installation
Hardwood Floor Installation
Solid plank, laid to last a hundred years.
Overview
Solid hardwood is the only flooring that can be sanded and refinished four or five times across its life. We install floors that outlast trends, mortgages, and second homes.
Hardwood Floor Installation by Kovich & Savard starts at $10/sq ft* for labor, with material quoted separately and the final number set after a free in-home estimate. We service every Massachusetts town listed below — Greater Boston, the South Shore, MetroWest, and Cape Cod — with three generations of family experience. Every job is owner-led.
We install solid plank hardwood — domestic oak (red and white), maple, hickory, ash, and walnut — across every room of the home, including kitchens and entryways. Engineered options are available where moisture or slab subfloors require them, but our standard recommendation for first-floor and above-grade installs is 3/4" solid plank, nailed down to a clean plywood subfloor.
Every install starts with the subfloor, not the wood. We pull and replace squeaky underlayment, scribe-fit transitions, and let raw boards acclimate on-site for a minimum of 5–7 days before the first nail goes in. That patience is the difference between a floor that creaks in three winters and one that holds tight for a generation.
Layout is its own craft. We rack each board by length and grain to avoid H-joints and short-board clusters, run sightlines to the longest exterior wall, and protect millwork with rosin paper from the first delivery to the last sweep.
Materials we work with
Why choose this
What you get when we do this work.
Sanded & refinished four times in its lifetime
Solid 3/4" plank can be refinished 4–5 times. Engineered, vinyl, and laminate cannot. You're buying decades, not years.
Property value uplift
MA appraisers consistently value real hardwood above LVP and engineered. The floors usually pay back at sale.
Heritage materials, modern tooling
We pair traditional craftsmanship with dust-containment sanding and water-based finishes that cure faster and cleaner than anything available even ten years ago.
How it goes
The 6-step process for this work.
- 01
Site visit & measure
Free in-home consultation. We measure, photograph the subfloor, check moisture content, and discuss species and finish samples on-site.
- 02
Acclimation
Wood sits in the home for 5–7 days minimum so its moisture content matches the room it'll live in.
- 03
Subfloor prep
We screw down loose plywood, replace any rotted sections, and clean to a neutral surface before paper goes down.
- 04
Layout & install
Boards are racked, then nailed at proper spacing. Doorways, transitions, and reducers are scribe-cut to fit.
- 05
Sand, stain & finish
Three-pass sanding with dust containment, optional custom stain, then 3 coats of premium water-based polyurethane.
- 06
Walk-through & care kit
We walk every square foot with you, leave touch-up materials, and email you a written care guide.
FAQ
Common questions about hardwood installation.
Got a question that's not here? Call (508) 962-1962 or email us. Tim and Steve answer themselves.
How long will my home be unusable?
For a typical 800–1,200 sq ft install, plan on the floors being walkable in stocking feet at day 4 and fully ready for furniture at day 7. We coordinate around your life — many clients have us work in phases so they can stay in the house.
Can you install over an existing subfloor?
Almost always, yes — provided the plywood is structurally sound and within moisture spec. If we find rot or excessive deflection, we'll show you photos and either repair the subfloor or recommend an engineered product over slab.
What about the dust?
We run HEPA-filtered dust-containment sanders and seal off rooms with zip walls. You'll have less airborne dust than from a typical week of cooking.
Where we provide this service
Hardwood Installation across Eastern Massachusetts.
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 · No after-hours calls go unanswered for long.