Prices are going to vary depending on your location, but generally you are going to pay more to have the wood installed, and then finished, then if you were to have a prefinished floor installed. of course, certain aspects of your house could also increase or decrease the cost too.

We manufacture and sell both finished and unfinished products and when it comes to choosing between the two we usually focus on two main things. The first is whether this is a remodel or new construction. This is important because if it is finished in place it will need time to dry, especially with a oil finish like you had mentioned. With a remodel, especially with a main area of the house like a kitchen or living room a pre-finished floor will take dramatically less time to be completed, leaving your house a construction zone for much less time.

The other thing we focus on is whether you like the look of a beveled edge or not. Some aren't bothered at all, for others it's a deal breaker and it is totally personal preference. With a pre-finished floor the edges won't get the chance to be sanded after the final install the edges need to be rounded ever-so-slightly to account for any slight unevenness in the sub floor. Flooring that will be finished in place will receive a final sanding, therefor will be manufactured with a square edge which will be evened out during that final sanding.

In our area, with the installers we work with the cost is generally about the same for a strait forward finish like you mentioned. You will pay the manufacturer slightly more for a pre-finished product, but you will pay an installer more to install and finish.

I hope this helps! Please feel free to reach out with any other questions!

As others have said, the differences are in price.

Another difference is time of installation. With prefinished flooring, it is ready for use immediately after installation.

Site finished flooring has a period of time before even being walkable(usually 24 hours), an week or so before furniture, and 30+ days before area rugs can be used.

I installed unfinished maple in my current house. Installation took a week(me and two helpers. )Sanding took 2 days(did NOT use a drum sander), applying an oil based poly for floors another 48 hours(to walkable condition), a week to move in furniture, and a month for area rugs. Not a problem for us here, since we bought a repossession and took a month to do necessary work. I did one room later(well after we moved in) the same way and it was a huge pain.

So, along with initial cost, look at the time factor.

I have an engineered prefinished wood floor in my den, since it's a slab addition. Less than 1 year ago I had white oak installed in my reno kitchen/dining room, finished on site with oil finish. Prior to the reno I had a red oak floor, site finished in my kitchen. I prefer site finished. When something drops on prefinished floor, it is more obvious - mark in finish. I would only do onsite finish and deal with the inconvenience.