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What changes the cost of LVT flooring?
An LVT quote turns mainly on how flat and dry the floor underneath is, whether the tiles are glued down or clicked together, the laying pattern, and the rooms involved. This guide does not print a price per square metre, so ask each fitter to split preparation, supply and fitting.
Last reviewed:What is LVT, and why do quotes vary so much?
LVT stands for luxury vinyl tile. It comes as planks or tiles that look like wood or stone, made in layers with a printed design and a clear wear layer on top. Some is glued straight down to a prepared floor. Some has a rigid core and clicks together to float, like laminate.
Quotes for the same room can vary widely, and the product is often not the main reason. LVT is thin and follows the shape of whatever it is laid on. A fitter who finds a smooth, dry floor can start laying almost at once. A fitter who finds old floorboards, tiles with raised edges, or a dusty concrete floor with dips has a day or more of preparation first.
This guide does not print a price per square metre or a day rate. It sets out what a clear quote should list, so you can compare fitters on the same terms. Our flooring fitters page covers the trade, and some tilers also lay LVT.
QuoteZila starts in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach first, and anyone in the UK can post an LVT job.
Glue-down or click: how does the method change the job?
Glue-down LVT is stuck to a smooth surface with adhesive. It sits very flat and can be cut into borders, patterns and inlays. It needs a near-perfect surface underneath, because any bump, nail head or joint will show through over time. That usually means a smoothing compound on concrete, or a layer of plywood over floorboards.
Click LVT has an interlocking edge and floats on its own backing or a thin underlay. It is more forgiving of small flaws and can sometimes go over existing hard floors. It still needs a firm, flat floor, and it needs expansion gaps at the edges, which are hidden by skirting or beading.
Neither is the cheaper choice in every room. Glue-down usually means more preparation and more skill. Click usually means less preparation but more trims and thresholds. Ask the fitter which they would choose for your floor and why.
What preparation might the floor need?
| Preparation | When it is needed | Why it changes the cost |
|---|---|---|
| Lifting the old floor | Carpet, old vinyl, laminate or loose tiles have to come up first | Labour plus waste, which the trader should deal with [S3] |
| Smoothing compound | Concrete or screed with dips, cracks or old adhesive | Mixing, pouring and drying time before any LVT goes down |
| Plywood overlay | Floorboards under glue-down LVT | Boarding the whole floor is a job in itself |
| Damp check | Concrete and new screed, before adhesive goes on | A damp floor has to be dealt with before laying |
| Fixing loose boards | Squeaks, bounce or gaps in a timber floor | A moving floor will crack joints or lift tiles |
| New screed | A floor too uneven for compound alone | A separate trade and a longer drying time |
If a large part of a floor's screed is being replaced, that can be a bigger job than flooring. The Planning Portal says renovation of more than 25 per cent of a solid or suspended floor involving the replacement of screed or a timber floor deck would have to meet the standards required by the building regulations Approved Documents [S4]. Floor screed costs covers that job.
How do the room and pattern change the price?
Simple rooms. A square bedroom or lounge with few doorways is the most straightforward.
Kitchens. Units, plinths and appliances mean more cuts. Decide whether the LVT goes under the units or stops at the plinths before the fitter prices it.
Bathrooms and cloakrooms. Toilets, basin pedestals and pipes all need careful cutting. Ask how the edges round the bath and shower will be sealed, and whether the toilet will be lifted.
Hallways. Several doorways, often a stair, and sometimes a door mat well. Each doorway needs a finish where the LVT meets the next floor.
Laying pattern. Straight planks are quickest. Herringbone, chevron, borders and feature strips take much longer and produce more offcuts. If you want a pattern, ask the fitter to quote it separately so you can see the difference.
Large open-plan rooms. Click LVT may need breaks in big runs, depending on the maker's instructions. Glue-down usually does not. Ask the fitter how they will handle the length of the room.
What about underfloor heating and sunny rooms?
LVT can be laid over underfloor heating, but not every product or adhesive suits it. The board maker and the heating maker usually say what is allowed. Ask the fitter to put the combination in writing, and to say whether the heating needs to be off or turned down while the floor is laid.
Large glazed doors and conservatories can get very warm. Some LVT products have limits on heat and direct sun. If your room has a big south-facing window or bifold doors, ask whether the product and adhesive you are considering are suitable for it. The underfloor heating guide covers that system.
What should an LVT quote list?
- Area: each room measured, with the allowance for cutting.
- Product: name, thickness and wear layer, or "customer supplied".
- Method: glue-down or click, and the adhesive or underlay named.
- Preparation: every step, from lifting the old floor to compound or plywood.
- Edges: skirting off and refitted, or beading added.
- Thresholds: number of door bars and what each joins to.
- Doors: whether doors are trimmed to clear the new floor.
- Waste: the old floor and offcuts taken away [S3].
- VAT: included or added. Registration is required above £90,000 of taxable turnover in the last 12 months [S2].
A quote that covers every line will usually look higher than one that covers half of them. That alone is not a reason to choose the shorter one.
How do you compare LVT quotes?
Send every fitter the same information: the rooms, rough sizes, what is on the floor now, photos of the floor and the doorways, the product if you have chosen it, and whether you want a pattern.
Citizens Advice suggests trying to get written quotes from at least 3 different traders, and says some traders charge for quotes, so ask about this first [S1]. It explains that a quote is a fixed price, while an estimate is just a rough guess and you might end up paying more [S1]. Once you say yes to a quote, it is a binding agreement, whether it is written down or not [S1].
If a fitter asks for a deposit to buy the LVT, Citizens Advice suggests offering to buy materials yourself instead, so at least you own them if something goes wrong [S1]. Always get a receipt for any deposit [S1].
If the job is not done properly, Citizens Advice says the Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires services to be provided with reasonable care and skill [S5].
How is LVT different from laminate or tiles?
Laminate is a wood-fibre board with a printed surface, always floated, and often not sold for wet rooms. Laminate flooring costs covers that job.
Ceramic or porcelain tiles are harder and colder underfoot, and are laid in adhesive with grout. Our tilers page covers that trade.
Sheet vinyl comes off a roll in one piece rather than as planks or tiles.
The flooring guide compares floor types side by side.
What happens on the day of fitting?
Ask the fitter to walk you through the day before you book it, because it affects how you use the room.
Clearing the room. Furniture usually has to be out of the room. Ask whether the fitter moves it, and whether appliances such as a washing machine or a freestanding cooker need another trade to move them first.
Preparation first. If the floor needs a smoothing compound, there is a wait while it dries before any LVT goes down. On some jobs that means two visits rather than one.
Laying and trims. The planks or tiles go down, then the edges, door bars and any beading.
After fitting. Ask how soon you can walk on it, move furniture back and wash the floor, and what the maker says about cleaning products.
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts.
- "Kitchen-diner, concrete floor, old tiles to come up. Please quote for preparation and glue-down LVT in a straight plank layout."
- "Downstairs toilet and hall, floorboards. I'd like a stone-look LVT. Please say how you would prepare the boards."
- "Lounge with underfloor heating. Please quote to supply and fit a click LVT that both makers allow, with skirting off and refitted."
Posting an LVT job
Photos of the floor that is down now are the most useful thing you can add. Your job goes to up to five matched local businesses [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Posting a job is not open yet
Questions about LVT flooring costs
How much does LVT flooring cost to fit?
This guide does not print a figure. The same LVT can be a quick job on a smooth, dry screed and a much longer one on old floorboards that need boarding and levelling first. Ask each fitter to put preparation, supply and fitting on separate lines so you can see where the money goes.
Is click LVT cheaper to fit than glue-down?
It is often quicker to lay, but it is not automatically cheaper overall. Click LVT still needs a flat floor and the right underlay, and it may need expansion gaps and trims that glue-down does not. Ask for both options if the fitter thinks either would work in your room.
Can LVT go over my old floor?
Sometimes. Glue-down LVT shows every bump through its surface, so it normally needs a smooth new surface underneath. Click LVT is more forgiving but still needs a firm, flat floor. Ask the fitter whether they will lay over the old floor, cover it, or lift it, and why.
Does the old floor have to be taken away?
If it comes up, it has to go somewhere. GOV.UK's waste code says a tradesperson who works on your property is responsible for the waste they produce, and its disposal cost should be included in what they charge. Ask for removal as its own line.
Does VAT change the price?
It can. A business must register for VAT if its taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000. Ask whether VAT is included in the total.
How many quotes should I get?
Citizens Advice suggests trying to get written quotes from at least 3 different traders before you decide on one. Make sure each fitter has seen, or has photos of, the floor that is down now.
Does QuoteZila check flooring fitters?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.
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Related pages
- Restoring wooden floors: what to ask. Restoring wooden floors in Cheshire means sanding, repairs and a finish on boards you keep. No job price is printed. Compare written quotes.
- Wooden flooring: what changes the price. Wooden flooring in Cheshire depends on the product, the subfloor and the finish. This guide prints no metre price. It shows what to put in a written quote.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ How does getting quotes work.
- S1: Before you get building work done, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S2: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S3: Waste duty of care: code of practice, GOV.UK (Defra). Accessed 2026-11-01. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice
- S4: Building Regulations: floor insulation, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/insulation/building-regulations-floor-insulation
- S5: If you're unhappy about poor service, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/complain-about-a-service/