The hardwood flooring industry is projected to grow to over $55 billion by 2026.
If you’re thinking about installing hardwood flooring in your home, you’re certainly not alone. Hardwood is one of the most sought-after types of flooring in the country because of how it looks, its durability, and the sheer number of options you’re presented with.
When you’re putting laminate flooring in your home, you can make the case for installing it yourself, but not with hardwood. Hardwood installation is a delicate process that requires a professional tough.
Search, “hardwood floor installer near me” and you’ll be presented with countless options, but how do you pick the right one? In this post, we’re going to tell you what to look for in a hardwood flooring installer.
If your flooring is installed correctly, it’ll stand the test of time. Keep reading and we’ll help you find the best installation company near you.
Look for Experience
Proper flooring installation can only be done by someone that has the proper training and experience. When seeking out the best flooring contractor in your area, the first thing you should look at is how long the company has been in business and how experienced its installers are.
Try to find a contractor that has a number of years of experience installing the type of hardwood that you want. Different types of wood flooring can behave differently, so a lack of experience with a given material could end up in disaster.
If they don’t have their experience listed on a website, don’t be afraid to be blunt and ask. A company that has performed hundreds of hardwood installations is generally one that you can trust to do a good job. That’s not to say new companies aren’t trustworthy, but hiring one is riskier.
Check Credentials and Insurance
With hardwood installation, you aren’t really looking for specific training like you would with other home services. A general contractor can handle flooring installation, but try to look for a company that specializes in flooring installation above all else.
Each state will have different general contractor requirements. You can find out what licenses or credentials a contractor in your state needs on this website. Don’t trust anyone that can’t provide proof of these credentials.
In addition to licenses and experience, make sure that any company you hire to work in your home has insurance, whether you’re looking for a great hardwood installation or the best garage floor coating installer. General liability insurance protects you and your property in the event of damage or unsatisfactory work.
It’s common for customers to ask for proof of insurance. Don’t be afraid to turn the other way if they can’t show this to you.
Online Customer Reviews
When you hop onto Google and search “hardwood floor installer near me,” you’re going to be inundated with options. It can be overwhelming to sift through dozens of different companies that offer the same kind of services.
To separate the best companies from the pack, you need to look at online customer reviews. These can tell you a great deal about the quality of a company’s work, customer service, and prices. Once you’ve read through reviews, you’ll be able to narrow your search down to the best two or three flooring companies.
Obviously, the best companies are the ones that have a high average rating and plenty of reviews. It’s good practice to read both positive and negative reviews to get a good sense of what the company is like. The more you can glean from these, the more informed you’ll be going into it.
Getting Quotes
You should always get quotes from multiple hardwood installation companies. It’s understandable to want to save as much as possible on hardwood installation, especially with the rising cost of hardwood. That said, you should never choose someone because they’ve got cheap flooring contractor fees.
Obtaining 3-5 quotes should give you an indication of what you can expect to pay, allowing you to budget accordingly. Once you know this, you can weigh the cost against everything else we’ve discussed so far – reputation, experience, credentials, etc.
The average cost of a hardwood flooring installation is between $3-$8 per square foot. This doesn’t include the cost of materials, which could be anywhere from $3-$10 per square foot. A flooring company should be able to provide you with an itemized estimate breaking down the total cost.
Samples of Past Work
Another thing to check out would be samples of a contractor’s past work. Most contractors will have a gallery of their work right on their website. If they don’t, however, don’t hesitate to ask for samples.
This should give you an idea of what you can expect the finished product to look like. Looking at samples can be deceiving since no contractor is going to post pictures of poor workmanship. If you’ve got a keen eye, however, you may be able to single out blemishes and errors in these pictures.
Product and Service Warranties
Lastly, you always want to make sure that you’ve got warranties. Even when you’re confident in a particular contractor’s abilities and reputation, you never want to leave yourself vulnerable.
Manufacturer warranties can help you in the event that there are malfunctions with the hardwood floors themselves. Service warranties hold the installer accountable if there are any issues with the installation process.
Basically, a warranty guarantees that you won’t have to pay extra if the contractor has to replace a board or fix a poor installation. Without warranties, you could be on the hook for these extra costs.
Find a Hardwood Floor Installer Near Me
Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to type, “hardwood floor installer near me” into Google and see what comes up. There’s no need to be overwhelmed by this process any longer. Use these tips to separate the wheat from the chaff and get the best hardwood flooring in your home.
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