How To Find a Qualified Carpet Installer
© Alan
Fletcher - Carpet Expert & Consumer Advocate
How To Find a Qualified Carpet Installer, and get your carpet installed right the first time!
Qualified Carpet Installer, Best Carpet Layer, Good Carpet Installation,
Certified Carpet Installer, Reliable Carpet Installation.
For most
homeowners, finding a qualified carpet installer can be very difficult.
Especially when you consider that some carpet installation jobs are more
difficult than others and will require a more experienced installer to get
the job done right.
For example,
installing expensive carpet in a custom home requires much more expertise
than does installing apartment-grade carpet in a rental unit. Of course
everyone wants his or her carpet to be installed correctly, and hiring an
installer with minimum of 5 years experience is where I would draw the line
with a simple installation job.
So, if you buy a
good quality carpet or your installation job is more difficult or tricky,
than you must hire an installer with more specialized experience. I
personally believe that it takes at least 10 years before any flooring
installer can truly begin to master their trade.
Hiring an
Independent Carpet Installer
As with any
trade, some installers are just not worth hiring. In fact, the good ones are
the hardest to find. They often have a busy schedule due to a great
word-of-mouth reputation. These professionals may not need to advertise in
order to keep busy, so the only way to find them may only be through someone
who knows them or who has hired them in the past. Ask your friends,
relatives or co-workers who they would recommend. Even if an installer comes
recommended, it does not mean the installer is qualified to install your
carpet.
Who to
call
Local retail
carpet stores generally will not allow you to hire their installers unless
you buy the carpet from them. Carpet retailers often have a difficult time
finding and keeping good installers because the best installers are busy
enough due to their reputation alone, and don’t need or even want to work
for a retail carpet store. Many carpet stores make a profit on the
installation charge as well.
Carpet
Installation Prices - Carpet Installation Cost.
What does it cost
to have carpet installed? There are a lot of variables that homeowners need to
consider before the question of carpet installation cost can be accurately
answered. There are many different fees and charges you may encounter all
depending on your home and the type of carpet you select.
Installing Carpet
On Stairs
For example, if
you have a flight of stairs that need to be carpeted you can expect a minimum
charge of $75 for the flight of stairs. That is in addition the the price per
square yard to install the carpet. Some installers charge by the stair and if
you have spindles and a handrail the cost can be as much as $15 per
stair. Looped Berber carpets are always more costly to install due to the
added difficulty in cutting and seaming.
Tear out and haul
away of the old carpet and padding is another charge you can encounter. Some
installers charge as much as $3 per yard to take up your old carpet and
padding. There may also be a dump fee that you must pay in addition to that.
Some homeowners can save money if they take up the old carpet and padding
themselves prior to the carpet installers arriving to install the new carpet.
It's important that the jobsite be clean, all furniture moved out, swept out
and ready to go before they arrive.
Carpet
Installation - Extra Fees and Charges
Other carpet
installation prices, charges and fees that can add up in a hurry is for floor
preparation. If you have squeaky floors and want the installers to screw down
the subfloor there will be added costs. If the old tackless strips are worn
out, rusty or damaged they will need to be replaced. If you need new metal
transitions there may be added costs depending on what type of transitions you
require and the amount of lineal feet you need.
The Cost to
Install Carpet per square or Square foot depends on the grade of carpet you
buy, the area you live in, the experience level of the installer and the size
of your job. Most installers have a minimum fee of at least $100, so if you
have a small room to do you can't calculate the cost using the amount of
square feet you have. On the other hand, if you have a huge job you might be
able to negotiate a better deal. Installers often like doing bigger jobs
because they can get it done faster than doing a lot of smaller jobs and
driving all about town. How to Measure for Carpet in 4 Simple Steps
What should you
pay?
In the southern
states like Florida, Alabama, Texas and Mississippi the price carpet
installers charge is considerable less than in the northern states. Prices per
square yard range from $2.50 to $6.50 nationwide with higher prices in the
northeastern states and along the west coast.
Protect yourself
from lawsuits.
It's important
that you check your carpet installer's references and check to make sure the
carpet installer you hire is licensed with your state contracting
agency if required. Check to make sure he has a surety bond if required
by your state and also check to make sure he has current business liability
insurance.
See if your
state has licensing requirements for carpet installers. All State Contractor License Requirements & Regulations - Carpet & Flooring
You will want to
ask that his insurance company put your name and jobsite address as an add on
to his policy and mail you a copy prior to the actual installation This is as
simple as having him call his insurance agent and asking for a
"rider" to be issued to you. They can fax it or email it to you as
well as send it via snail mail to the jobsite address. This insurance rider
may help protect you from being sued should the installer hurt himself while
working on your property.
You need to seek
professional advice!
You may not be
protected from a lawsuit if the installer pay his help under the table and
does not pay for their workman's compensation insurance premiums. You could
end up in a lawsuit if the installers helper were to injure himself while
working on your property. You might want to ask to see the workman's
compensation insurance policy or insurance card and make sure that anyone who
works on your property is included and fully covered on that policy. Is that
policy up to date and have the premiums been paid? Please note: I do not offer
or provide any legal advice whatsoever and you should seek out professional
legal advice and speak to your homeowners insurance agent to make sure you are
fully covered if you hire subcontractors to work on your property.
More Information:
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Alan's
List of Preferred Carpet Dealers
It's
getting harder to find a reputable carpet dealer these days! That's why
I've created a special hand-picked list of over 350 locally-owned Carpet
Dealers who offer Free estimates, Fair prices, Knowledgeable staff, Honest
measuring and Qualified installers!
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who I recommend Near You!
