Flooring comparison
Tile vs Luxury Vinyl Plank: Cost Comparison
Both are waterproof, so the usual tiebreaker between flooring options does not apply here. This one comes down to labor cost, how the floor feels to stand on, and how long you want it to last.
Tile
$10 to $30 per sq ft installed
Luxury vinyl plank
$4 to $12 per sq ft installed
| Feature | Tile | Luxury vinyl plank |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost per sq ft | $10 to $30 | $4 to $12 |
| Typical 200 sq ft bathroom | $2,000 to $6,000 | $800 to $2,400 |
| Lifespan | 50+ years | 15 to 25 years |
| Waterproof | Yes, with proper setting | Yes |
| Underfoot comfort | Hard and cold | Softer and warmer |
| Subfloor requirements | Rigid, flat, often backer board | Flat, more forgiving |
| Works with underfloor heating | Excellent | Check manufacturer limits |
| Repair | Difficult to match | Swap a plank |
Tile
- Lasts for decades with no wear layer to run out
- The best surface over underfloor heating
- Handles standing water and heavy use
- Wide range of looks including large format and stone
- Two to three times the installed cost
- Hard and cold underfoot without heating
- Needs a rigid, flat, properly prepared substrate
- Grout needs sealing and eventually cleaning or replacing
Luxury vinyl plank
- Far lower installed cost
- Warmer and softer to stand on
- Quick installation with less disruption
- Individual planks can be replaced
- Wear layer eventually wears through
- Can dent under heavy appliances or furniture legs
- Some products limit or prohibit underfloor heating
The verdict
Choose tile for bathrooms, entryways, mudrooms and anywhere you want a floor that outlives the rest of the renovation, and especially over underfloor heating where it performs best. Choose luxury vinyl plank for kitchens, basements and whole-floor jobs where the cost difference across a large area is significant and standing comfort matters. In a kitchen where you stand for hours, many people prefer LVP even when the budget would stretch to tile.
Tile needs a wet saw and vinyl plank does not, which is a real part of the cost gap: our DEWALT D24000S wet tile saw review works through when buying one is justified and when a weekend rental is the cheaper answer.
Doing the flooring job yourself?
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View on AmazonFrequently asked questions
Why is tile so much more expensive to install than vinyl plank?
Labor and preparation. Tile needs a flat, rigid substrate, often cement backer board or an uncoupling membrane over wood framing, and setting it well is a skilled trade paid accordingly. Vinyl plank floats over a prepared subfloor and installs several times faster. The tile itself is often not the largest line on the quote.
Is tile worth it in a kitchen?
It is durable and waterproof, which suits the room, but it is hard on the legs and back over long periods and it is unforgiving of dropped glassware. Plenty of homeowners with the budget for tile choose luxury vinyl plank in the kitchen for exactly that reason, and put the tile in the bathrooms and the entry instead.
Can I install tile over a wood subfloor?
Yes, with the right preparation. The floor needs to be stiff enough that it does not deflect underfoot, and it normally needs cement backer board or an uncoupling membrane between the subfloor and the tile. Tile set straight onto a flexible plywood subfloor cracks along the joints. Deflection is a structural question, so get a contractor to assess joist span and condition before committing.
Does tile add more home value than LVP?
In bathrooms and entryways tile generally reads as the higher-end finish and buyers expect it. Across a whole main floor, good quality luxury vinyl plank is widely accepted and the difference in buyer perception is much smaller than the difference in cost. Spending the tile premium in the wet rooms and using LVP elsewhere is a common way to split it.