Laminate is usually a floating floor, so the result is decided by the subfloor: it must be dry and flat enough. In your request, write the floor area of the rooms in m² and what is on the floor now.
What to know about the subfloor before laminate
In the Quick-Step laminate installation instructions, the manufacturer states that subfloor unevenness greater than 2 mm per 1 m must be levelled out. If the floor is more uneven, floor levelling is needed before the laminate. Unevenness can only be seen once the old floor covering has been removed.
Moisture is the second question. The same manufacturer requires a concrete subfloor moisture content below 2.5% (CM method) under laminate, and below 1.5% with underfloor heating. For a new concrete floor, Quick-Step states that it dries for at least one week per centimetre of thickness up to 4 cm, and twice as long when thicker. Limits differ between manufacturers, so check the instructions for your laminate.
Source: Quick-Step laminate installation instructions LV. Checked 11.11.2026.
Laminate installation in the usual order
- Acclimatisation Quick-Step recommends keeping the panels in unopened packaging for 48 hours at room temperature in the room where they will be laid.
- Removing the old floor covering Old linoleum, carpet or laminate flooring is removed if demolition is in the estimate.
- Subfloor The subfloor must be flat and dry according to the laminate manufacturer's requirements; if it is not, it is levelled.
- Underlay The underlay is laid on a dry, flat subfloor.
- Laying the panels Quick-Step requires an expansion gap of at least 8–10 mm along all edges, around pipes, thresholds and under doors; the hole for a pipe must be 20 mm larger than the pipe.
- Skirting boards and thresholds The gaps at the walls are covered with skirting boards, and thresholds are fitted in door openings.
What to decide before installation
- Whether the laminate will run in one piece through several rooms. In large spaces, Quick-Step provides for an expansion gap every 13 m.
- Whether there will be underfloor heating under the laminate. Quick-Step states that the surface of a heated subfloor must not be warmer than 28.8 °C.
- What the skirting boards will be, and whether they are fitted straight away or after the walls are painted.
- Whether you will choose the materials yourself. If the laminate manufacturer is already known, write it in your request.
- Whether the doors will need to be trimmed after the new floor covering.
Replacing a floor covering is interior work, and municipalities explain that it needs no construction documentation. If you are choosing between laminate and another covering, see vinyl flooring installation and parquet installation.
How much laminate installation costs
Laminate installation: from €6.50/m². Floor levelling, pour or screed: from €6.50/m². Demolition of walls, floors and finishes: from €6/m². Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate.
Example: a room of 18 m², installation 18 × €6.50 = from €117. If the same floor has to be levelled, add 18 × €6.50 = from €117, a total of from €234 for labour.
The price changes with the area and the number of rooms, the condition of the floor and the chosen finish. All prices are on the page renovation prices.
What is and is not in the price
What this work includes
- laying the underlay
- laying laminate panels with expansion gaps
- cutting panels to fit walls, pipes and openings
What is calculated separately
- laminate, underlay and skirting boards as materials
- floor levelling
- fitting skirting boards
- demolition of the old floor covering
- trimming doors
Sources
- Unevenness above 2 mm per 1 m must be levelled; moisture below 2.5% (CM), below 1.5% with heating; concrete dries at least one week per cm up to 4 cm; 48 h acclimatisation; gap 8–10 mm, every 13 m, holes 20 mm larger; heated surface up to 28.8 °C checked 11 November 2026
- Replacing a floor covering in an apartment needs no documentation (municipality explanation) checked 11 November 2026
