How to hire a flooring contractor

The five categories price very differently and are not interchangeable. LVP/LVT is the value play and the kitchen/bath default. Engineered hardwood is the right answer for most main-floor jobs and the only wood option below grade. Solid hardwood is the long-life premium when you have a proper above-grade plywood subfloor and want to refinish multiple times. Porcelain tile is the bathroom and entry standard and the most expensive per sqft. Carpet is bedrooms, stairs, and basements where comfort and acoustics matter more than spill resistance. If your project is below grade or in a wet area, expect your installer to steer you toward engineered or LVP — that is the correct call, not a sales push.

Subfloor condition is the biggest unknown going into a flooring job because nobody can see it until demo opens up the floor. Plywood subfloors that creak, sag, or have moisture damage need sistering, screw-down, or partial replacement before any finish goes down. Concrete slabs out of level by more than ⅛" over 10 ft need self-leveling underlayment. Old vinyl glued to plywood may need a full layer of new ¼" underlayment. Tile installs over single-layer plywood need either backer board or an uncoupling membrane (Schluter DITRA) — both add cost but prevent cracked grout. Ask for a written subfloor allowance ($X per sqft) in the quote so any work the demo reveals already has agreed pricing — clarity here protects both you and the installer.

Tearing up tile is the hardest demo — thinset bonds to the slab and often takes a SDS-Max chipping hammer plus a half-day of labor per room. Carpet rip-out is the cheapest. Glued-down vinyl with asbestos backing (pre-1985) needs abatement. Hardwood pulls easier than tile but staples and nail strips slow it down.

A standard straight-lay 5" plank goes down faster than a 7" wide-plank engineered floor, which goes faster than herringbone. Large-format tile (24"x48"+) needs a flatter substrate (1/8" in 10 ft) and a specialty mortar — installers charge a labor premium for the extra prep and skill required. Diagonal layouts add waste (10–15% vs. 5–7% straight).

Every doorway, room change, and stair gets a transition piece (T-molding, reducer, threshold). Stairs are billed per tread and riser — wood stair installs run $80–150/tread, with bullnosed tread pieces around $30–60 each. New baseboard or quarter-round to cover the gap is another $2–5/linear ft installed. Ask for a transition count and per-unit price in the quote so the final invoice matches the bid.

If you have existing 3/4" solid hardwood and the wear layer is at least 1/4" above the tongue, sand-and-refinish at $3.50–6.50/sqft is almost always cheaper and more durable than replacement. Engineered hardwood usually has 2–4mm of wear layer and can be refinished once, sometimes twice — check the spec before you sand.

Sand-and-refinish on a pre-1978 home triggers the EPA RRP rule (and the stricter state versions in RI/MA). The crew must be a certified firm, use HEPA containment, and dispose of dust as lead waste. This is non-negotiable and adds $1–2/sqft to a refinish — a small price for keeping lead dust out of your home and HVAC.

Two normal models: the installer supplies materials (markup covers procurement, freight, color/run consistency, and warranty support if a batch is bad), or the homeowner supplies materials (you save the markup but own shortages, defects, and warranty claims). Both work. Ask which the pro prefers and why — most have a strong preference based on what they can warranty.