Replacing a subfloor costs $600 to $2,500 for a typical project, with a national average of $1,600 for a 200-square-foot kitchen or living room replacement using OSB, according to Fixr (updated January 2025)3. Angi puts most projects at $900 to $3,000 for an average 300-square-foot room (updated October 2026)1, and HomeGuide prices the job at $2.20 to $4.75 per square foot installed (updated September 2024)2. The three publishers use different room sizes, dates, and scope assumptions, so their figures are labeled separately throughout this guide.
Cost per square foot
The three publishers price the same job at different per-square-foot rates: HomeGuide at $2.20 to $4.75 installed (2024)2, Angi at $3 to $10 with material type and labor as the stated drivers (2026)1, and Fixr at $3.50 to $12 (2025)3. These are separately published figures with different dates and scopes, and no conclusion about which rate applies follows from the differences. Fixr's published low end is $250 to replace a 50-square-foot section in a bedroom with plywood, and its high end is $36,000 to replace a whole basement subfloor with high-performance panels3.
Cost by area size
HomeGuide's size figures are installed prices (2024)2:
| Area size (sq. ft.) | HomeGuide average cost, per project installed (2024) |
|---|---|
| 50 | $110 – $240 |
| 100 | $220 – $475 |
| 200 | $440 – $950 |
| 500 | $1,100 – $2,400 |
| 750 | $1,650 – $3,550 |
| 1,000 | $2,200 – $4,750 |
| 1,200 | $2,650 – $5,700 |
| 1,500 | $3,300 – $7,100 |
| 2,000 | $4,400 – $9,500 |
| 2,500 | $5,500 – $11,900 |
HomeGuide notes that the cost per square foot can be higher on small projects because of minimum job fees2. Fixr publishes its own size figures at its higher rate (2025)3:
| Area size (sq. ft.) | Fixr replacement cost, per project (2025) |
|---|---|
| 50 | $175 – $600 |
| 100 | $350 – $1,200 |
| 200 | $700 – $2,400 |
| 500 | $1,750 – $6,000 |
| 1,000 | $3,500 – $12,000 |
| 2,000 | $7,000 – $24,000 |
| 3,000 | $10,500 – $36,000 |
Cost by material
HomeGuide's material figures are installed prices per square foot (2024)2:
| Material | HomeGuide average cost, per sq. ft. installed (2024) |
|---|---|
| Plywood | $2.50 – $3.00 |
| Oriented strand board (OSB) | $2.20 – $2.80 |
| AdvanTech | $2.75 – $4.50 |
| Amdry | $2.80 – $4.75 |
| Barricade | $2.80 – $4.75 |
| DRIcore | $2.75 – $4.00 |
| DRIcore R+ | $3.20 – $4.50 |
Fixr's material figures are also installed prices (2025). Its page gives conflicting per-square-foot figures for plywood and for OSB between its summary table and its material sections, so those two figure sets are excluded here; the remaining rows are as published3:
| Material | Fixr cost, per sq. ft. installed (2025) |
|---|---|
| High-performance panels (general) | $3.50 – $10.50 |
| Concrete | $4.25 – $12 |
Fixr also prices specific high-performance panel brands, installed (2025)3:
| Panel brand | Fixr cost, per sq. ft. installed (2025) |
|---|---|
| Delta-FL | $3.50 – $8 |
| DRIcore | $4.65 – $8.85 |
| AdvanTech | $4.75 – $9.25 |
| Barricade | $5 – $9.75 |
| Tyroc | $5.50 – $10 |
| Amdry | $6 – $10.50 |
Angi publishes a material table without stating whether labor is included, except for plywood, which it specifies is materials only for 5/8-inch panels (2026)1:
| Material | Angi average cost, per sq. ft. as published (2026) |
|---|---|
| Plywood (materials only) | $2.50 – $3.50 |
| Oriented strand board (OSB) | $2.50 – $4.50 |
| Amdry | $3 – $10 |
| DRIcore | $2.50 – $9 |
| Barricade | $2 – $10 |
| Warmboard | $7 |
| Concrete | $6 |
Because the three publishers state different scopes for these tables – HomeGuide and Fixr installed, Angi unstated apart from plywood – the per-material figures cannot be compared row by row reliably. Angi also notes that Amdry installation uses special connectors sold at $20 per pack of 151.
Cost by room and location
HomeGuide's location figures are installed prices for the subfloor only, not including the flooring on top (2024)2:
| Room | Size (sq. ft.) | HomeGuide average cost, per project installed (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Bedroom | 100 – 180 | $220 – $850 |
| Primary bedroom | 180 – 250 | $400 – $1,200 |
| Living room | 250 – 350 | $550 – $1,400 |
| Bathroom | 40 – 80 | $100 – $380 |
| Primary bathroom | 80 – 120 | $180 – $570 |
| Kitchen | 100 – 200 | $220 – $950 |
| Basement | 800 – 1,500 | $1,750 – $7,100 |
Fixr publishes its own location figures (2025)3:
| Location | Size (sq. ft.) | Fixr replacement cost, per project (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Bedroom | 100 – 150 | $400 – $700 |
| Bathroom | 35 – 75 | $500 – $750 |
| Living room | 200 – 350 | $600 – $1,200 |
| Kitchen | 100 – 175 | $800 – $2,500 |
| Mobile home | 600 – 1,300 | $1,200 – $3,575 |
| Basement | 800 – 1,500 | $3,200 – $16,000 |
| Whole house | 1,500 – 1,800 | $9,000 – $21,000 |
Fixr notes that replacing the small section of bathroom subfloor around a toilet costs $150 to $2003. Angi publishes a location table without stating room sizes (2026)1:
| Location | Angi average cost, per project (2026) |
|---|---|
| Bedroom | $450 – $1,500 |
| Living room | $900 – $3,000 |
| Kitchen | $600 – $2,000 |
| Bathroom | $120 – $400 |
| Basement | $3,000 – $10,000 |
For mobile homes specifically, HomeGuide puts replacement at $2.20 to $2.80 per square foot, or $1,100 to $3,600 for a single-wide and $2,000 to $6,400 for a double-wide model, and notes mobile-home subfloors are typically OSB (2024)2. The three publishers' location figures diverge in places – bathroom replacement is one example – and no conclusion about which applies follows from the differences.
Labor and materials split
Hourly labor rates: Angi publishes $25 to $30 per hour (2026)1; HomeGuide and Fixr each publish $25 to $45 per hour (2024 and 2025)23. HomeGuide's and Fixr's matching rates are separately published figures, and the pages state no shared sourcing; matching figures alone do not establish independent corroboration.
HomeGuide breaks its installed rate into components – materials make up approximately 70 percent of the total and labor 30 percent (2024)2:
| Component | HomeGuide average cost, per sq. ft. (2024) |
|---|---|
| Materials | $1.60 – $3.25 |
| Labor | $0.60 – $1.50 |
| Total | $2.20 – $4.75 |
On removal and disposal: Angi says old-subfloor removal labor is typically bundled into the installation quote, and prices junk removal at $100 to $800 with subfloor debris averaging around $160 (2026)1. Fixr says some contractors add $50 to $100 for disposal of the old subfloor (2025)3.
Floor joist repair and replacement
Subfloor damage sometimes extends to the joists beneath. Each publisher prices joist work separately: Angi puts replacement at $100 to $300 per joist (2026)1; HomeGuide puts replacement at $350 to $1,000 per joist and sistering – fastening a new joist alongside a damaged one – at $150 to $325 per joist (2024)2; Fixr puts replacement at $125 to $315 per joist, or $2,000 to $5,000 for the 16 joists under a 200-square-foot living room in its example, for a combined subfloor-and-joist total of $2,700 to $7,400 (2025)3. These are separately published figures with different dates, and no conclusion about which applies follows from the differences.
Mold, underlayment, and other related costs
Where water damage involves mold, the publishers price remediation differently: HomeGuide at $15 to $30 per square foot (2024)2, Angi at an average of just over $2,000 per project (2026)1, and Fixr at $1,500 to $4,000 per project on top of the subfloor work (2025)3. These figures have different units and scopes and cannot be compared reliably.
For underlayment installed over the new subfloor, Angi publishes $0.50 to $5.50 per square foot depending on the product (2026)1, while Fixr publishes $4 to $5.80 per square foot installed (2025)3 – separately published figures that diverge, with no conclusion following from the difference. If the flooring above the subfloor also needs replacing, HomeGuide puts new flooring installation at $4 to $15 per square foot depending on material (2024)2, and Fixr puts combined floor-and-subfloor replacement for 200 square feet at $1,500 to $10,000 depending on the flooring type (2025)3.
Repair vs. replacement
Not every damaged subfloor needs full replacement. HomeGuide puts repairing a small damaged area – cutting out and patching the section – at $100 to $300 on average (2024)2. Fixr prices repair of a 150-square-foot area at $250 to $750 versus $600 to $1,800 for replacement of the same area, and notes that serious water damage can make replacement the right call even for a small area (2025)3.
Signs the publishers list as pointing to repair or replacement include loud squeaking, cracking or popping sounds under tile, sagging or uneven floors, springy or bouncy sections, water damage, musty odors, cupped or warped floorboards, and a toilet that rocks at its base23. Angi lists widespread water damage or mold growth, multiple broken or rotten boards, and sagging floors – which can indicate joist problems – as signs that full replacement rather than repair is needed1. Both Angi and HomeGuide recommend hiring a flooring contractor for replacement work12.
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