How Much Does Hardwood Floor Repair Cost in 2025?

This article was updated using automation technology and thoroughly reviewed for accuracy by HomeAdvisor Editor Ryan Noonan.

Hardwood floor repair costs $1,071 on average, but total costs vary between $480 and $1,705. Regular maintenance helps your floors last longer, but significant damage may require immediate professional attention. Minor scratches cost as little as $1 per square foot to fix, while extensive issues like rot can reach up to $250 per square foot. Hiring a floor repair professional ensures repairs are done correctly, which is an investment in the preservation of your hardwood. 

This guide covers the costs of fixing different types of hardwood floor repairs, size, wood type, and more.

Hardwood Floor Repair Cost Factors

There are quite a few cost factors to consider when setting your budget for hardwood floor repair. These include the size of the area, the type of repair needed, labor costs, and potential water damage.

Area Size

The main cost factor is determining the size of the area in need of repairs. Depending on the extent of the damage and whether it’s moderate or severe, hardwood floor repair can cost anywhere from $1 to $250 per square foot.

For smaller repairs, like 20 square feet of water damage, you'll pay a total cost or per-hour rate rather than per square foot. Note that per-square-foot costs will often go down as the repair area goes up, so these prices may be slightly higher than what a local floor repair pro charges you.

Wood Type

While the type of wood you have shouldn’t impact prices for certain kinds of repairs, such as sanding down boards or fixing underlying foundation issues, it will affect your costs if you have to replace any boards.

Hardwood floor materials can range from $3 to $20 per square foot, and you’ll have limited options if you’re matching an existing floor. Keep this in mind when deciding whether to replace a section of your floor or install a new one altogether.

Cost by Repair Type

Actual repair costs depend heavily on the type of repair you're getting. Explore the table below to find common wood floor issues and their associated prices:

Cost to Fix Uneven Hardwood Floors

Repairing an uneven or sagging floor will cost about $3 to $60 per square foot. Costs range from $1,000 to $6,000 per room or as much as $20,000 per room if you’re repairing severe damage or foundation issues. If your floors need sanding and refinishing to take off spots, you'll pay around $2 to $6 per square foot. 

If you need to level the floor before adding hardwood floor finishes, add about $3,500 to $1,000 to your cost. Repairing or replacing joists costs between $2,000 and $10,000 per room.

Hardwood Floor Scratch Repair Cost

Scratches cost anywhere from $25 to $100 per scratch or about $1 to $8 per square foot to fix. You can DIY simple scratches with an inexpensive wood filler and stain. For extensive scratches, you may need to refinish the floor completely, which could cost up to $2,000.

Hardwood Mold or Mildew Repairs

Mold remediation costs around $10 to $25 per square foot. Getting rid of mold or mildew means hiring a mold remediation specialist near you. They'll remove the mold first, often including the wood planks. Replacing sections of hardwood floors costs an additional $7 to $25 per square foot.

Hardwood Floor Cupping Repair Costs

Repairing hardwood floor cupping costs $1 to $8 per square foot. You'll notice the edges of your planks rising slightly, which happens because the room has higher humidity than normal. You can reverse cupping by lowering the moisture level in the room.

Here are some other options to repair cupping issues:

• Consider sanding and refinishing: You may need to take this extra step if your cupping problem doesn't right itself after a few days.

• Identify the source of added moisture: Check for plumbing leaks in the area that could be exposing your floor to moisture. Plumbing leak fixes cost about $150–$350.

• Dehumidify the area: You can do this with a simple dehumidifier for the room or pay for the cost of a whole-house dehumidifier—around $1,300–$2,800, which is less than the cost of replacing your floors.

Hardwood Floor Squeaking Repair

Depending on the cause, repairing squeaky floors costs $10 to $50 per square foot or between $200 and $1,000—or up to $6,000 for severe issues. Common causes include water damage, uneven subflooring, improper installation, or a settling foundation.

Board Replacement

The total cost of replacing a section of hardwood flooring depends on the size of the area, the type of wood, and the finishing required, but it ranges between $800 and $2,000. New hardwood floor installation costs $6 to $25 per square foot. Matching new boards to existing floors can be challenging, so you may prefer to replace the floors entirely.

Water Damage

Repairing water-damaged floors costs about $8 to $100 per square foot, depending on the extent of the damage. This covers repairing or replacing boards and blending them with the existing floor. If the damage is widespread, repairing it can be more expensive than replacing the floor. However, repairing the floor is a more environmentally-friendly choice.

You may need to repair joists and subfloors and refinish the floor if there’s extensive damage:

• Repairing floor joist cost: $40–$60 per sq. ft.

• Refinish hardwood floor cost: $3–$8 per sq. ft.

• Replacing subfloor cost: $500–$750

Labor

Hiring a local hardwood repair pro costs between $65 and $100 per hour. Depending on the extent of the damage, most homeowners end up paying between $330 and $2,400 in labor for hardwood floor repairs. More complex repairs require additional time, resulting in higher labor costs. Expect simple repairs to take a couple of hours and more involved jobs to take multiple days. 

Hardwood Floor Repair vs. Replacement

Deciding whether to repair or replace your hardwood floor comes down to the extent of the damage and whether you’re particularly attached to the home’s original floors. If your floor is in good shape overall but has rot or scratches in small areas, you can most likely save money by repairing it. However, if the majority of the floor is in despair, consider whether replacing it would be less costly.

Hardwood floor refinishing costs are far lower than the price of replacing floors, but leveling a floor can be almost as expensive as an all-new one. If you have to replace floorboards, it can be next to impossible to match the new boards to your old ones, making repairs visible.

With the average floor repair costing $1,071, it's generally more cost-effective to hire a pro to repair the problem. Replacing a hardwood floor costs anywhere from $2,500 to $7,100, depending on the type of hardwood floor. 

Budgeting for Hardwood Floor Repair

Hardwood floor repair can be an expensive project—here are a few ways to reduce costs:

• If you have the know-how, consider making small repairs yourself, such as sanding and filling small scratches.

• Bundle multiple floor repairs together to negotiate a better rate.

• Save your floor repair pro time by clearing the repair area of furniture, rugs, and other obstacles before they arrive.

• If you have to replace boards, consider recycled wood, which has a rustic look and a lower price tag.

• Schedule repairs in the winter when companies are less busy and rates are lower.

How HomeAdvisor Gets Its Cost Data

No place is more important than your home, which is why HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local pros to transform their houses into homes they love. To help homeowners prepare for their next project, HomeAdvisor provides readers with accurate cost data and follows strict editorial guidelines. We surveyed thousands of real customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.