How to Find a Good Floor Fitter
In this guide and we’ll not only tell you how to find a floor fitter but also what to ask him or her so that you get the best fitter for your needs.
What Type of Floor Do You Need Fitting?
Considering changing your sitting room flooring from carpet to hardwood? Or maybe you fancy opting for some laminate instead of vinyl tile in the kitchen?
Solid wood flooring is a popular choice these days. And no wonder. It looks terrific when down and retains its look and character for years. There’s also less maintenance involved than with carpeted flooring.
To have your solid wood flooring looking its best you’ll need an experienced and knowledgeable floor fitter to do it for you. It’s a skilled job so make sure you choose someone who has laid many hardwood floors previously and is confident in his or her abilities.
Whatever your choice you’re going to have to know how to find the right floor fitter for the job
Where to Find Floor Fitters
Finding a plumber can be tricky, you can try the following methods to find someone who is trustworthy, reliable and won’t rip you off:
The Page
It’s easy to find a trusted floor fitter in London with The Page, send us an enquiry and we will send a curated list of potential floor fitters for your project – all of whom you can get in touch with directly.
We personally meet all our tradespeople, vet them and inspect their previous jobs so you can be sure you are getting someone reliable and trustworthy.
Online Directories
These will list flooring fitters near you – but only the individuals and companies who have paid to appear in the directory. In other words, this isn’t an objective search of ‘good’ floor fitters in the locale. Rather, it’s more a version of the paid for adverts in your local paper.
There are bound to be other floor fitters out there who just haven’t paid to advertise their services. And, if they don’t need to advertise to find clients then chances are they’re getting them via word of mouth. And that means they’re good.
Most of us these days turn to Google when searching for something online. The floor fitters who have paid to appear at the top of the search page will indeed appear first in the listings but there’s usually an Ad sign next to them.
In terms of the natural results, it could be that the floor fitter at the top of the list is popular, or has paid someone to look after his web page’s Search Engine Optimisation so that he’ll appear on the first page of ‘floor fitters in xxxx’.
Review Sites
You can take a look at what past customers have said about their floor fitter on review sites. You will usually also find testimonials on his or her website.
It can be a good indication of whether or not this is the type of floor fitter you’re looking for, especially if they specialise in a particular kind of flooring, such as parquet.
Having said that, there is no guarantee that any of the reviews are genuine. And review sites don’t exactly advertise services for free ie they do charge tradespeople for appearing on their page.
Facebook Groups
Another way to find a good floor fitter is to use the community pages on Facebook and other social media forums.
You could post a question such as ‘I’m wondering how to find a floor fitter’ in your locale and then other residents may respond with the name and contact number of a floor fitter they have used and rate highly.
Again though, it’s not a foolproof rating method ie people can promote their friend or relative.
Ask Other People
Asking friends, family and work colleagues if they know of a good floor fitter is often a good way to find the right tradesperson.
They’ll probably be only too happy to recommend someone who has done a terrific job for them. This is good news for you, especially if they’re prepared to show you their flooring so you can judge for yourself.
Ask Other Tradespeople
Tradespeople often work together on big projects. Ask a plumber or joiner you know, for instance, if they are aware of a good floor fitter. News travels fast amongst communities and if there’s an excellent floor fitter out there, chances are all the local tradespeople will know about him or her.
Trade Associations
The majority of floor fitters today are part of a membership organisation, such as the National Institute of Carpet and Floor Layers (NICF) or the Flooring Industry Training Association (FITA).
Being a member means they are serious about their reputation and working to maintain certain standards within the flooring industry.
In other words, it’s a big ‘plus’ if your chosen floor fitter has the backing of a Trade Association behind him. That’s especially the case since he or she will be regulated and expected to stand by a code of conduct.
5 Tips on Choosing a Good Floor Fitter
1. Check Their Experience and Accreditations
You will find that experience usually counts for more than accreditations. Despite this, if a floor fitter says they have certain qualifications and affiliations then don’t just take his or her word for it. Do check.
2. Read Their Reviews
Take time to read testimonials on their website and google to find comments on review sites. Make sure the reviews are recent. There’s no way of telling if they are all genuine, but if there are lots of negative reviews about a particular floor fitter and he or she hasn’t responded to these then maybe best to avoid that individual.
3. Check Previous Work
You can always ask a potential floor fitter to see examples of his or her previous work. That could be via images or a video on their website or social media pages.
4. Ask People That Have Used Them
It’s not unreasonable to ask a floor fitter for a previous client’s phone number so you can take a look at the flooring job they supplied for that particular person.
5. Get Quotes to Compare Costs
Getting an engineered wood or laminate floor fitted isn’t something you do every day so you probably don’t know how much it will cost. In order to try and get a ballpoint figure you should ask for at least three quotes.
That way you’ll get to know what’s fair and if a quote seems a bit excessive. Don’t always go for the cheapest quote though, look at what each is offering and whether the additional services are worth paying a little more for. Try and make sure the quotes are similar though ie make sure they are all for supply and fit.
Getting Quotes – Questions to Ask
What is Included in the Quote?
Make sure the quote is easy to understand and that everything is listed ie not just labour and materials, but also removal work and disposal of old flooring etc. Does the job include fitting new skirting boards too? Will you have to prep the room before the fitter arrives?
Knowledge of Building Regulations
Your flooring fitter should be aware of Building Regulations, especially if the floor is being fitted in the kitchen where gas and electrical appliances sit. That’s because if he needs to disconnect any utilities, this work should be done by a Gas Safe engineer (in line with Building Regulations).
Do They Offer a Free Survey?
A free survey of your flooring isn’t an unreasonable request – and most floor fitters will provide this. That way he or she gets to inspect your home and work out a more precise cost for the job. It also provides an opportunity for you to ask any questions.
Getting the Quote in Writing
Always get the quote in writing, either on a piece of paper or via email. That way, if your floor fitter deviates from your plan you can point out to him it’s not what he or she originally agreed to. It also means you can’t be charged extra for the job as the quote is what you have both signed up to.
Average Costs
A typical floor fitter will charge anything from £100 to £200 a day. The cost of the overall job though will depend on the size of the wood floor to be fitted and the materials used (parquet is more expensive and takes longer to fit). Another factor to consider is whether or not they are supplying the wood, or you are. A floor fitter can usually get a trade discount so it’s best to get him or her to purchase the flooring for you.
In terms of materials, expect to pay around £25 per m2 to have laminate flooring installed and around £80 per m2 for high-quality Herringbone. For wood flooring you can pay from as little as £1000, up to more than £1500 for quality work and depending on how large the surface to be covered is.
What Makes a Good Floor Fitter?
Knowledge and experience show when it comes to wooden floor fitting. For instance, a good flooring specialist will prep the floor area well before he or she even brings a plank into the room. They will also work with the grain in the wood to show it to the best effect. That includes placing planks with knots in areas where they won’t be on display as much.
Your floor fitter will also fit the floor flush to the skirting board and neatly around the door frame.
