The Pros and Cons of DIY Flooring Installation vs. Hiring a Professional Flooring Contractor

Pros of DIY Floor Installation

• Budget: If you have a low budget, installation adds several dollars to your final square foot costs. So, in theory, you can save quite a bit by doing the installation yourself.
• Scheduling: You can work on your flooring installation based on your schedule, so you don’t have to worry about accommodating the installer’s availability.
• Skills: You can learn new skills or hone existing skills by DIYing your flooring project.
  

Cons of a DIY Floor Installation

• It likely takes longer: Unless you’ve cleared your schedule to get the job done, installing your own floors will likely take you far longer. Installers have the proper tools and skills to complete each job efficiently. You can take at least twice as long because you lack the skills and tools to reach professional efficiency levels. Your schedule also comes into play. If you’re a weekend warrior, you’ll have to set your tools aside during the week, which can draw out the finish line for your project for weeks or even months, depending on the scope of your project and schedule.
• Errors: Every inch of flooring you ruin and every mismeasurement you make costs you money. When you hire professional installers, damage or wastage costs are on them. They also won’t likely make mistakes and will know how to troubleshoot challenges as they arise. Even worse, you aren’t likely to notice your errors until you are well into the job, such as realizing you forgot to include expansion space in your measurements, not choosing the straightest hardwood boards for your outside walls to avoid misalignment, or not pulling carpet properly to prevent buckling.
• Quantities: You can spend more than you need on materials because you don’t understand how to measure correctly. In some cases, overs can be returned. However, this is not the case for special flooring orders.
• Removing Old Flooring: Removing old flooring is just as time-consuming as laying your new flooring in some cases. You also have to figure out how to safely and legally dispose of the waste once the floors are removed. These time-consuming tasks are included with your professional flooring services.
• Flooring Prep: Once old floors are removed, you need to understand how to prepare your subfloors to avoid damage to your floors over time. Whether it is underlayment, vapor barriers, uneven subfloors, rotting subfloors, identifying moisture issues, and more, without proper prepping, your flooring installation will be a disaster. You also have to consider the different materials required for flooring prep and how those costs impact your DIY savings.
• Tools and Equipment: Tools and equipment are another cost you won’t have to worry about when going the pro route. Whether you rent or buy the equipment, this is one more cost eating into your DIY savings. Even more importantly, you can damage flooring materials without the proper equipment, which again eats into your savings.

Best Floors for DIY:

• Luxury vinyl flooring
• Laminate flooring

Professional Floor Installation

A flooring contractor comes with their own set of pros and cons, including:

Pros of Professional Floor Installation

• Guarantees and Warranties: A licensed and manufacturer-trained/approved installer stands behind their work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. You can call on them to make things right if anything goes wrong. Also, most flooring manufacturers nullify their warranties if your installation process does not follow flooring installation best practices.
• Efficiency: With professional skills, tools, and equipment, flooring installers complete your project within an agreed-upon timeframe, so your beautiful flooring is ready to enjoy quickly. They book their work based on your schedule and will provide a firm deadline for completion.
• Flooring options: Flooring contractors understand how to install all flooring options. As a result, whether you are doing your entire home in hardwood or are varying your flooring from room to room, they can manage the whole flooring reno. They can also help you make the right decisions for the best flooring for every space in your home.
• End-to-end service: Having pros complete your flooring project means you have end-to-end service from picking the floors to prep and installation to finishing touches like new baseboards. As a result, the installation is stress-free.
• Materials: The quote for your floor installation includes all materials, not just the floors. Your flooring expert considers the underlayment, glue, nails, etc., so there are no hidden costs. DIY jobs usually include several trips to your local home improvement store to purchase materials you didn’t realize you needed.
• Tools and Equipment: Flooring installers have all the tools and equipment needed to do the job right.
• Costs and Durability: Professionals know what needs to be fixed before they begin. The little details that impact the life expectancy of your floors, like subflooring, are all considered before installation. As a result, you won’t encounter ongoing costs, AND you’ll also increase the durability of your floors. Proper installation and subfloor considerations reduce the risk of mold, water damage, buckling, loose floorboards, etc.
• Knowledge: Pros understand how to correctly measure, prep, cut, install, and secure your floors for years of enjoyment.

Cons of Professional Floor Installation

• Cost: There’s no denying that professional floor installation costs more. However, when you consider the value of your time, the materials and steps included in the cost, the efficiency that has you living free of disruption sooner, the cost of waste and loss due to errors during the DIY process, and peace of mind knowing your flooring job and materials are protected under warranties and guarantees, the costs are justified.
• Scheduling: Although contractors try to accommodate your schedule, they often have long wait lists. This can push your flooring project further out than you’d like.
• Disruption: While your DIY work causes disruption, it’s your own. It’s not the same as having strangers traipsing through your home for a few days.

Best Floors for Contractors:

• Hardwood flooring
• Tile flooring
• Carpet installation
• Epoxy flooring

About the Author:

Since 2014, Nick Patel and the team at SCV Floorsmith have provided high-quality flooring services to homeowners in Santa Clarita, Calabasas, and the surrounding areas. With over 5000 projects completed successfully and more than 30 years of industry experience, you can be confident that SCV Floorsmith has the experience and expertise to handle your next flooring project.