Refinish or Replace Your Hardwood Floors?
Tell us what your floor looks like and how big it is. You get an honest recommendation and both prices side by side for Monmouth & Ocean County.
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Most hardwood that looks done only needs a refinish. Replace instead when the wood itself is damaged (deep gouges, splits, soft or spongy boards), the boards have been sanded too thin, water damage has reached the subfloor, or you are changing the layout. In New Jersey in 2026, a sand and refinish runs about $3–$6 per square foot, against $5.50–$14 for new hardwood installed.
Refinish vs replace: 2026 cost in Monmouth & Ocean County, NJ
| Option | Per sq ft | 500 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Screen & recoat | $1.50–$3 | $750–$1,500 |
| Sand & refinish | $3–$6 | $1,500–$3,000 |
| Heavy restoration | From $7 | From $3,500 |
| New LVP, installed | $4–$9 | $2,000–$4,500 |
| New hardwood, installed | $5.50–$14 | $2,750–$7,000 |
Removal of the old floor is added to replacement and quoted at the visit.
When Refinishing Is Not Enough
1 Damage in the wood, not the finish
Deep gouges, splits and soft or spongy boards are damage to the wood itself. Sanding cannot fix a board that is failing.
2 Boards sanded too thin
Each sanding removes a thin layer. After enough refinishes there is not enough wood above the tongue-and-groove joint to sand again safely, and you cannot tell just by looking.
3 Water under the floor
If cupping does not flatten out once the humidity that caused it is corrected, moisture often reached the subfloor. Refinishing over that only buys a few years.
4 A thin engineered wear layer
Engineered hardwood under a 2mm wear layer should not be sanded. From 2mm to 3mm it gets one careful sand. Thin floors can still take a screen and recoat if the finish is intact.
5 Structural gaps
Small gaps that open in winter and close in summer are normal. Wide, uneven gaps with a floor that feels unlevel point to settling or subfloor failure.
How Your Free In-Home Estimate Works
We call you back
Within one business day, a real person sets a time that suits you. Evenings and Saturdays are usually fine.
30–45 minute visit
We measure every room, check what is under the current floor and look at stairs, transitions and moisture.
Written quote on the spot
Itemised by room and line, no pressure to sign, and the price holds for 30 days.
Refinish or Replace Questions
Refinishing is almost always cheaper. In Monmouth and Ocean County in 2026 a sand and refinish runs about $3–$6 per square foot, against about $5.50–$14 per square foot for new hardwood installed, before removal of the old floor.
When the wood itself is damaged rather than just the finish, when the boards have already been sanded too thin, when water damage has reached the subfloor, when gaps are structural rather than seasonal, or when you are changing the layout. Otherwise a refinish is usually enough.
Sometimes. It depends on the wear layer. Under 2mm, do not sand it. At 2mm to 3mm, expect one careful sand. Thin floors can still take a screen and recoat if the finish has not worn through.
Sometimes. Deep water stains and pet urine that reached the wood push a job into heavy restoration, from about $7 per square foot, and when urine soaked past the finish into the wood and subfloor, boards sometimes have to come out.
Solid hardwood can be refinished multiple times but not infinitely. Each sanding removes a thin layer; we check how much wood is left during the free in-home assessment.
No. It follows the same rules we use on site, but some things, like how thin the boards are or what is under them, only show up in person. The free visit confirms it and you get a written quote.
Read Before You Decide
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