Hardwood Scratch & Gouge Repair

Most hardwood damage is fixable without replacing boards. Here's how the spectrum of repair works.

Light surface scratches

• Cause: pet nails, dragged shoes, light furniture movement.
• Fix: finish-only repair. Lightly screen-sand, fill if needed, recoat the affected area or do a screen-and-recoat of the room. Invisible result.
• Cost: $200 – $500 for a small area.

Medium scratches into the stain

• Cause: dropped tools, pet damage from a bigger animal, dragged appliance.
• Fix: color-matched filler, blended stain touch-up, finish coat. Requires skill but invisible result.
• Cost: $300 – $800 depending on area.

Deep gouges into bare wood

• Cause: dropped sharp object, moved heavy furniture without pads.
• Fix: wood filler + custom-mixed stain to match the original wood color, then finish coat. Visible from up close; invisible from across the room.
• Cost: $400 – $1,000.

Severe damage requiring board replacement

• Cause: chronic pet urine that's soaked through, fire damage, deep gouges that can't be filled.
• Fix: cut out damaged boards, weave in matching new boards, custom-stain to match, refinish surrounding area.
• Cost: $500 – $2,500+ depending on board count and matching difficulty.

Whole-room consideration

If a room has more than 5 – 10 areas of damage, it's often more cost-effective to refinish the whole room than to do many spot repairs. The floor will look better and the per-sq-ft cost is similar.

What we won't do

• Take on a spot repair if the surrounding finish is so worn that the patch will stand out. We'll recommend a screen-and-recoat or full refinish instead.
• Use mismatched filler that we know won't blend.
• Promise invisible results on damage that genuinely can't hide.

Free in-home damage assessment - we tell you the best path before quoting.