CFE guide · Estimating
Estimate LVT, LVP and VCT Line by Line
Price resilient tile in square feet, one line per product, with each color or pattern as a ↳ sub-line. A bold heading line names the product (LVT-1 Interface Level Set), and Color 1 and Color 2 sit under it with their own quantities. Attic % adds the spec’s extra stock, Adh. Qty × Adh. Cost $/u prices adhesive by the pail, and labor is priced on the installed Qty. VCT is the same, usually in two or three colors.
Why LVT needs more than one line
Commercial LVT almost never comes in one color. A corridor runs a field color with an accent, a set is specified as two colors, and a herringbone area sits next to a straight-lay one. Price it as one big square footage and the order is wrong, the attic stock is wrong per color, and the crew’s days are wrong for the pattern.
CFE - Advanced Estimating Worksheet lets you write the product once as a heading line and put each color under it as a ↳ sub-line with its own quantity. Every color is priced, ordered and installed on its own row, and they all move together.
The four steps
- Write the product lineA bold heading line, then the colors under it.
- Add attic stockAttic % per line or per color.
- Price adhesive and prepAdh. Qty × Adh. Cost; Prep for patch.
- Check the crew days500 sf a day straight, 350 herringbone, 1,000 VCT.
1Write the product, then each color under it
Type the product as a line, such as LVT-1 INTERFACE LEVEL SET, 25cm x 1m planks (2 colors), and press Bold on the Home tab to make it a heading. Then right-click › Insert ↳ sub-line below for each color, Color 1 · Natural Woodgrain Oak and Color 2 · Walnut, with its own Qty. VCT colors usually go on separate lines, VCT-1 and VCT-2, with the full product name. Imported takeoffs get the LVT / plank type from words such as lvt, luxury vinyl or plank, or codes such as LVT, LV, RF, LVP and V, and the VCT type from vct, excelon or vinyl composition.
2Add attic stock
Type the spec’s extra stock in Attic % on each color line. The Standard sample template carries 5% on LVT and VCT: 2,500 sf of LVT becomes a Mat’l Qty of 2,625 sf, and 800 sf of VCT becomes 840 sf. Because Attic % sits on each sub-line, an accent color can carry more than the field color. See waste and attic stock.
Round LVT and VCT up to full cartons on the Material List, not on the estimate. Price the Mat’l Qty you need; the Ordered Qty column is where the carton count goes.
3Price the adhesive and the prep
Adhesive is priced by the unit you buy: Adh. Qty (pails) × Adh. Cost $/u. In the template, the LVT takes 8 pails at $185.00 and the VCT 2 pails at $200.00. Prep $/u adds prep labor per square foot, and a separate Floor Prep / Patch line prices patching across the job. Freight is per square foot: $0.20 on the LVT and $0.25 on the VCT.
4Check the crew days for the pattern
On Project Man Days, pick the labor item that matches the layout. The sample company’s Standard Rates use 500 sf per man day for LVT laid straight or brick / ashlar, 350 sf for herringbone and 1,000 sf for standard VCT. A herringbone area at the straight-lay rate is 43% more floor than the crew can lay in the days you priced.
Worked example: LVT and VCT from the Standard template
Two lines from the Standard sample template, on Margin.
| LVT-1 luxury vinyl plank | VCT-1 Standard Excelon | |
|---|---|---|
| Qty / Attic % / Mat’l Qty | 2,500 sf / 5% / 2,625 sf | 800 sf / 5% / 840 sf |
| Labor Sub | 2,500 × $2.25 = $5,625.00 | 800 × ($1.00 + $0.10 prep) = $880.00 |
| Labor Total | $7,211.54 at 22% | $1,173.33 at 25% |
| Mat’l Sub | 2,625 × ($4.10 + $0.20) + 8 × $185 = $12,767.50 | 840 × ($1.40 + $0.25) + 2 × $200 = $1,786.00 |
| Mat’l Total | $16,368.59 at 22% | $2,289.74 at 22% |
| Line Total | $23,580.13 | $3,463.08 |
| Man days | 2,625 ÷ 500 = 5.25 | 840 ÷ 1,000 = 0.84 |
Note that adhesive is a fixed number of pails, not a rate per foot, so the material price per square foot of a small VCT area is much higher than a large one. That is a number worth checking on every bid.
What to do next
Next, estimate sheet vinyl and rubber and the base and transitions, or go back to carpet.
Estimate your next LVT job
The full estimate, templates and man days are in the 30-day free trial. No credit card.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I price an LVT set with two colors?
Write the product as a bold heading line, then add each color as a ↳ sub-line with its own quantity, prices and attic stock. The sub-lines move, copy and delete with the product.
How is LVT adhesive priced in CFE?
By the unit you buy: Adh. Qty (pails) times Adh. Cost $/u, added to the material cost of the line. The Standard template prices 8 pails at $185.00 for 2,500 sf of LVT.
How much LVT does an installer lay per day?
The sample company’s rates use 500 sf per man day for straight or brick / ashlar layouts and 350 sf for herringbone. Use your own crews’ numbers.
Does CFE recognize LVT and VCT on an imported takeoff?
Yes. The Import Rules give LVT / plank to words such as lvt, luxury vinyl or plank and codes such as LVT, LV, RF, LVP and V, and VCT to vct, excelon or vinyl composition.
Written by
Cristian Valcu – Founder & CEO, Commercial Flooring Estimating LLC
Cristian has estimated commercial flooring for over 20 years and built CFE - Advanced Estimating Worksheet around the way flooring contractors actually price, propose and track their bids.
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