom at 46 Central Avenue, Kolkata 700012, or call or WhatsApp 8080095551 to check what is available.
Visit the Avikar showroom
Avikar Furniture & Furnishings
46 Central Avenue, Kolkata 700012
Phone / WhatsApp: 8080095551
Bring your room dimensions or a few photos of the floor as it is today, and we will help you work out which material and which specification fit the space. Message us on WhatsApp to arrange a visit.
