How Much Does it Cost to Soundproof a Floor?

Some homes aren’t built to block noises from entering or leaving a room, and there’s nothing worse than being disturbed when all you want is some peace and quiet.

The good news is that floor soundproofing works both ways; sound penetration is significantly reduced, and those up or downstairs will hear very little, if any, noise.

On this page, we’ll look at two very common approaches to floor soundproofing, and we’ll be providing a per square metre price too so you can get an idea of how much it will cost.

This guide complements our wall insulation price guide and our guide to cavity wall insulation, so check out those pages if they’re relevant to you.

In early 2021 we took photos and measurements of our double bedroom and sent them to 8 soundproofing specialists from various UK locations.

We asked for advice and prices to soundproof the floor so the bedroom occupant could get some much needed daytime sleep without the noise from downstairs causing disruption.

We also wanted to reduce the noise from footsteps that anyone downstairs could hear.

Most of the soundproofing specialists gave us a few options, but they boiled down to two similar systems:

1. Place a soundproofing mat (12-15mm) underneath our carpet.
2. Remove the floorboards, insert a dense sound-blocking material between the floor joists, re-fit the floorboards, and lay a soundproofing mat between the carpet and floorboards.

Soundproofing Mat – This is the cheapest option as the floorboards don’t need to be raised and then refitted. The carpet or wooden flooring is lifted, and a soft 12-15mm mat is laid directly on top of the floorboards; the edges and joints are sealed, and the carpet or flooring (minus the old underlay) is then refitted. The mat consists of a rubber-like material, which sandwiches a soft foam-like centre. This type of soundproofing material primarily blocks vibrations such as footsteps and furniture noise but offers some mild protection from airborne sounds such as TV noise and conversations.

Dense Fibre Matting – Unlike the soft soundproof rubber mat, a dense fibre mat is designed to block airborne noise from TVs, conversations, and the background. It offers only mild protection from vibrations which can still travel through the dense material. Dense fibre matting looks like normal loft insulation but is, in fact, made from stone. It can be cut into slabs with a fine saw and fitted between the floor joists. DFM is rarely fitted as a primary soundproofer and is almost always installed along with a soft and spongy material that will block the vibrations.

Combining these two materials is usually enough to reduce the amount of noise coming through a floor significantly:

Don’t be fooled by this product’s appearance; it may look like standard fibreglass insulation you see in lofts but is, in fact, made from Rockwool, that’s stone to you and me. Dense, fireproof and great at blocking airborne noises from TVs and conversions, this complements the rubber-like underlay mat. (Photo: Knauf Rockwool)

Prices For Floor Soundproofing Materials

A plain rubber-like mat, which is the cheapest and most basic option, costs around £10 – £12 per square metre (supply only).

An acoustic mat, which is two layers of rubber sandwiching a flexible foam-like core, costs from £26 per square metre for the 12mm thick product (supply only) up to £38 per square metre for the 15mm thick version, again supply only. These prices include VAT but exclude sundries such as insulation tape and soundproofing sealant etc.

The Rockwool for between the floor joists costs around £12 per square metre for the 100mm thick product (VAT included but supply only)

Cost to Soundproof a Floor – This is How Much The Professional Said it Would Cost

The prices above are for the supply-only of the materials and exclude the sundries and the installation fee. They provide helpful insight into costs if you’re planning to do the work yourself or if you know a multi-skilled handyman, but how much does it cost to get a professional firm to soundproof a floor?

We asked 8 soundproofing firms how much they charge to:

1. Install a soundproof underlay mat.
2. Install a 15mm underlay mat and the Rockwool material between the joists.

Option 2 is the recommended system as it provides complete protection from both airborne noise and vibrations.

This is how much we were told floor soundproofing would cost per square metre, based on our double bedroom, which is 18 square metres.

Project 1 – Install a Soundproofing Mat Underlay

This is a basic entry-level floor soundproofing project and is the bare minimum needed to reduce noise coming through the floor.

The system is cost-effective, quick to install and will stop a lot of vibrations but will offer only limited protection from airborne noises.

Here are the specifics of the project:

• Remove the existing carpet, underlay and grippers.
• Check floorboards for noise when walked on and correct by cutting expansion gaps as required.
• Lay rubber or acoustic underlay mat directly on top of the floorboards.
• Secure mat to edges with acoustic sealant.
• Tape and seal all joints.
• Secure carpet grippers to edges.
• Re-lay carpet.
• Reduce the door if it rubs on the carpet.
• Dispose of the old underlay.

The prices below are an average of the prices given to us by the 8 soundproofing firms:

Project 2 – 15mm Soundproofing Mat Underlay + Rockwool

This is a very popular way of soundproofing a floor, and the work involves:

• Remove the existing carpet, underlay and grippers.
• Lift the floorboards and set them to one side.
• Cut 100mm Rockwool acoustic mat into slabs and insert into the space between the joints leaving enough ventilation space above and below the product.
• Re-lay the floorboards and check for noise when they’re walked on and correct by cutting expansion gaps as required.
• Lay 15mm acoustic underlay mat directly on top of the floorboards.
• Secure mat to edges with acoustic sealant.
• Tape and seal all joints.
• Secure carpet grippers to edges.
• Re-lay carpet.
• Reduce the door if it rubs on the carpet.
• Dispose of the old underlay.

The prices below are an average of the prices given to us by the 8 firms for this more time-consuming floor soundproofing project which is based on our 18 square metre bedroom:

Next Steps

The combination of Rockwool and an acoustic underlay mat will be suitable for most homes where there’s a moderate amount of both airborne or vibration noises. You can expect excellent results, and most people will be satisfied with this system.

For situations where the noise level is severe, extra soundproofing could be required, and the next best place to achieve this is in the ceiling.

Several systems on the market can be secured to the existing ceiling; they’re usually a mixture of fixing strips, more Rockwool, and thick soundproofing plasterboard.

As the vast majority of consumers won’t need to go this extra step, so we’ll discuss ceiling soundproofing and prices on another page.

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