7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Flooring Contractor in Central Florida

1. Are You Licensed and Insured — and Can You Prove It?

Any legitimate flooring contractor should immediately provide their General Liability Insurance certificate and Workers' Compensation policy. If they hesitate, walk away.

Why it matters: If an uninsured worker gets hurt in your home, you could be liable. Always get the actual certificate — not just a verbal 'yes we're insured.'

At Genesis Flooring, we carry $1M/$2M General Liability and $1M Workers' Comp. We hand over certificates on request, every time.

2. Who Specifically Will Be in My Home?

Many companies quote the job then send a subcontracted crew you've never met and they've never personally vetted. Ask: 'Will the person I'm speaking with today be on my job?' Ask if installers are background checked.

At Genesis, Bruce personally oversees every installation. Every team member is background checked. You know exactly who is coming to your home.

3. What's Included in the Quote — and What's Not?

The cheapest quote is almost never the best value. The oldest trick in the business is quoting low, then adding charges for demo, disposal, subfloor repair, and transitions once the job starts.

Get a written, itemized quote. Ask specifically: Does this include removal of existing floor? Disposal? Furniture moving? Transition strips? Subfloor leveling?

4. What Does Your Subfloor Inspection Process Look Like?

A lot of contractors skip this or give it a cursory glance. The subfloor is the foundation of your floor. Dips, soft spots, and moisture damage need to be addressed before any new material goes down — otherwise your beautiful new floor will fail.

5. How Do You Handle Problems After the Job Is Done?

Ask before you hire: 'If I notice a problem a month after installation, what happens?'

A contractor who stands behind their work will answer this confidently and specifically. A contractor who doesn't will get vague. Gaps, squeaks, and lifting planks happen — what matters is how they're resolved.

6. Do You Have Verifiable Google Reviews?

Any established flooring contractor should have real, verifiable Google reviews — not just testimonials on their own website. Look for reviews that mention the installer by name, how the job site was left, and how problems were handled.

A 5-star rating with 3 reviews is very different from a 5-star rating with 40+ detailed reviews.

7. Is There Anything About My Project You're Concerned About?

Ask this after the walkthrough. A good contractor will tell you if they see potential subfloor issues, if your timeline is tight, if one material is a better fit than what you're considering.

If a contractor has zero concerns about any project and everything is always easy and perfect — that's a sales performance, not a professional assessment.