Parquet is wood, so it matters how dry the floor beneath it is. In the request, write the type of parquet, the floor area of the rooms in m² and what is on the floor now.
Three-layer parquet or solid wood parquet
The usual choice is between three-layer parquet (layers glued in the factory, with a wooden top layer) and solid wood parquet or parquet boards. How a particular product is laid, floating or glued, and what base it needs, is set by the parquet manufacturer's instructions. So write the product in the request if it has already been chosen.
If the parquet comes from the factory already varnished or oiled, it is usually not sanded after installation. If the parquet is untreated, parquet sanding and varnishing is needed after installation, and it is a separate line in the estimate.
Base moisture under parquet
In the technical data sheet of the Ceresit CN 76 self-levelling compound, the manufacturer states that under parquet and wooden floor coverings the moisture of a cement base can be up to 2.0% without heating and up to 1.8% with underfloor heating. For a gypsum base the limit is 0.5%, and 0.3% with heating.
If the floor has to be levelled before the parquet, the same manufacturer states drying of 4 mm per day for a layer up to 1.5 cm and 3 mm per day for a thicker one (+23 °C, 50% humidity). So after floor levelling, parquet is laid only when a measurement shows the permitted moisture, not by the calendar.
Source: Ceresit CN 76 technical data sheet. Limits may differ for other manufacturers. Checked 11.11.2026.
Laying a parquet floor in the usual order
- Removing the old covering The old covering is removed down to the base if demolition is in the estimate.
- Base The base must be level and dry according to the parquet manufacturer's requirements; if it is not, it is levelled and left to dry.
- Parquet in the room Before installation, the parquet is kept in the room for as long as the manufacturer requires.
- Installation The parquet is laid according to the manufacturer's instructions, floating on an underlay or glued, with gaps at the walls.
- Finishing Untreated parquet is sanded and varnished, after which the skirting boards and thresholds are fitted.
What to decide before parquet
- The type and pattern of the parquet: straight rows, “herringbone” or another pattern changes the amount of work.
- Whether there will be underfloor heating under the parquet: then check whether the manufacturer allows it.
- Whether the parquet is factory-finished or will be varnished after installation.
- Whether you will choose the materials yourself.
- Whether the doors need trimming after the new covering.
Replacing the floor covering in an apartment is interior work, and municipalities explain that no construction documentation is needed for it. If you are still choosing, compare it with laminate installation.
How much parquet installation costs
Parquet installation: from €25/m². Parquet sanding and varnishing: from €23/m². Floor levelling, poured compound or screed: from €6.50/m². Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate.
Example: a 20 m² room, installation 20 × €25 = from €500 for labour. If the parquet is not factory-finished, sanding and varnishing is added, 20 × €23 = from €460, in total from €960.
The price changes with the floor area and number of rooms, the condition of the floor, and the type and pattern of the parquet. All prices are on the page renovation prices. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment.
What is and is not in the price
What this work includes
- parquet installation on a prepared base
- cutting to fit at walls, pipes and openings
What is calculated separately
- parquet, adhesive, underlay and skirting boards as materials
- floor levelling
- parquet sanding and varnishing
- demolition of the old covering
- trimming the doors
