Hiring GuidesHow to choose a flooring or tile installer
What to ask about subfloor prep, material handling, timeline and warranty so flooring quotes are actually comparable.
By Elijah Canfield, Founder, Hire Best Pros · Updated August 26, 2026
Elijah Canfield is the founder of Hire Best Pros. He writes and edits the site's consumer guides, with a focus on how home service and moving projects are priced, scoped and compared.
Compare installers on the parts of the job you cannot see. Ask how they evaluate and prepare the subfloor, whether prep is included or billed later, who supplies and handles the material, how transitions and trim are handled, and what their labor warranty covers. Price differences between flooring quotes usually live in prep and detail work, not in the material.
Key points
- Subfloor prep is the most common source of change orders. Get it defined.
- Ask specifically who is doing the work: employees or subcontracted crews.
- Get material, labor and prep as separate line items.
Questions that separate quotes
- How do you assess subfloor flatness and moisture, and what prep is included in this price
- What happens, and at what cost, if the subfloor needs more work once the old floor is up
- Is removal and disposal of the existing floor included
- Who supplies the material, and who is responsible for shortages or damaged boxes
- How are transitions, thresholds and trim handled, and is baseboard removed and reinstalled
- How long will the space be unusable, and what protection is used elsewhere in the house
- What does your labor warranty cover and for how long, separately from the material warranty
For tile work specifically
- What underlayment or membrane is being used, and why that one
- How the layout is set out, and will you see the plan before work starts
- Waterproofing details in wet areas, which are what prevent long term failures
- Grout type and expansion joint placement
- How lippage and level are controlled across the field
Comparing flooring quotes?
Find flooring helpVerify before you sign
- Confirm licensing where your state or municipality requires it, and confirm insurance directly
- Ask for recent local references for the same material you are installing
- Read the contract for payment schedule, start and completion dates and change order process
- Avoid large deposits that are out of proportion to the material being ordered
Common questions
- Should I buy the flooring myself?
- You can, and it sometimes saves money, but it moves responsibility for quantity, defects and delays to you. If the installer supplies the material, shortages and damaged product are their problem to solve.