1. Match the fitter to the work
Start from the floor you have chosen
Fitters specialise. A carpet fitter, a vinyl and laminate fitter and a wood floor fitter use different tools and different subfloor checks. Start from the service page for your floor: carpet fitters (86), vinyl, LVT and laminate fitters (74) or wood and parquet floor fitters (63).
Domestic or commercial
Of the 326 businesses listed, 130 businesses state domestic work and 157 businesses state commercial or industrial work on their own site. A business that lists neither may still do both, so ask.
2. Ask to see finished jobs
Photos and references
Citizens Advice advises asking for two or three recent examples of similar work and contacting the previous clients directly, because written references are not always genuine. Citizens Advice also says to avoid traders who will not give references. Ask for the phone number of a customer whose floor was laid at least a few months ago, so you can ask how it has worn.
Reading Google reviews
Check that the reviews describe the fitting, not just the delivery or the showroom. A review that names the room, the floor and the problem solved is better evidence than a star rating on its own. The directory orders its lists by review count, which is a data rule and not a quality ranking.
The directory shows the number of reviews next to each rating, so you can see whether a rating rests on three reviews or three hundred.
3. Check accreditations for what they are
31 businesses out of 326 show an accreditation or review-platform badge on their own site. A badge is one signal, not a guarantee. Citizens Advice advises checking any scheme or trade association a trader claims on the organisation's own website. The guide to flooring accreditations explains what each scheme checks.
What Which? checks
Which? Trusted Traders says it carries out a credit check, contacts a selection of customers from a trader's most recent work, and interviews the trader at their premises. Which? also says it does not visit sites to assess the trader's work. You should read an endorsement as a check on the business, not on the floor.
4. Ask for proof of insurance
Their insurance
Citizens Advice advises asking to see the trader's policies and checking that they will not expire before the work finishes. Citizens Advice lists public liability insurance, employers' liability insurance, and contractors' all-risk cover among the types to ask about. The directory does not verify insurance, so the certificate has to come from the fitter.
Your insurance
Check that your buildings insurance covers you during the work. Your insurer may want the trader's details, so tell the insurer before the fitter starts.
Protecting a deposit
Citizens Advice advises checking whether the trader has insurance protecting your deposit or uses an escrow scheme, and checking that any escrow company is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority. Citizens Advice also lists professional indemnity insurance among the types to ask about where there is design work.
5. Get the quote in writing
What a quote should say
Citizens Advice says a quote is a fixed price and an estimate is a rough guess that can rise. A written quote should show the total price, a breakdown of the work and materials, how long the price is valid, whether VAT is included, and when the price can go up. 92 businesses say on their site that they offer a free quote.
Daily rates
If a fitter quotes a daily rate, Citizens Advice advises asking them to write down how many days the work will take, how many hours make up a day, and when they need your go-ahead for more days. The sourced prices guide shows the day rates published for each type of work.
Comparing three quotes
Put the three quotes side by side and compare the same lines: the product and its code, the area in square metres, preparation, removal and disposal of the old floor, skirting and VAT. Citizens Advice says to be cautious of a price far below the others, because the work may not be comparable.
6. Settle who prepares the subfloor
The subfloor decides whether a new floor lies flat and stays fixed. Ask who checks the subfloor, who levels it, and what happens if the fitter finds damp or an uneven slab once the old floor is up. Agree the price of that extra work before you need it.
Extra work after the quote
Citizens Advice says a trader can charge more than the quote only if you ask for extra work, the trader tells you extra work is needed and you agree, or the trader made a genuine pricing mistake. The guide to preparing a subfloor explains the tests and the levelling lines.
7. Agree payment, timings and rubbish removal
Payment
Citizens Advice advises paying by debit or credit card where you can, and not paying with cash. For work costing between £100.01 and £30,000, a section 75 claim may apply to a credit card payment. Paying in stages lets you put problems right before you make the final payment.
Receipts
Citizens Advice says to always get a receipt for a deposit and for any materials it covers. Keep the receipts with the written quote and the contract, because they are your evidence if there is a dispute.
Timings and tidying
A written contract can be short. Citizens Advice says it should set out exactly what you are paying for, the start and finish dates, how and when rubbish is removed and who pays for skips, who buys the materials, and how and when you will pay.
Your rights if you change your mind or the work is poor
The 14-day cooling-off period
If you agreed the work at your home, over the phone or online, Citizens Advice says you usually have 14 days to cancel, starting the day after you give the go-ahead. If you asked the work to start in that period and the trader gave you cancellation details, you may owe a part of the price for the work done. Items already fitted may reduce your right to cancel.
Reasonable care and skill
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires a trader to perform a service with reasonable care and skill. If the fitting falls short, you can ask for the work to be repeated or for a price reduction. Put the complaint in writing, keep photos, and keep the contract and receipts.
Years in trade
84 businesses state a number of years in trade on their own site. The directory shows what the business says and does not check the claim. Treat it as a question to ask, not a fact.
What this guide does not cover
The guide is general consumer advice from Citizens Advice and the Consumer Rights Act, not legal advice for your contract. The guide does not name or recommend a specific fitter. The directory orders lists by Google review count, which is not a quality ranking, and it does not verify insurance, accreditations or workmanship. Cancellation rights vary with how and where you agreed the work, so read the Citizens Advice page for your case.