5 Things To Look For In A Floor Fitter
Whether you are considering buying a new floor, or already have one in mind, you’ll want to consider the installation process before proceeding. While flooring does usually require an acclimation period, therefore, it’s not necessary to have a floor fitter there right away; it's still a good idea to know who will be installing your flooring, when they’re available, and how much it will cost you. This will not only help you stay within budget, but it will help the whole process run much smoother too.
Before you go running off to find a floor fitter, there are a few things you should look out for that will help you find someone who is right for the job. In this latest blog, our experts will help you uncover the top 5 things to look out for when finding a floor fitter.
1. Pricing
Budget is often the number 1 priority for most customers. However, it's important to consider that the lowest price might not produce the highest quality of work. Don’t worry, we’ll cover a few things to look out for on that in our next point.
For now, we advise that you get multiple quotes for your floor installation. This will help you to figure out what the average cost in your area is. As leading experts in the industry, we suggest getting a minimum of 3 quotes but there’s absolutely nothing to stop you from getting more. It also helps to provide these fitters with as much information as possible, to help you get an accurate quote the first time and prevent any surprises. Otherwise, you could later find out that your ‘cheapest quote’ forgot to mention half of the work involved. A great way around this is to provide as much information as possible and follow up by asking for an itemised bill.
Some of the information your floor fitter might require includes:
- Who supplies the flooring? Do you have a floor in mind or are you hoping for them to supply as well? Remember, not all floor fitters will supply, and vice versa.
- What type of flooring is it? The installation process for hardwood will be much different to a vinyl or laminate installation, so offering this information in advance will help in providing you with an accurate cost.
- What type of installation are you looking for? Or don’t you know? Depending on the floor type, there may be multiple installations that are possible, such as a floating floor installation, where the flooring is placed on top of underlay, or a bond down installation, where the flooring is glued directly to the subfloor. If you are not sure, now would be a good time to ask suppliers and fitters what the best solution for your home is. Don’t forget to ask them their reasoning too! This will give you a good idea of their product knowledge.
- What is the installation method? If you already have your flooring or know what kind of floor it is you want, then providing your floor fitter with information as to whether it is Click Lok or tongue & groove will give them an idea of how much time is involved.
- What size is the room? Providing accurate measurements is vital to getting an accurate quote. You will also need this measurement when buying your flooring, so getting it right should be of utmost importance.
2. Expertise
Finding a floor fitter isn’t just about providing the right information, but gaining the right information too, so do your homework! Find out how long they have been in the industry (you can do this by checking companies house). While time in the industry does not necessarily result in expertise, it’s a good starting point.
Once you know how long they have been in the industry, take a look at the work they have done during this time. More specifically, see if you can find any work that looks similar to the work you want completed. For example, if you are looking to have LVT installed in a bathroom, see if they have worked with luxury vinyl tiles before. Better yet, see if they have done any bathroom installations. Each room and floor type has its own unique advantages and struggles. Whether that’s cutting around vents in the bathroom, or fitting T-bars between the hallway and living room, you’ll want someone who can cope with any possible issues. The best way to do that is to ensure your flooring fitter has experience with these problems.
3. Knowledge
Experience is one thing, but do they have the appropriate knowledge to carry out the work? After all, you could have experience doing 10 bathrooms, but if none of the customers were happy with the level of work completed, would you still want to choose them? Our guess is no. So, on that note, you’ll want to check as many testimonials and customer reviews as you possibly can! Below, we have listed just a few of the places you could check to find out the relevant information. Remember, try to find images of the work too if you can. If not, ask the installer to provide you with some!
Website Testimonials
Most reliable floor fitters will have a section of their website dedicated to testimonials from real-life customers. However, you should bear in mind that most contractors will keep the best of the best on their website. So, it’s worth looking around for other testimonials too.
Trustpilot
Trustpilot is well-known and trustworthy, hence the name. With over 213 million reviews on their site, you can be sure that you’ve got the whole picture, not just what they want you to see on their website. Plus, Trustpilot works hard to remove any fake reviews, and verify genuine ones, so you can get a real idea of the company you’re dealing with. They’ve also been around since 2007 so they’re not likely to go anywhere anytime soon.
Social Media
While this may not provide you with much information, it's still useful to check. You may find that some people have asked questions you haven’t thought of, or you may see an off-putting review, provided they have them turned on. Depending on how often they check and post on their socials, you may even get a glimpse of some of their work.
Google Reviews
If they do not have a Trustpilot account, and they don’t have any reviews on social, then Google reviews should be your next stop. Remember, Google reviews aren’t verified like they are on Trustpilot, but Google does state that they do whatever they can to remove false information.
Word of Mouth
Word of mouth is probably the most dependable information you can gain. So, remember to ask any friends or family if they have a reliable floor fitter that they use already. This is particularly useful if they had a floor fitted some time ago because it will give you an idea of their competence. For example, if they had a floor fitted just last year but it is already cupping and buckling, there’s a good chance that the work was completed incorrectly. However, if they’ve had their whole house renovated, and no issues with their floor fitter, you could have found a winner.
Remember to ask about any other details too, such as their ability to turn up on time, or clean up after themselves. It’s also worth asking if there were any unexpected expenses they weren’t told about. This way, you can ask them ahead of time, or decide it’s the wrong person for the job. Either way, you can relax knowing that the information you have received is true and comes from a reliable source.
Yelp
While not as popular as Trustpilot, or Google Reviews, it is worth taking a look at Yelp, particularly if you’re struggling to find reviews elsewhere.
4. Certifications
Any contractor that’s been in business for a while will likely have certifications, qualifications, or memberships in well-known industry associations. So ask them and see what it is that they have, or don’t have, and why. More importantly, check that they have the right insurance for the job. It’s no use deciding against a DIY installation and letting someone else carry all the work and responsibility if it doesn’t give you any peace of mind. Therefore, to avoid any costly surprises you should enquire about their license and insurance. You may even want to see the policy for yourself, this way you can know exactly how much they are insured for and in what circumstances. That way, you’ll know that any damage caused will be covered for, should the worst happen.
Some credentials worth looking out for include:
5. Communication
We’ve already covered what information you should provide any potential contractors with, which should give you an idea of their knowledge. Now it’s time to think about what information you would like them to provide to you. Unfortunately, we can’t tell you what the right or wrong answers will be as this will differ for each job. However, we can give you an idea of what questions to ask. Hopefully, this will give you an inkling of how they manage their communications, how upfront they are, and how knowledgeable they are in the work they do.
Questions to ask your floor fitter:
- Do you offer free assessments? Or will I be charged for a quote?
- Do you offer a warranty? If so, for how long?
- Is there anything that will void my warranty that I should know of?
- Are you insured? If so, for how much?
- Do you hold any other certifications or qualifications?
- What is your availability like for (insert month here)
- What would you quote me for (insert work here)
- How do you come up with your quotes? Is it a daily rate, an hourly rate, or other?
- Are there any other costs I should know about?
- When would this need to be paid? Is there a deposit involved? If so, how much is it?
- How long will the work take to complete?
- Who is responsible for moving my furniture beforehand and cleaning up afterward?
- Are there any accessories I will need to provide? Such as scotia beading
- What will the preparation involve? Will you be using moisture meters?
- Will I need to remove my old flooring first? Or will you be able to do this for me?
- Can you quickly talk me through all the steps involved in this kind of installation?
Now that we’ve covered everything there is to know about flooring contractors, we hope that you can feel more secure in your decision. So, on that note, if you haven’t found one already, here are two comparative websites that you can use. Both sites offer a wide range of contractors in your area, providing you with a bio, contact details, and reviews.
Remember, if you are calling today, it’s National Tradesman Day so be sure to wish them the best! Also, it’s worth noting one final piece of advice. Always make sure you know the acclimation period for your flooring before booking your installation. After all, it’s no use booking a floor fitter on the same day your floor will be delivered if it’s a hardwood floor. Hardwood floors usually need approximately a week to properly acclimate for a successful installation. Most qualified flooring contractors will be aware of this and mention it while booking. However, it’s worth knowing yourself so you don’t end up with a floor fitter booked for a whole day where they can’t do anything. Or worse still, they complete the work just for the flooring to come up within a week!
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