Flooring cost by material: vitrified, marble, granite, wood
Design IRL Editorial · Figures checked 7 November 2026 · For owners choosing floors for a new home or replacing old ones · How we make our guides
Flooring is bought by the sq ft but paid for in three parts: the material, the laying and the wastage. A cheap tile badly laid costs more in the end than a good one laid well.
What drives the cost
- The material itself: from ceramic tiles at the low end to Italian marble at the top.
- Laying: stone needs more skill and time than tile, and marble needs polishing after it is laid.
- Wastage: cuts at walls and corners. Diagonal or herringbone layouts waste more.
- Removing the old floor, if you are renovating, and levelling the base.
- Skirting along the walls.
- City: labour is the main difference. Tier-2 cities run about 15% below the metros.
Rates by material
| Material | Approx. ₹ per sq ft, laid | Wastage to allow |
|---|---|---|
| Ceramic tiles | ₹65–110 | 8% |
| Vitrified tiles, 2 × 2 ft | ₹100–200 | 8% |
| Large vitrified slabs (4 × 2 ft and up) | ₹160–350 | 10% |
| Indian marble, with polishing | ₹150–400 | 12% |
| Italian marble, with polishing | ₹350–1,200 | 15% |
| Granite | ₹130–350 | 10% |
| Kota or Tandur stone | ₹65–150 | 8% |
| Laminate wood | ₹160–300 | 7% |
| Engineered wood | ₹380–850 | 7% |
| Vinyl / SPC | ₹70–200 | 7% |
Labour is reported at about ₹30–50 per sq ft for vitrified tile, ₹50–80 for Indian marble including polishing, ₹50–100 for granite and ₹80–120 for imported marble and engineered wood. The rest is material, which is where brand and grade move the price most. Stone prices vary the most between sources: one national guide gives Indian marble at ₹120–230 laid and imported marble at ₹280–600 and up.
Extras to budget: removing old tiles at about ₹20 per sq ft and skirting at about ₹60 per running ft (both our estimates), and re-polishing marble at ₹25–40 per sq ft every 3–4 years.
Wood: laminate, engineered or solid
| Kind | What it is | Approx. ₹ per sq ft, laid | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate | A printed wood image on a fibreboard core | ₹160–300 | Cheapest wood look; avoid wet areas; cannot be sanded |
| Engineered | A real wood top layer on a plywood base | ₹380–850 | Copes better with humidity than solid wood |
| Solid wood | Planks of one piece of timber | Not priced separately | Moves with humidity; needs a dry base |
Wood and Indian weather
In humid cities like Mumbai or Chennai, engineered wood holds up better than solid wood. Keep any wood floor out of bathrooms, kitchens and balconies, and check the base for damp before laying it on a ground floor.
Which rooms suit what
| Room | Common choices | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Living and dining | Vitrified slabs, marble, granite, terrazzo | Wear well and look large in big rooms |
| Bedrooms | Laminate or engineered wood, vitrified tiles | Wood is warmer underfoot |
| Kitchen | Anti-skid vitrified, ceramic, granite | Easy to clean, handles water and oil |
| Bathrooms | Anti-skid ceramic or vitrified | Grip when wet |
| Balconies and terraces | Anti-skid tiles, natural stone, Kota | Take sun and rain |
| Pooja room | Marble | Tradition and a cool surface |
In hot cities, marble, Kota, ceramic and vitrified tiles stay cooler. In humid ones, vitrified tiles and SPC vinyl resist moisture better than wood.
Worked example: a 2 BHK
Take a 2 BHK with 650 sq ft of floor outside the bathrooms, in a metro like Pune or Bengaluru. The old tiles come out, and there are about 300 running ft of skirting. Here are two ways to floor it.
| Line | Working | Approx. ₹ |
|---|---|---|
| A. Vitrified 2 × 2 throughout | 650 sq ft + 8% = 702 sq ft × ₹100–200 | ₹70,200–1.4 lakh |
| B. Indian marble in living-dining | 300 sq ft + 12% = 336 sq ft × ₹150–400 | ₹50,400–1.34 lakh |
| B. Laminate in two bedrooms | 280 sq ft + 7% = 300 sq ft × ₹160–300 | ₹48,000–90,000 |
| B. Anti-skid vitrified in kitchen | 70 sq ft + 8% = 76 sq ft × ₹100–200 | ₹7,600–15,200 |
| Removing old tiles (both) | 650 sq ft × about ₹20 | ₹11,700–15,000 |
| Skirting (both) | 300 ft × about ₹60 | ₹16,200–20,700 |
Add GST: tiles and laying by a registered contractor are usually billed at 18%. In Mumbai the material and laying run about 15% higher; in a tier-2 city about 15% lower.
Laying it right
- Finish wall chasing, plumbing and electrical work first.
- Remove the old floor and check the base for damp, cracks and level.
- Lay a mock-up of a few tiles or slabs to agree the pattern, joints and starting line.
- Lay the floor, with spacers for even joints. Stone needs a few days to set before polishing.
- Polish marble, then protect the floor with sheets while the carpentry and painting go on.
- Fix the skirting and fill the joints last.
Buy from one batch
Tile and stone shades change between batches. Buy the full quantity, with wastage, at once, and keep a box or two for future repairs.
Mistakes to avoid and who to hire
- Comparing quotes where one includes laying, adhesive and skirting and another does not.
- Putting polished tiles or marble in a bathroom without an anti-skid finish.
- Laying wood on a damp base or over an untreated ground floor.
- Skipping protection sheets, so the new floor is scratched before you move in.
- Ordering only the exact area, then running short on a different batch.
A civil or flooring contractor lays the floor. A tile or stone dealer and a showroom help you see the material in large pieces before you buy. An interior designer can plan the floor with the rest of the home. These figures are approximate; confirm with 2–3 quotes on the same scope.
Find the people
Sources
Most published cost figures come from firms that sell the work. We give ranges and you should get 2–3 quotes.