Kitchen flooring, three floors, three trade-offs.
58 colors · Vinyl plank (LVP) · Laminate · Engineered hardwood · from $2.20 /sqft
Vinyl plank is fully waterproof and the easiest on the budget. Laminate walks and sounds most like wood and resists scratches best. Engineered hardwood is real oak you can refinish. Each type's own page explains its specs.
Color groups are a guide: undertones shift with daylight and lamps, and one plank can sit in two groups. Pick up a free sample and look at it on your own floor.
Materials per square foot. Installation by our crews in the Sacramento area adds $2.25 (laminate), $2.35 (vinyl plank) or $4.35 (hardwood) per sqft; removal, baseboard and stairs are priced per room.
No colors match all of these filters.
Vinyl plank (LVP)
35 colors · from $2.20 /sqft · installed from $4.55 · all LVP →
Laminate
6 colors · from $3.10 /sqft · installed from $5.35 · all Laminate →
Engineered hardwood
17 colors · from $4.99 /sqft · installed from $9.34 · all Hardwood →
Choosing a kitchen floor.
Kitchens take spills, dropped pans, chair legs and the most foot traffic in the house. All three of our floor types work in a kitchen; they differ in how they handle water, scratches and the feel underfoot.
Vinyl plank is the worry-free choice: fully waterproof, quiet and the lowest price. Waterproof laminate feels more like wood, resists scratches from chairs and pets best and handles everyday spills. Engineered oak is the real thing and can be refinished, but it wants spills wiped up quickly and a mat at the sink.
If the kitchen opens into living areas, one floor through the whole space looks best, so choose for the most demanding room. Installed by our crews, kitchen flooring starts at $4.55 per sqft in the Sacramento area, with cabinets and appliances worked around, not over.
Kitchen floors compared.
| Floor type | Collection | Water | Wear | Price /sqft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl plank (LVP) | KONO Pacific 9" 6 colors | Waterproof SPC core | 20 mil | $2.80 |
| Vinyl plank (LVP) | KONO Pacific 7" 6 colors | Waterproof SPC core | 20 mil | $2.80 |
| Vinyl plank (LVP) | KONO Summit 10 colors | Waterproof SPC core | 20 mil | $3.20 |
| Vinyl plank (LVP) | KONO Essentials 6 colors | Waterproof SPC core | 12 mil | $2.20 |
| Vinyl plank (LVP) | KONO Valley 7 colors | Waterproof SPC core | 12 mil | $2.80 |
| Laminate | KONO Harbor 6 colors | Waterproof core, wax-sealed edges | AC4 | $3.10 |
| Engineered hardwood | KONO Sonoma 5 colors | Wipe spills promptly | 2 mm oak | $4.99 |
| Engineered hardwood | KONO Heritage 5 colors | Wipe spills promptly | 3 mm oak | $6.50 |
| Engineered hardwood | KONO Estate 5 colors | Wipe spills promptly | 4 mm oak | $7.79 to $9.14 |
| Engineered hardwood | KONO Grand 2 colors | Wipe spills promptly | 4 mm oak | $10.49 |
Kitchens with a dishwasher and refrigerator need one extra step: appliances come out before the floor goes in, and the new floor runs underneath them so they can be pulled out later. The finished floor height is checked so the dishwasher still slides back under the counter.
If you cook a lot or have kids, pick the floor for the worst day, not the average one: a pot of boiling water, a dropped knife, a tipped dog bowl. Vinyl shrugs off the water, laminate the knife, and hardwood can be sanded if both happen.
Kitchen flooring questions, answered straight.
What is the best flooring for a kitchen?
For most families, vinyl plank with a 20 mil wear layer or a waterproof AC4 laminate. Choose hardwood if you want real wood and are fine wiping up spills promptly.
Is hardwood OK in a kitchen?
Yes, with normal care: wipe spills, use a mat at the sink and dishwasher. Engineered oak is more stable than solid wood near water and heat.
Should flooring go under kitchen cabinets?
Floating floors (vinyl plank, laminate) should not: they need to move. We install up to the cabinets and finish with trim.
Installed by KONO.
Materials, trim and our own crew in one line-item price. Installed from $4.55 /sqft in the Sacramento area; removal, baseboard and stairs are priced per room.