Key takeaways
- At RDC, engineered hardwood runs $8 to $16 per square foot installed and solid hardwood $10 to $20.
- Engineered hardwood is real wood: a hardwood veneer over a cross-grain plywood core, which keeps the plank flatter as indoor humidity changes.
- The National Wood Flooring Association advises keeping a home with wood floors at 30 to 50 percent relative humidity year-round.
- Slab preparation runs $1 to $4 per square foot where the slab needs it, and removing an old floor $3 to $5, each as its own estimate line.
- Every RDC hardwood installation carries a 1-year workmanship warranty.
Why Dry Desert Air Is Hard on Solid Wood
Wood responds to humidity: as moisture leaves a plank, it shrinks. The National Wood Flooring Association advises keeping a home with wood floors between 60 and 80 degrees and 30 to 50 percent humidity year-round. It notes that floors losing moisture can gap or split. In solid hardwood that shows up as gaps between boards, and when moisture comes back, boards can swell and cup.
Engineered hardwood solves this with its structure: the plywood core is built from layers laid in alternating directions. The plank stays flatter as humidity moves between AC season and monsoon season.
Engineered hardwood through an open kitchen and living area in a Glendale home.
Engineered vs Solid Hardwood in Arizona: Which Is Better?
Engineered hardwood is the better fit for most of the slab homes RDC works in across the Valley. Its cross-grain plywood core stays flatter in dry Arizona air, and it can be glued down or floated over a prepared slab. Solid plank 4 inches and wider needs a plywood or sleeper subfloor over the slab first (American Hardwood Information Center).
| Factor | Engineered Hardwood | Solid Hardwood |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Real-wood veneer over cross-grain plywood core | One solid plank of wood |
| Stability in dry air | High, resists gapping and cupping | Lower, shrinks and can gap in low humidity |
| Over concrete slab | Yes, glue-down or float over prepared slab | Harder: plank 4 in. and wider needs a plywood or sleeper subfloor first (American Hardwood Information Center) |
| Refinishing | Set by the wear-layer thickness in the manufacturer's spec | Multiple times over its life |
| Typical installed cost at RDC | $8-$16 per sq ft | $10-$20 per sq ft |
| Best Arizona fit | Slab homes (RDC's recommendation) | Rooms with steady, controlled humidity |
Weighing engineered hardwood against LVP instead? At RDC, LVP runs $4 to $9 per square foot installed against $8 to $16 for engineered hardwood, and only the wood gives you a real hardwood surface. The full comparison is in our guide to engineered hardwood vs LVP in Arizona.
Dark hardwood in an arched Phoenix entryway, sanded, stained and refinished by RDC.
How Much Does Hardwood Floor Installation Cost in Phoenix?
Hardwood floor installation in Phoenix costs $8 to $16 per square foot at RDC for engineered hardwood and $10 to $20 for solid hardwood, material and labor included. A 20x20 room (400 sq ft) in engineered hardwood comes to $3,200 to $6,400, and 1,000 sq ft comes to $8,000 to $16,000.
| Floor size | Engineered ($8-$16 per sq ft) | Solid ($10-$20 per sq ft) |
|---|---|---|
| 400 sq ft (20x20 room) | $3,200-$6,400 | $4,000-$8,000 |
| 1,000 sq ft | $8,000-$16,000 | $10,000-$20,000 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $12,000-$24,000 | $15,000-$30,000 |
- Species, plank width and finish set where a project lands in the range.
- Slab preparation (moisture testing, grinding and leveling) runs $1 to $4 per square foot where the slab needs it. It appears as its own line in RDC's written estimate, so it is never a surprise. On 1,500 sq ft that line would be $1,500 to $6,000 if the whole slab needed it.
- Removing an old floor runs $3 to $5 per square foot, also as its own line.
Please note: these are typical ranges. Final pricing is set individually for each customer based on your specific project, materials, and scope, confirmed in your free written estimate.
Every floor type side by side is in the Phoenix Flooring Cost Report 2026, and the full service is on our flooring installation in Phoenix page.
Engineered hardwood through a Peoria kitchen, where RDC also installed the quartz countertops.
Can Engineered Hardwood Be Installed Over a Concrete Slab?
Yes. Engineered hardwood can be glued down or floated over a concrete slab once the slab tests dry and is made flat. RDC tests slab moisture as the National Wood Flooring Association's installation guidelines call for, then grinds high spots and fills low ones (see slab prep and moisture testing).
Moisture control matters even in the desert: a monsoon-season spike under an unprepared slab can damage wood from below. It's the kind of failure that shows up after the floor is in.
Engineered hardwood finished in a room of the same Glendale home.
There is a second moisture source, and it is the wood itself. Engineered hardwood ships in from another state or country carrying the moisture of wherever it was made. Wood is hygroscopic: it takes on and gives off moisture until it balances with the air around it. If that happens after installation, boards can lift, warp or gap.
The National Wood Flooring Association's installation guidelines set how close the wood's moisture content has to be to the subfloor's before a board is fastened. They also ask for heating and cooling to run at least five days before the wood arrives. More on timing: how long flooring needs to acclimate.
A rustic-grade hardwood hallway in a Scottsdale home, sanded, stained and refinished by RDC.
Hardwood Floor Installation Across the Phoenix Valley
A hardwood job in Phoenix is shaped by the age of the house. Phoenix's median home was built in 1985, and 49% of the city's housing dates from 1970 to 1999 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024, tables B25035 and B25034). Some older homes have a floor to take out first. RDC lists that removal, $3 to $5 per square foot, as its own estimate line. RDC also checks the slab for flatness before wood goes down.
The same Glendale job: engineered hardwood carried from the hallway into the living area.
Compare Hardwood at the Bell Road Showroom in North Phoenix
The RDC showroom is at 1610 E Bell Rd, Suite 101, in North Phoenix. Full-size planks are on display, so you can compare species, widths and finishes in real light, and samples go home free. It is open Sunday to Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM, and closed Saturday; walk-ins are welcome. The same team that sells the material installs it.
To plan a visit, call or text (602) 788-1446 or open directions to the showroom. Brands, hours and parking: Phoenix flooring showroom.
Hardwood Floor Installers for Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Mesa and Peoria
- Scottsdale. RDC has sanded, stained and refinished an existing hardwood hallway in a Scottsdale home (photo above). With 58% of Scottsdale's homes built from 1970 to 1999 (ACS), an older slab gets a flatness check before new wood goes down. See flooring in Scottsdale.
- Paradise Valley. The town's median build year is 1985 (ACS). Where an older travertine or Saltillo floor is still in place, removing it, at $3 to $5 per square foot, comes before the engineered hardwood. See hardwood flooring in Paradise Valley.
- Mesa. In Mesa, 61% of homes were built between 1970 and 1999, the largest share of these four cities. The median build year is 1989 (ACS), so RDC checks whether an older floor has to come out first. See hardwood floor installers in Mesa.
- Peoria. Peoria has the youngest housing of the four (median build year 1999, ACS). RDC installed the engineered hardwood floor and the quartz countertops in the Peoria kitchen on this page. See flooring installation in Peoria.
In Glendale, the open kitchen, hallway and room on this page are one real RDC engineered hardwood job (see Glendale). In Fountain Hills, RDC has sanded and refinished a wide-plank hardwood floor (see Fountain Hills). RDC also serves Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Surprise, Sun City, Sun City West, Cave Creek, Carefree, Anthem, New River, Happy Valley, Arcadia and Buckeye from the Bell Rd showroom.
Character-grade wide-plank hardwood, sanded, stained and refinished by RDC in a Fountain Hills home.
Compare wood against other floors in the best flooring for Arizona heat, porcelain & ceramic tile, LVP flooring installation and best flooring for pets in Phoenix guides, explore luxury custom-home flooring, or get a free estimate. Already own hardwood? Read how to refinish or replace an existing hardwood floor.