Somerset County is several housing markets in one, and the right floor changes with the town. What suits a Bridgewater open-plan main floor is wrong for a Somerville Victorian, and both differ from a Hillsborough new-build.
Installed prices across the county
| Material | Installed per sq ft |
|---|---|
| Carpet | $3 to $8 |
| Laminate | $4 to $8 |
| Luxury vinyl plank | $5 to $11 |
| Solid hardwood | $8 to $15 |
| Engineered hardwood | $10 to $18 |
| Tile | $10 to $25 |
Bridgewater: open plan and finished basements
The 1980s to 2000s development building here produced a lot of open-plan main floors where a single material runs from kitchen through to living space. That rules out laminate for most of these homes, because its core swells permanently if water sits at a seam and the kitchen is where that happens. Luxury vinyl plank and engineered hardwood both handle the whole run. Finished basements on slab mean solid hardwood is off the table downstairs.
Hillsborough: builder-grade replacement
Newer construction frequently came with flooring specified to hit a price point. It typically wears through in the traffic lanes within five to seven years while the rest of the floor still looks new. You are not replacing a worn-out floor so much as upgrading a specification. Stepping to a 20-mil wear layer usually ends the cycle for good.
Somerville and Raritan: original floors worth saving
Somerville’s Victorian and pre-war housing frequently still has original hardwood under whatever was laid on top. Where the boards are sound, refinishing at $3 to $8 per square foot beats replacement at $8 to $15 comfortably, and the timber quality is not something you can buy new. Raritan borough homes built before 1990 mostly have wood subfloors rather than slab, which keeps solid hardwood on the table.
How to decide
Start with what is underneath, not with a sample book. Slab or wood subfloor decides whether solid hardwood is even possible. Then consider water: any room where it is likely wants something waterproof. Then budget, because that decides grade within whichever material survives the first two questions.
Frequently asked questions
Which Somerset towns do you serve?
Bridgewater, Hillsborough, Somerville, Raritan, Bound Brook, Martinsville and the surrounding areas.
Is refinishing worth it?
Very often in the older housing stock. We measure the wood remaining above the tongue before advising, because that decides whether another sanding is possible.
How long does a project take?
One day for most single rooms, one to three days for whole floors. Tile runs two to three days because of the cure before grouting.