Is laminate flooring really that much cheaper than LVP in Metro Vancouver, and by how much per square foot?

Laminate is cheaper than LVP, but the gap has narrowed significantly — you are looking at roughly $1 to $3 per square foot less for laminate, with installed prices of $4 to $10 per square foot for laminate versus $5 to $12 for LVP in Metro Vancouver. On a 500-square-foot project, that saves you maybe $500 to $1,500. Whether that savings is worth it depends entirely on where the floor is going and how much moisture it will see.

At the budget end, the difference is most noticeable. An entry-level laminate with an AC3 wear rating installs for about $4 to $6 per square foot, while a comparable budget SPC vinyl plank runs $5 to $7 installed. That is a meaningful gap if you are flooring a large area on a tight budget. At the mid-range and premium tiers, the prices converge — a high-quality AC5 laminate with embossed texture and wax-sealed edges costs about the same as a mid-range SPC vinyl with a 20-mil wear layer. Both install as floating click-lock floors over underlayment, so the labour costs are essentially identical at $2 to $4 per square foot.

But here is where the conversation needs to get honest, because this is Metro Vancouver. Laminate is not waterproof. The core of laminate flooring is HDF (high-density fibreboard), which is essentially compressed wood fibre. When HDF gets wet — not damp, wet — it swells, warps, and does not recover. Water-resistant laminate with wax-sealed edges handles splashes and quick spills better than standard laminate, but it is fundamentally different from waterproof SPC or WPC vinyl, which has a stone or plastic polymer core that is completely impervious to water even when submerged. In a city that receives over 1,200mm of annual rainfall, where boots and umbrellas drip on entryway floors for six months of the year, and where basement moisture is a persistent concern, this distinction matters enormously.

LVP is the better investment for kitchens, bathrooms, entryways, mudrooms, laundry rooms, basements, and any ground-level space in Metro Vancouver. It is also the only reasonable option for below-grade installations where concrete subfloor moisture is an ever-present reality. Laminate should never go in a bathroom, should be used cautiously in kitchens (an unnoticed dishwasher leak will destroy it), and should never be installed in a basement in our climate.

Where laminate still makes sense is in bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and upper-level hallways — dry spaces with low moisture exposure. A quality AC4 or AC5 laminate is extremely durable against scratches, dents, and fading, and the latest products with deep embossed textures are genuinely difficult to distinguish from real hardwood. Laminate also tends to feel slightly more rigid and "solid" underfoot compared to some thinner vinyl planks.

For strata buildings, both laminate and LVP require acoustic underlayment meeting STC 55+ and IIC 55+ ratings. Some strata corporations have restrictions on laminate due to its harder, noisier feel compared to vinyl — check your bylaws before purchasing. The acoustic underlay adds $1 to $3 per square foot to either option.

The practical advice for most Metro Vancouver homeowners is this: if you are choosing between the two for a whole-house renovation, go with LVP throughout. The modest per-square-foot premium buys you true waterproof performance in every room, including the ones where a single water event could ruin laminate. If budget is the primary constraint and you are only flooring dry upper-level rooms, laminate delivers excellent value. Either way, Vancouver Floor Installers can connect you with local installers who work with both products for free quotes and side-by-side sample comparisons.

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