Even though it’s easy to fall into the trap of fixating on cost savings and skimping on material to avoid going over-budget, it’s important to remember that oftentimes selecting lower quality flooring options may not be the best long-term investment for your property. Remember, the price of materials is only part of the total cost of a project, which, in the long term, includes repairs and maintenance.
When reviewing a quote for your commercial flooring project, there are several key factors to keep in mind before you make a final decision. Only after putting them all together do you get a big-picture idea of not only your total project cost, but its long-term value as well.
Cost of Flooring Materials
Probably the most obvious component of the quote is the cost of the flooring materials themselves. This can vary greatly depending on if you’ve chosen ceramic or natural stone tile, hardwood or engineered wood, luxury vinyl plank or a more exotic floor covering. Knowing your budget upfront when asking for a quote will help your installer find options that make the most sense for you and your budget.
Even within certain families of materials there can be a wide range of price options, so just because you are on a more limited budget doesn’t mean, for example, that natural stone is out of reach, even though it does tend to be on the more expensive side.
Cost of Preparation Materials
A great installation is only as good as the subfloor it goes on top of. This means the subfloor will more than likely need some prep work to make sure that the new materials you chose are able to perform at their best. Some materials your installer may need could include skim coats or patching compounds, for example.
The goal is to create a level, smooth surface or to encapsulate old adhesives on the subfloor to set the stage for a flawless installation. It doesn’t matter how much you spend on the flooring itself, if the subfloor isn’t properly prepped the end result will be a sub-par flooring job.
Cost of Labor—Floor Preparation
Labor cost for preparation includes everything required to ready the space to be for its new floor covering. This could mean removing and disposing of old flooring as well as actually performing the tasks noted above in regard to removing old adhesive or leveling the floor to optimize it for the new flooring that will go on top of it.
Just as preparation material costs are often overlooked, the expenses incurred by the sometimes significant labor it might require to properly prepare your subfloor can be easy to dismiss. However, it is one of the most crucial steps when it comes to a quality flooring instalation.
Cost of Installation Materials
Some common installation materials include adhesive and underlayment, which work with the flooring you selected to create a structurally safe and sound installation that you can enjoy for years to come. Skimping here could leave you with weak construction that simply doesn’t last as long as the type of floor you’ve selected is intended to.
Think about it—you want support materials that are going to bring out the quality of your new floor, not take away from it. Even if the installation materials aren’t the most visible part of your new flooring project, when taken as a whole the look and feel of your new floors will suffer if you cut costs here.
Cost of Labor—Installation
Finally, the actual cost associated with the skilled installers who will set the final flooring materials to make your vision a reality. Sometimes you will see labor cost associated with the time it takes to install a particular material—an hourly rate—or you might be given a total price that considers the total square footage that will be covered.
This is one of the expenses most people expect to see on a quote, and one area it’s the most difficult to cut down on expenses in. If you’re dealing with an experienced installer, they will be guarantee this part of the quote, as they should have enough experience to make this estimation with a high degree of accuracy.
Cost of Moisture Mitigation Materials and Procedures
Moisture can be scary when you are thinking of floor covering in your commercial space—or home for that matter. Moisture problems can contribute to flooring failures, and as companies look for ways to skimp on costs on major projects like renovating a commercial space, they often cause the most damage. Moisture mitigation is almost always part of a project quote, and can vary based on the current subfloor and the materials that will be used in the space.
A wide range of factors go into preparing a commercial job quote, and you need to consider each one individually as well as all of them together before you decide on whether to contract with any particular company. As a business owner or the person in charge of your company’s commercial renovation project, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with all the options and make sure you identify the appropriate areas to reduce costs, if necessary, without compromising quality or putting your space and project at risk.
Ready for a quote with guaranteed pricing that won’t change once the job has started? Call or email Flooring Masters & Professional Remodelers today for a free consultation. We know you only want the best in flooring. That’s why it’s important to hire the best in the business, and at Flooring Masters & Professional Remodelers, we can guarantee you that’s us.
Flooring Masters & Professional Remodelers have been flooring and remodeling Kentuckiana for over 30 years. Our certified installers have the ingenuity and know-how to assist you in choosing the perfect floors for your home. Don’t take matters into your own hands—let us guide your next project.
