"How long will my floors take?" is the question every homeowner asks before signing a contract. The honest answer is: it depends on the material, the square footage, and how much prep your subfloor needs. After installing flooring in 1,000+ DFW homes, here's the realistic day-by-day breakdown for every major flooring type.
Quick reference: typical timelines
| Material | 1,000 sq ft | 2,500 sq ft |
| Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) | 1–2 days | 3–4 days |
| Laminate | 1–2 days | 3 days |
| Engineered Hardwood (glue-down) | 3–4 days | 5–7 days |
| Solid Hardwood | 3–5 days | 6–8 days |
| Tile (porcelain/ceramic) | 3–5 days | 7–10 days |
| Hardwood Refinishing | 3–4 days | 5–7 days |
| Curbless Shower Tile | 5–7 days | — |
Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) — 1–2 days for most homes
LVP is the fastest install on the market. Here's a typical 1,500 sq ft DFW home:
- Day 1 morning: Furniture move, old floor tear-out, debris haul-away, subfloor inspection and leveling (if needed).
- Day 1 afternoon: Underlayment install (or vapor barrier on slab), first half of LVP install.
- Day 2 morning: Complete LVP install, transitions, quarter-round.
- Day 2 afternoon: Final clean-up, walk-through, furniture replacement.
You can walk on LVP immediately. No cure time. You can move furniture back the same day.
Laminate — 1–2 days, same as LVP
Laminate timeline is nearly identical to LVP. Both are floating click-lock installs over underlayment. The only difference: laminate is slightly more fragile during install (chips at the edges if mishandled), so good installers go slower around tight cuts at doorways.
Engineered Hardwood (glue-down on slab) — 3–4 days
This is the most common hardwood install in DFW. For a 1,500 sq ft home:
- Day 1: Furniture move, tear-out, slab moisture testing, leveling (self-leveling compound where needed). The slab must cure overnight before glue-down.
- Day 2: Vapor barrier (if required by manufacturer), adhesive trowel-down, first half of plank install. Hardwood needs 24–48 hours of acclimation in the home before install — we typically deliver and stage planks on Day 1.
- Day 3: Complete plank install, edge cuts, transitions.
- Day 4: Quarter-round and trim install, final clean-up, walk-through.
Do not walk on glue-down hardwood for 12–24 hours after install. The adhesive needs to cure. Heavy furniture and rugs should wait 48 hours.
Solid Hardwood (nail-down) — 3–5 days
Solid hardwood nail-down on a plywood subfloor adds 1–2 days for acclimation. Solid wood needs to sit in the home for 5–7 days before install to acclimate to indoor humidity. Skipping this is the #1 cause of post-install cupping and gapping in Texas homes.
- Days 1–5: Wood delivery, staging in the install room, acclimation. No work happens during this window — but the wood must be in the conditioned space.
- Day 6: Tear-out, subfloor prep, vapor barrier, layout planning, start nailing.
- Day 7: Continue nail-down install.
- Day 8: Complete install, quarter-round, transitions.
- Day 9: Final clean-up, walk-through.
Tile (porcelain/ceramic) — 3–5 days for a kitchen floor
Tile takes longer than people expect because mortar cure times can't be rushed:
- Day 1: Tear-out, subfloor prep, leveling compound (24-hour cure).
- Day 2: Uncoupling membrane install (Schluter DITRA), waterproofing for wet areas.
- Day 3: Tile layout, first round of cuts, full install with thin-set. Tile sets for 24–48 hours.
- Day 4: Grouting, sealing.
- Day 5: Final clean-up, silicone at transitions, walk-through.
Do not walk on freshly tiled floors for 24–48 hours. Heavy use should wait 7 days for full mortar cure.
Hardwood Refinishing — 3–4 days, plus cure time
Refinishing is faster than new install but requires you to vacate the rooms during the project:
- Day 1: Furniture removal, dust containment setup (plastic walls, HEPA filters), rough sanding pass.
- Day 2: Fine sanding, edge sanding, vacuum, first stain coat (if color-changing).
- Day 3: First polyurethane coat (dries overnight).
- Day 4: Screen between coats, second poly coat. Walk on socked feet only.
- Day 5–7: Third poly coat, full cure. Light foot traffic OK after 24 hours; furniture move-back after 72 hours; area rugs after 14 days.
Curbless Shower Tile — 5–7 days
Showers are the slowest tile project because of waterproofing and cure times:
- Day 1: Tear-out of old shower, framing for niches/benches.
- Day 2: Cement board or backer install, HYDRO BAN or Schluter KERDI waterproofing.
- Day 3: Waterproofing cure, tile layout, start floor tile.
- Day 4: Wall tile install.
- Day 5: Grout, niche details.
- Day 6: Silicone, glass enclosure prep (separate trade).
- Day 7: Final clean-up, walk-through.
What can delay your DFW flooring install?
- Subfloor surprises: Water damage, rot, or uneven slabs discovered during tear-out add 1–3 days.
- Acclimation time: Solid hardwood requires 5–7 days in the home before install.
- Texas weather: Materials can't be delivered during ice storms or hurricane-force rain.
- Adjacent trades: If a kitchen remodel or paint job runs late, flooring waits.
- HOA delivery restrictions: Some Southlake and Frisco neighborhoods limit truck access to specific hours.
Should you stay in the home during the install?
For LVP, laminate, and tile in a single room — yes, no problem. For full-home hardwood install or refinishing — most families move out for 3–5 days because of dust, smell, and access restrictions. Refinishing in particular generates strong polyurethane odor for 2–3 days.
How to plan your install timeline
- Get your free in-home estimate (1 hour)
- Sign contract and place deposit
- Material lead time: 2–4 weeks for most DFW projects (longer for specialty European hardwood or imported marble)
- Install starts on scheduled date
- Final walk-through and balance payment
From signing contract to floors complete, most DFW projects run 3–6 weeks total.
Request a free in-home flooring estimate and we'll give you a specific timeline for your home based on material choice, square footage, and subfloor condition.
