Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Aurora, Colorado
What it costs, and what Aurora's housing stock does to the job.
Floor refinishing in a 1985-median city
The median Aurora home was built in 1985 and 1.0% of the city’s housing
predates 1940. For floor refinishing specifically, that is not background color — it is the thing that
decides the job.
Rarely the answer. With around 1% of housing predating 1940 there is usually no original strip oak to find, and engineered wood can only be sanded if its wear layer is thick enough — often it is not on a builder-grade product. Pull a floor vent and look at the cut edge before anyone quotes a sanding job.
Aurora has effectively no prewar housing — 1.0% predates 1940 and the median home dates to 1985. Refinishing is rarely the answer because there is usually no original strip oak to find. The questions are material choice, how the floor handles a dry winter, and what happens where tile meets the entry.
What it costs in Aurora
Denver metro labor runs above the Colorado baseline, which is why the range below sits higher than the statewide $3–$8. Installed, materials and labor together:
| Work | Aurora range | Colorado range |
|---|---|---|
| Refinishing existing boards | $3 – $8 a square foot | $3 – $8 a square foot |
An estimate, not a quote. These are planning ranges for Colorado, not a quote. What you actually pay depends on your rooms, your subfloor and the material you choose.
Extras are where a Aurora job most often moves away from the band: removing the old floor,
prepping a plank subfloor, and stairs. The
cost estimator prices those separately against your own
room.
Questions worth asking before you book
- What is the subfloor, and what does it need? With 1.0% of Aurora homes predating 1940, plywood or OSB is close to certain, which usually means no subfloor prep in the quote at all.
How to identify yours. - Is the old floor coming out or being covered? Covering costs less and is
sometimes the safer answer — particularly over
9×9 tile — but it costs you height at doors and
at the bottom stair riser. - What is the cut-and-waste allowance? A century-old house is rarely square, and
cuts are labor. - What is your PA Home Improvement Contractor number? It is legally required to
be on the estimate. How to check it.