SHORT ANSWER
New floors are a big spend, so it's fair to ask how long they'll last before you're doing it all again.
The short answer: carpet lasts about 9 years, laminate about 20, vinyl plank about 25, engineered hardwood about 40, and tile and solid hardwood 75 years or more.
We got those numbers by comparing what home inspectors, home builders, flooring associations and flooring makers each say. They don't always agree, so we've shown you all of their numbers below, next to ours.
But how long a floor lasts is only half the story. A cheap floor you replace every nine years can end up costing more than a pricey one that lasts for decades. So we also worked out what each floor costs you per square foot, per year you live with it.
What we found:
Tile is the cheapest floor to own at about 14 cents per square foot per year. That's about half the yearly cost of vinyl plank.
Carpet costs the most to own at about 67 cents per square foot per year. That's nearly five times the cost of tile, because it wears out so fast.
Solid hardwood costs about 2.5 times as much as vinyl plank to put in. But per year, it's only about 1.4 times as much, because it lasts so much longer.
"Lifetime" warranties aren't the same as a lifetime floor. Some vinyl and laminate floors now come with lifetime warranties. Home inspectors still expect them to last 15 to 25 years.
How long each floor lasts
Everyone agrees on the order. Stone, tile and solid wood last the longest, and carpet wears out first. The exact numbers are where they differ.
The lifespan of flooring ranges from 5 to over 100 years, depending heavily on the material quality, installation, and daily foot traffic. In this guide, we cover those types, the cost breakdown per year, and talk about exactly what goes into an average flooring warranty so there are no surprises.
Why don't the sources agree? A few reasons:
The commercial studies assume office traffic. Hundreds of people a day wear out soft floors much faster than a family does.
Some figures are older. The builders' number for vinyl comes from an older study, before today's rigid vinyl plank was common.
Engineered hardwood depends on its top layer. A floor with a 1 mm layer of real wood can't be sanded and lasts about 15 to 25 years. One with a 4 mm layer can be sanded 3 or 4 times and can last 50 to 80 years.
To be safe, we capped tile and solid wood at 75 years. A well-cared-for floor can easily go longer.
What each floor really costs per year
To work this out, we took the 2026 installed price for each floor from our Vancouver Island Price Index. For wood floors, we added a refinish about every 20 years at $3.50 a square foot. Then we divided by how many years the floor lasts. Some of these flooring types have a higher ROI when selling a home than others.
For a 1,000 square foot home, that works out to about:
$143 a year for tile
$270 a year for vinyl plank
$367 a year for solid hardwood
$667 a year for carpet
Big industry studies land in the same order. A 75-year study by the Tile Council of North America found tile and solid wood were the cheapest floors to own in offices, and carpet and vinyl cost more over time. We cover flooring costs in depth here.
Warranties vs. real life
A warranty and a lifespan are two different things. A "lifetime" warranty usually covers defects and the top layer wearing right through. It doesn't promise the floor will still look good in 30 years.
Here are a few real examples:
Carpet shows the gap best. A 25-year wear warranty only pays out if the fibres actually wear away. Crushing, matting, dirt and fading aren't covered, and those are the usual reasons people replace carpet. Stains are handled under a separate stain warranty. Warranties also shrink in commercial spaces. COREtec drops to 10 years and RevWood to 5.
What wears floors out faster
Two identical floors can age very differently. These are the biggest things that shorten a floor's life:
Grit. Sand and small stones act like sandpaper under your shoes. This is a big one on the Island, with wet, gritty boots coming in for months every year.
Water. Standing water swells laminate seams and stains wood. Wipe up spills right away.
Sun. Strong sunlight fades wood, vinyl and carpet over time. Blinds or UV window film help in south-facing rooms.
Pets. Claws scratch finishes, and accidents can soak into seams and carpet pad.
Heavy furniture. Fridges, pianos and couches can dent softer woods and vinyl. Use wide pads or furniture cups.
The wrong cleaner. Oil soaps, wax and harsh cleaners can build up on a finish or dull it. Use what the flooring maker recommends.
Signs it's time to replace your floor
Most floors get replaced because of how they look, not because they fail. Here's what to watch for:
Carpet: worn paths you can't vacuum out, flattened areas, seams pulling apart, or smells that come back after cleaning.
Vinyl plank and laminate: the pattern is worn through, the edges have swollen or lifted, or planks shift and click when you walk.
Hardwood: grey or bare wood showing through the finish means it's time to refinish, not replace. Boards that are cupped, cracked or soft from water may need replacing.
Tile: cracked tiles or hollow-sounding spots. These usually point to a problem underneath.
Repair or replace?
You don't always need a whole new floor.
Hardwood: a scratched or dull floor can usually be refinished. Damaged boards can be cut out and replaced.
Vinyl plank and laminate: single planks can often be swapped out, especially with click-together floors. This is where that spare box pays off.
Tile: a cracked tile can be chipped out and replaced, as long as you can find a match.
Carpet: small stains or burns can sometimes be patched with a piece from a closet. Worn paths can't be fixed.
If more than a few areas are damaged, or the floor is near the end of its expected life, replacing it usually makes more sense.
How to make your floors last longer
Put mats at every door. On the Island, wet grit tracked in from outside wears down floors faster than anything else.
Use felt pads under furniture, and a mat under rolling office chairs.
Recoat hardwood before it needs a full sand. A light buff and new top coat keeps the real wood for later.
Keep indoor humidity around 35% to 45%. It stops gaps and cupping in wood and laminate. Our Campbell River climate study explains why.
Clean the right way. Steam mops and soaking wet mops can void the warranty on many laminate and hardwood floors.
Pick the right floor for the room. Use waterproof vinyl or tile in entryways, basements and bathrooms. Save wood and carpet for dry rooms.
Common questions
How long does vinyl plank flooring last? About 25 years in a home. Published numbers range from 15 years (in busy commercial spaces) to 50 years. Good rigid vinyl plank often comes with a lifetime residential wear warranty.
How long does laminate flooring last? About 15 to 25 years. Water getting into the seams and the surface wearing through are the most common reasons it's replaced.
How long does carpet last? About 8 to 10 years in a typical home. Some premium carpets have 20 to 25 year wear warranties, but most people replace carpet sooner because of how it looks.
How long does engineered hardwood last? It depends on the real wood layer on top. A thin 1 mm layer lasts about 15 to 25 years. A thick 4 mm layer can last 50 to 80 years and be sanded 3 or 4 times.
What is the longest-lasting flooring? Solid hardwood, natural stone and porcelain or ceramic tile. With normal care, they last 75 to 100 years or more.
Which flooring is the best value over time? Per year of use, tile is cheapest at about 14 cents per square foot per year on Vancouver Island. Next are vinyl plank (27 cents) and laminate (29 cents). Carpet costs the most, at about 67 cents.
How often should hardwood floors be refinished? About every 15 to 20 years for a full sand and refinish, with lighter recoats in between.
How we did the math
Our lifespan for each floor is the home-use number that fits best across all the sources below. We capped it at 75 years. Cost per year = the 2026 installed price for Vancouver Island, plus $3.50 a square foot for each refinish, divided by the lifespan. It's in today's dollars. It doesn't include removing the old floor, cleaning or inflation. We collected this data in October 2026.
Sources
National Association of Home Builders and Bank of America: Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components, as summed up by On the House and David Weekley Homes
Tile Council of North America: Flooring life-cycle cost table
National Wood Flooring Association: Life-cycle cost analysis, 2024
VanReno: Flooring installation costs in Vancouver (refinishing at $2 to $5 a square foot)
Using this data? You're welcome to share it. Please link back to this page and credit "Mack's Flooring, How Long Does Flooring Last?"
Business Info
Phone#: (250) 830-7190
Email: mackflooring@gmail.com
Address: 1870 14 Ave, Campbell River
Mack's Flooring © 2026. All rights reserved | Campbell River Flooring Website built & managed by: Debut Marketing
About Us
Flooring Options
Mack's Flooring has been creating the foundation on which Vancouver has been built for over 10 years. Building relationships and trust with our community through every project.
Tile
Vinyl
Carpet
Hardwood
Laminate
Commercial
Stone
Ceramic