Home Depot, Lowe's, Floor & Decor or a Local Flooring Store in Sacramento?
Prices checked · Best Flooring Sacramento
Best-selling LVP: Home Depot median $2.99 per sq ft; Lowe's median $1.99 per sq ft; Floor & Decor median $2.24 per sq ft; Costco median $3.07 per sq ft; LL Flooring (Lumber Liquidators) median $1.89 per sq ft. Home Depot: in-home measure, then one quote for material and installation, independent installers. Lowe's: free measure, then a quote; a mileage fee beyond 20 miles from the store, independent installers. Floor & Decor: mostly buy and take home; its site says it partners with Installation Made Easy, a partner company; installation is not listed among the Sacramento store's services. Empire Today: in-home estimate; next-day installation only on items in stock, independent installers. Costco: shaw Custom Flooring program: an in-home consultation by a local Shaw dealer, plus a 10% Shop Card, a local Shaw dealer. LL Flooring (Lumber Liquidators): $49 measure, credited to an installation order, independent installers.
Side by side
| Home Depot | Lowe's | Floor & Decor | Empire Today | Costco | LL Flooring (Lumber Liquidators) | Local stores (our data) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In the Sacramento area | 17 stores | 7 stores | 3 stores: Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, Roseville | A warehouse in West Sacramento; sales happen in your home | 10 warehouses | 1 store: 4711 Northgate Blvd, Suite B, Sacramento (Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova and Roseville closed in 2024) | 60 ranked stores, 83 ranked installers |
| LVP, per sq ft | $1.49-6.51, best sellers median $2.99 (12) | $1.49-9.34, best sellers median $1.99 (19) | $0.99-4.99, best sellers median $2.24 (24) | Not published | $3.07, best sellers median $3.07 (1) | $1.23-3.75, best sellers median $1.89 (24) | $1.89-6 material, median $3.29 (15) |
| Laminate, per sq ft | $0.99-5.36, best sellers median $1.99 (12) | $0.99-5.30, best sellers median $1.99 (19) | $1.29-4.39, best sellers median $2.59 (24) | Not published | $2.48-2.62, best sellers median $2.55 (2) | $0.79-3.49, best sellers median $2.48 (18) | $1.79-5.29 material, median $3.81 (14) |
| Engineered hardwood, per sq ft | $2.29-12.68, best sellers median $4.59 (11) | $2.85-16.37, best sellers median $4.47 (20) | $1.99-14.29, best sellers median $4.92 (24) | Not published | Not published | $2.79-8.99, best sellers median $6.17 (20) | $5.92-14.60 material, median $8.62 (2) |
| Prices checked at | LVP from the West Sacramento store; laminate and engineered wood from the default store, with the same prices on every LVP item we compared | LVP from the West Sacramento store; the rest from the default store, with the same prices on all 20 items we compared | the Sacramento store | - | costco.com; only 3 Mohawk Home items listed, all out of stock online | the chain's site, not tied to a Sacramento store | Quotes sent to us by email |
| How installation is sold | In-home measure, then one quote for material and installation | Free measure, then a quote; a mileage fee beyond 20 miles from the store | Mostly buy and take home; its site says it partners with Installation Made Easy | In-home estimate; next-day installation only on items in stock | Shaw Custom Flooring program: an in-home consultation by a local Shaw dealer, plus a 10% Shop Card | $49 measure, credited to an installation order | Measure or email, then a written quote for material and installation; installed LVP quotes $5-9.37 per sq ft (6) |
| Labor price | $2.49 per sq ft basic install on click-lock vinyl and laminate (a national offer; the Sacramento stores are not on its store list) | Not published | Not published | Not published; material is not sold on its own | Not published | Not published | $2.25-6.76 per sq ft labor only (11) |
| Who installs | Independent installers | Independent installers | A partner company; installation is not listed among the Sacramento store's services | Independent installers | A local Shaw dealer | Independent installers | Own crew at 19 ranked companies, by their sites |
| Workmanship warranty | 1 year on labor | 1-year limited warranty on labor | Not published | 1 year from the date of purchase | Not published | 1 year, mainly from the installer | In writing in 3 of the replies we got |
| Returns | 90 days | 90 days; special orders carry a 20% restocking fee after 72 hours, installed orders included | 90 days, unopened boxes | - | Custom orders with installation can't be returned | 30 days, 25% restocking fee | - |
| Financing | - | 12 months on a Lowe's card from $299 | - | - | - | 18 months from $2,500 | Offered by 40 ranked companies |
| Promotions | - | - | - | "Up to 70% off", in practice at least 35% off when installation is paid at full price | - | - | - |
| Installation reviews | 4.3 from 136 reviews on its own Sacramento vinyl installation page | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Chain prices are per sq ft for material only, from each chain's own site: the lowest and highest price we saw and the median of its best sellers, with the number of best sellers in brackets. Local prices are quotes sent to us by email. Where a chain does not publish something, the cell says so.
What the difference means
- Home Depot advertises $2.49 per sq ft basic install on click-lock vinyl and laminate (a national offer; the Sacramento stores are not on its store list); removal, furniture moving and floor prep are extra.
- Lowe's does not publish a labor price, so you only learn the installed price after a measure.
- Floor & Decor does not publish a labor price, so you only learn the installed price after a measure.
- Costco does not publish a labor price, so you only learn the installed price after a measure.
- LL Flooring (Lumber Liquidators) does not publish a labor price, so you only learn the installed price after a measure.
- Independent installers are contractors the store hires per job: ask who will come, whether they hold their own CSLB license, and who stands behind the 1-year labor warranty.
- Local installers quoted us $2.25-6.76 per sq ft for labor only, so buying material at a chain and hiring a local installer is an option; ask first whether they install material they did not sell.
- Compare installed totals, not material prices: removal, floor prep, baseboards, transitions and tax decide the final bill.
Or a local installer
Local stores and installers in our ranking quote material and installation together and name who lays the floor. The top 3 by our score:
- Euro Flooring, Roseville: 90/100. Installed price quoted to us: $8.95 per sq ft, LVP, installed. It holds 5.0 stars from 70 Google reviews and 4.9 from 118 on Yelp.
- Family Floors & More, Elk Grove: 89/100. It holds 4.8 stars from 43 Google reviews and 4.8 from 88 on Yelp.
- Central Valley Floor Design, El Dorado Hills: 89/100. Installed price quoted to us: $9.37 per sq ft, LVP, installed. It holds 5.0 stars from 25 Google reviews and 4.8 from 32 on Yelp.
Other comparisons
- Floor & Decor vs Home Depot Flooring in Sacramento
- Home Depot vs Lowe's Flooring in Sacramento
- Floor & Decor vs Lowe's Flooring in Sacramento
- LL Flooring (Lumber Liquidators) vs Floor & Decor Flooring in Sacramento
- Empire Today vs Home Depot Flooring in Sacramento
- Costco vs Home Depot Flooring in Sacramento
Questions
Is it cheaper to buy flooring at big-box chains in Sacramento?
Best-selling LVP: Home Depot median $2.99 per sq ft; Lowe's median $1.99 per sq ft; Floor & Decor median $2.24 per sq ft; Costco median $3.07 per sq ft; LL Flooring (Lumber Liquidators) median $1.89 per sq ft. Home Depot: in-home measure, then one quote for material and installation, independent installers. Lowe's: free measure, then a quote; a mileage fee beyond 20 miles from the store, independent installers. Floor & Decor: mostly buy and take home; its site says it partners with Installation Made Easy, a partner company; installation is not listed among the Sacramento store's services. Empire Today: in-home estimate; next-day installation only on items in stock, independent installers. Costco: shaw Custom Flooring program: an in-home consultation by a local Shaw dealer, plus a 10% Shop Card, a local Shaw dealer. LL Flooring (Lumber Liquidators): $49 measure, credited to an installation order, independent installers. Installed totals depend on removal, prep and trim, so get a written quote with every part of the job listed.
Who installs floors sold by big-box chains?
Home Depot: independent installers. Lowe's: independent installers. Floor & Decor: a partner company; installation is not listed among the sacramento store's services. Empire Today: independent installers. Costco: a local shaw dealer. LL Flooring (Lumber Liquidators): independent installers.
What warranty do big-box flooring installations have?
Home Depot: 1 year on labor. Lowe's: 1-year limited warranty on labor. Floor & Decor: not published. Empire Today: 1 year from the date of purchase. Costco: not published. LL Flooring (Lumber Liquidators): 1 year, mainly from the installer.
Sources: homedepot.com/services/c/flooring-installation/660eb1d19, homedepot.com/services/c/vinyl-plank-flooring-install…, homedepot.com/c/Return_Policy, lowes.com/l/install/flooring, lowes.com/l/install/vinyl-floors, lowes.com/l/help/returns-policy, flooranddecor.com/installation-services.html, flooranddecor.com/store/sacramento/CA/95832/216, flooranddecor.com/policies/returns.html, empiretoday.com/locations/sacramento, empiretoday.com/customer-service/faqs, empiretoday.com/customer-service/faqs; our quote requests to 106 Sacramento flooring companies. Checked Oct 22, 2026.