How to compare flooring quotes

How do I compare flooring quotes properly?

Compare flooring quotes by insisting that each one separates material from labour and lists the same scope. Ask every installer for five specific things: the wear layer in mils for vinyl or millimetres for engineered hardwood, whether removal and disposal of the old floor is included, whether subfloor preparation is included and what happens if more is needed, the per-step price for stairs, and the linear-foot price for baseboards. Those five items account for nearly every difference between quotes that otherwise look comparable. A quote that is 30 percent lower usually excludes preparation, uses a thinner wear layer, or has not measured the stairs. Also confirm the installer carries liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage, which protects you if someone is injured in your home.

Separate material from labour

A single lump sum hides everything. With materials and labour listed separately you can compare a $6 engineered oak against a $10 one on equal footing, and you can see whether one installer's labour rate is genuinely higher or whether they have simply specified a better product.

The five questions

Wear layer. Removal and disposal. Subfloor preparation, including what happens if more is needed once the old floor is up. Stairs, per step, including whether risers and nosings are covered. Baseboards and quarter round, per linear foot. Ask all five of every installer and the quotes become comparable.

Insurance and coverage

Ask for a certificate of liability insurance and proof of workers' compensation coverage — WSIB in Ontario, WorkSafeBC in British Columbia, WCB elsewhere. Without it, an injury in your home can become your liability. Condos require both as a condition of approval anyway.

Warranty terms

Two warranties apply: the manufacturer's product warranty and the installer's workmanship warranty. Get both in writing, understand their length, and know who to call for what. A product warranty is void if the floor was installed outside the manufacturer's specifications, so proper installation protects both.

Payment structure

A deposit of 25 to 50 percent to cover material is normal. Paying the full amount upfront is not. Retain a final payment until the work is complete, inspected and any deficiencies are corrected. Get the payment schedule in the written quote.

Common questions

Why is one quote so much cheaper?

Usually one of three reasons: a thinner wear layer on a product that looks identical, subfloor preparation excluded and billed later as an extra, or old-floor removal not included. Occasionally it is an installer without insurance or workers' compensation coverage, which is the one difference that can cost you far more than the saving.

Should I always take the middle quote?

No. Compare the scope rather than the position. Once three quotes list the same product specification, the same preparation and the same extras, the cheapest is usually a legitimate saving. Before that point the numbers are not measuring the same thing.

What should be in a written quote?

Product name and specification including wear layer, quantity in square feet, material and labour separately, subfloor preparation, removal and disposal, stairs and trim, timeline, payment schedule, and warranty terms for both product and workmanship.

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