Refinishing is almost always cheaper. As general market ranges, This Old House's 2026 guide lists a sand and refinish at $3 to $8 per square foot and new installed hardwood at $6 to $18, so a Gretna homeowner with sound boards will usually pay far less to keep them.
The real question is whether your floor can take another sanding. Below we cover what goes on the bill and the cases where refinishing stops being an option. Gretna has both ends of that decision, from original wood in its oldest neighborhoods to engineered boards in newer remodels.
Is it cheaper to refinish hardwood floors or replace them?
Here's what each job puts on the bill for a 500-square-foot floor:
- Sand and refinish: labor to sand 500 square feet, then stain if you want it, the finish coats, and any repairs. This Old House's 2026 range works out to $1,500 to $4,000, and you keep the boards you already own.
- New hardwood, installed: about 550 square feet of new boards with a 10% waste allowance, plus labor to install them. On 500 square feet of floor, This Old House's 2026 range works out to $3,000 to $9,000.
That new-floor line doesn't include tearing out the old one, which This Old House's 2026 guide lists at $1 to $6 per square foot, another $500 to $3,000 here. Fixr's January 2025 guide reads higher, with replacement at $14 to $32 per square foot on average, about 2 to 3 times the cost of refinishing. HomeLight reports the same 2 to 3 times, citing HomeAdvisor, in an older 2021 article. Those are national comparisons, and a badly damaged floor can change them, so price both on your own floor.
If replacement is still the right call for your house, our flooring replacement page covers how that job runs, our hardwood floor installation page explains the new-floor side, and our guide to the signs a floor is done can help you judge wear.
How much does it typically cost to refinish hardwood floors?
Three separate cost guides publish the same range for a full sand and refinish, $3 to $8 per square foot: This Old House (2026), Inch Calculator (2026) and Fixr (2025), with Fixr placing the average near $5. Inch Calculator uses $1,200 as its example for a 300-square-foot room. So the rate itself is less of a mystery than the area and the condition of the floor. To check a quote, multiply its rate by your measured area.
Where your quote lands inside that range depends on a few things:
- How much damage needs filling or how many boards need replacing first
- Whether you're changing the color, since stain adds a step
- The finish you pick
- Stairs and tight rooms, which take more hand work
There's also a smaller job worth asking about. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) describes a maintenance coat for floors that only look dull: the finish is cleaned and lightly sanded before it gets a fresh coat. Inch Calculator says that kind of recoat costs about half as much as a full refinish. We'll tell you which one your floor needs before quoting, and our hardwood floor refinishing page explains how to spot the difference. For the sanding methods, see floor sanding and refinishing. These are general market figures, not our quote, so ask for a written estimate on your own floor.
When can you not refinish hardwood floors?
A sander can't fix everything. NWFA says the number of times a floor can be sanded depends on several factors, including the wear layer's thickness and the floor's flatness and condition. It doesn't give one fixed count, and you should be wary of anyone who does. Family Handyman lists these as signs a floor may be past saving:
- Boards worn too thin from earlier rounds of sanding
- Extensive water damage, more than a stain or two
- Severe termite or other pest damage
- A compromised subfloor under otherwise decent boards
Engineered floors have a tighter limit. Family Handyman says engineered hardwood can stand one or two sandings, depending on the top layer, because the real wood is only a veneer. Our engineered wood page explains how those boards are built, and our hardwood flooring page covers solid boards.
One thing to check before anyone sands an older home is paint. EPA's lead rule requires anyone paid to disturb painted surfaces in homes built before 1978 to be certified, and painted borders or stairs can fall under it. Tell your installer the age of the house up front.
How does the age of a Gretna home change the answer?
The City of Gretna dates McDonoghville to 1815 and Mechanikham, now Old Gretna, to 1836. Those are the city's oldest neighborhoods. After the Mississippi River Bridge opened in 1958, suburban growth followed in subdivisions such as Timberlane. That history splits the refinish question in two.
Original wood in the oldest neighborhoods
In an old house, we start by pricing a repair or a refinish before anyone talks about tearing boards out. Matching original wood with a new floor is hard, and patches blend best when they use boards of the same width and species. Older floors can also have been sanded many times, so we check how much wood is left above the tongue.
Newer subdivisions and slab homes
Newer homes and remodels may have engineered boards, laminate, or vinyl that only looks like wood. Laminate and vinyl can't be sanded at all. A quick look at a floor vent or a threshold often tells you what you've got, and if you can't tell, ask for an inspection before budgeting for a refinish.
Humidity comes first
NWFA notes that wood gains moisture in humid conditions and can swell, and that floors gaining moisture can cup. In Gretna, that means a cupped floor may be a moisture problem and not a finish problem. Sanding a cupped floor before you find the water source is how you end up paying twice. NWFA also recommends holding a home at 30% to 50% relative humidity year-round, which takes steady air conditioning here.
How long you'll be out of the room
Cost isn't the only difference. A new floor means tear-out, then waiting while new boards adjust to the house. This Old House says to let planks acclimate for 1 to 2 weeks before installing them. A refinish skips that wait, though NWFA notes that a finish applied on site needs drying time when you can't walk on the floor. Ask for both schedules along with both prices, especially if you're planning around a rental turnover or a move-in date.
Should you refinish or replace your Gretna floor?
We tell homeowners to refinish when the boards are solid, the wood is thick enough, and the damage sits near the surface. Lean toward replacement when water or pests got into the structure, when an engineered floor has used up its veneer, or when you want a different material altogether. Price both before you decide, because a refinish that's cheap today only makes sense if the floor has another sanding left in it. If you've only got a few bad boards, flooring repair can solve the problem without either bigger job.
Get a straight answer for your Gretna home
A short visit can settle what your floor can take. See our Gretna flooring page for what we do on the West Bank, then call TurnKey Floorings at (504) 666-3393 or contact us online for a free estimate.
