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Kovich & Savard Hardwood Flooring

Installation · Middlesex County, MA

Engineered Hardwood
in Newton, Massachusetts.

What this is

Engineered hardwood is real wood on top of a stable plywood core. It's the right answer over concrete slabs, in basements, and over radiant heat, places where solid plank can cup or buckle.

Engineered Hardwood Installation in Newton, Massachusetts starts at $10/sq ft* for labor (the owners' 2026 starting rate),with material quoted separately and the final number set at a free in-home estimate. Kovich & Savard has been doing hardwood floor work in Middlesex County since 1928, three generations deep, owner-led, fully insured, and rated 5.0 on Thumbtack.

Where these numbers come from: every price, timeline and job detail on this engineered hardwood page for Newton is set by the owners, Tim Savard and Steve Kovich, and reflects how they price and schedule this work in 2026.

For Newton homes specifically: Diverse housing stock from Victorian to mid-century to ultra-modern. That context matters, we don't approach a 1920s Newton colonial the same way we'd approach a 2010 build out toward Norfolk. The wood, the subfloor (the plywood or boards the finished floor is fastened to), and adjacent finishes all tell us what to do.

We use engineered when what is underneath, or the room itself, demands it. The top wear layer is real hardwood, typically 3mm to 6mm, meaning the floor can be sanded and refinished one to two times, and reads identically to solid plank to the eye.

Engineered installs go down as floating, glue-down, or nail-down depending on what is underneath. Concrete and radiant get glue-down with flexible flooring adhesive. Floating is fast and cheap but feels different underfoot, we'll be honest with you about the trade-off.

Why Newton homeowners choose us over a chain or a one-man crew: a chain dispatches whoever is closest and racks up their margin; a one-man crew can do beautiful work but disappears mid-project when their van breaks down. We're a two-owner shop with a trained crew, a permanent address in North Easton, and a 98-year track record in Middlesex County. The person who measures your floor is the person who runs the install, and they answer the phone five years later if you have a question.

From our base in North Easton to Newton is a short drive, well inside the radius where we can swing by for a free estimate within a few business days, then deliver the written proposal inside 48 hours of that visit. We are not padding your estimate with travel time, dispatch fees, or a "minimum job" charge that pushes small repairs into rooms you didn't need redone.

98+

Years of experience

48 hr

Written proposal

5.0

Star rating

2

Owners on every job

What you get

Why Newton homeowners hire us for engineered hardwood.

Three reasons Newton homeowners choose us for engineered hardwood: works over slab and radiant heat, real hardwood face and wide-plank without the cost. Each is explained below, and each shows up as a line on the written engineered hardwood proposal for your Newton home, sent within 48 hours of the free estimate.

Works over slab and radiant heat

Solid plank cups over slab. Engineered handles temperature swings without bowing.

Real hardwood face

It's actual oak, walnut, or hickory, not a printed laminate photo.

Wide-plank without the cost

Engineered makes 7-9" wide plank achievable in homes where solid would over-budget.

Process

How engineered hardwood works in Newton.

A engineered hardwood job in Newton runs in 4 steps, from moisture test to install, trim, transitions. One of the two owners does your Newton estimate and stays on the engineered hardwood job through every step, and the written proposal lists each step with its date.

  1. 01

    Moisture test

    Moisture test on a concrete slab, humidity test on plywood. Numbers go on the proposal.

  2. 02

    Choose install method

    Glue-down, nail-down, or floating, we recommend based on what is underneath, not the easiest install.

  3. 03

    Underlayment

    A moisture barrier sheet over concrete, and a sound-dampening pad where noise between floors matters.

  4. 04

    Install, trim, transitions

    Same craftsmanship as solid, just a different fastening method.

What it costs

Engineered Hardwood pricing in Newton, MA.

Engineered Hardwood in Newton starts at $10/sq ft* for labor. That figure is the owners' 2026 starting rate for straightforward work in good-condition rooms; final pricing always depends on square footage, subfloor condition, species and grade selection, finish type, and how much furniture or trim work needs to be moved or cut to fit around. For context, here are the owners' 2026 starting labor rates on the rest of our service lines so you can plan budget across a whole-house project: solid hardwood install from $10/sq ft, refinishing and sanding from $4/sq ft, custom staining from $1.75/sq ft on top of refinish, pre-finished plank install from $5/sq ft, engineered hardwood over a concrete slab from $10/sq ft (adhesive runs roughly $4/sq ft on top), and luxury vinyl plank from $6/sq ft.

Material is always quoted separately. Species (red oak versus white oak versus walnut), board width (2 1/4" strip versus 7" wide plank), grade (select, with few knots, versus character, with more knots and color variation), and finish (oil-based polyurethane for a warmer amber look, water-based for a clear low-odor finish, or hardwax oil for a matte look that soaks into the wood) all move the material number. The same Newton room costs several times more in wide-plank European white oak than in narrow select red oak boards, depending on those choices. We bring physical samples to the estimate so you see and feel the difference before committing.

No hidden line items. Drive time from North Easton to Newton is built into the per-square-foot rate, not added as a separate charge. Dust containment is included. Three-coat finish is standard, not an upcharge. Furniture moving and protection within the work zone is included. The only items quoted on top of the labor-and-material base are: subfloor repair if we find rot or a subfloor that flexes underfoot, stair treads, custom stain blends beyond a single tone, and any moldings or transitions we need to fabricate rather than buy stock, each priced as its own line on the written proposal before work starts.

Middlesex County housing context

What Newton subfloors and existing floors typically look like.

Newton housing stock: Diverse housing stock from Victorian to mid-century to ultra-modern. That single data point shapes nearly every decision we make on a Newton job, from acclimation time (the days wood sits in your home to match its humidity) to nail spacing to finish chemistry. A 1920s Newton colonial behaves differently under our sander than a 2010 build in a Metro Boston subdivision, and we adjust technique accordingly rather than running every floor through the same process.

Subfloor patterns we see in Newton: in pre-1960 homes our own job inspections routinely find original 3/4" pine plank subfloor with hardwood nailed directly to it; in post-war ranches and capes we find 1/2" plywood, sometimes overlaid on top of older pine; in newer builds we find 3/4" tongue-and-groove OSB (oriented strand board, panels of pressed wood strands) or plywood, occasionally with engineered I-joists (factory-made floor beams shaped like a capital I) below. Each of these calls for different fastener length and spacing, different moisture-content tolerances during acclimation (the days wood sits in your home to match its humidity), and a different read on whether the subfloor needs screwing-down before any new flooring goes over it. We test moisture content with a handheld moisture meter at every job, no exceptions, because cupping and buckling (boards curling at the edges or lifting off the subfloor) are almost always a subfloor moisture story rather than a wood-selection story.

Common Newton project types from our own jobs: uncovering and refinishing original hardwood that's been carpeted-over since the 1970s; matching new wide-plank install into an existing room of older strip oak so the transition reads invisible; spot-replacing boards damaged by dishwasher or refrigerator leaks; full-house refinishing on inherited family homes that haven't seen a sander in decades; new installs in kitchen renovations where tile or vinyl is coming out. We come at every one of these the same way: look at the subfloor and the existing material first, decide species and width second, decide finish type third.

Timeline in Newton

From the first call to walking on your new floor.

This is the usual timeline for engineered hardwood in Newton, counted from your first call. Most engineered hardwood jobs in Newton start 2 to 4 weeks after you sign the proposal, and the engineered hardwood completion date written on it is one we hold ourselves to.

  1. Day 0

    Your call

    Reach us at (508) 962-1962 or through the quote form. We confirm the scope and schedule an in-home visit in Newton, typically within a few business days.

  2. Day 1-5

    On-site estimate

    An owner drives out to Newton, measures, checks moisture and subfloor condition, brings physical samples, and answers everything. No deposit required.

  3. Day 5-7

    Written proposal

    Itemized proposal in your inbox inside 48 hours of the visit, our standard turnaround: labor, material, schedule, completion date, and warranty in plain language.

  4. Day 14-28

    Job starts

    Most Newton jobs start 2 to 4 weeks after sign-off. The engineered hardwood work then runs to the completion date on your Newton proposal.

Reviews

Rated 5.0 on Thumbtack.

5.0

Two of our verified Thumbtack reviews from Massachusetts homeowners. No paid placements.

All reviews

"One of the best contractors we have worked with. Tim and Steve's crew produced very high quality hardwood floors throughout the house, delivering a beautiful floor ahead of schedule and on budget."

, Alan H., April 2019 · Solid hardwood install, ~600 sq ft

"Professional crew. Fast installation, and they protected walls and even the smoke detectors from dust. We replaced carpet and you'd never know there used to be carpet there."

, Spero T., November 2018 · Carpet to solid hardwood, ~400 sq ft

FAQ

Common questions.

The questions Newton homeowners ask most about engineered hardwood, answered by the owners: what it costs, what the work involves, when we can start, and what insurance and warranty cover. Anything about engineered hardwood in Newton not answered here, ask at your free estimate.

Get a Free Quote All engineered hardwood questions

How much does engineered hardwood cost in Newton?

Engineered Hardwood in Newton starts at $10/sq ft* for labor, the owners' 2026 rate for engineered hardwood. The pricing section above explains what moves the final Newton number, and every estimate is free and itemized in writing.

What does engineered hardwood look like in Newton homes?

Engineered plank is the choice over slab, in basements and over radiant heat, so in Newton we moisture-test the floor underneath first and pick glue-down, nail-down or floating from that reading.

How long until you can start engineered hardwood in Newton?

Under the owners' current schedule, most engineered hardwood jobs in Newton start 2 to 4 weeks after you sign the proposal; the timeline above shows each stage from a free in-home visit onward. For a job in Newton, the moisture readings are written on your proposal, so the install method is settled before the start date.

What insurance and warranty cover a engineered hardwood job in Newton?

For a job in Newton, you get our written workmanship warranty on the install and adhesive work, plus the flooring maker's product warranty, backed by $2,000,000 in liability insurance, as shown on our certificate of insurance, for damage to your home and workers' compensation for our crew.

Honest expectations for Newton

What we will and will not promise on a Newton job.

What we will promise: a fixed completion date in writing, owner-led work, three-pass sanding where the service calls for it, three-coat finish where the service calls for it, transitions cut to fit each doorway, daily cleanup, written workmanship warranty, and a phone number staffed by an owner if anything goes wrong in the years after. Free in-home estimate in Newton, written itemized proposal in 48 hours. No surprise add-ons that were not in the proposal.

What we will not promise: a price quoted sight-unseen, a finish that matches a 1990s photograph exactly, a refinish on a floor whose wear layer (the wood above the tongue that each sanding removes) is gone, an install on a subfloor we have not seen, or a schedule that skips the prep your Newton floor needs. We will tell you honestly at the in-home visit if what you are asking for is not a good fit for your floor and what we recommend instead.

More services in Newton

All eight service lines available locally.

Besides engineered hardwood, every service we offer is available in Newton, Middlesex County, from the same owner-led crew with the same written, itemized proposal. Starting labor rates for the services other than engineered hardwood are listed on each page, and material is always quoted separately at the Newton estimate.

Nearby towns

Engineered Hardwood in nearby cities.

We also do engineered hardwood in the towns around Newton. Each page below covers local housing, pricing and timing for engineered hardwood in that town, and the same two owners who would run your Newton job run every one of them.

Free estimate

Walk your floors. Quote in 48 hours.

Tell us about the project. Tim or Steve drives out, walks the rooms with you, checks the subfloor, and emails a written line-item proposal within 48 hours. No salesperson, no upsell.

Mon-Sat · 9 AM-5 PM · After-hours voicemails get a callback the next business morning.

CallFree Quote