Flooring references serve a specific and important purpose: they tell you how the floor has held up over time. A floor can look perfect the day it’s installed and develop significant problems — gapping in hardwood, grout cracking in tile, LVP panels that separate at joints — within a year or two if the installation was flawed. A reference from a job done 18 months ago who reports no issues is telling you something valuable. A reference from last month hasn’t been through a full seasonal cycle yet.
“When homeowners ask for references, I always offer a mix — some recent jobs and some from two or three years ago. The older references are the ones I’m most proud of. A beautiful floor on day one is easy to achieve. A floor that still looks and performs perfectly after two Canadian winters — that’s the proof of quality preparation and installation.”
— Danielle Okafor, certified flooring installer and flooring industry consultant with 19 years of residential and commercial flooring experience in the local area
Table of Contents
How to Ask for References
Can you give me references from similar projects completed in the last two years — including at least one that’s 12–18 months old?
The product type matters: ask for references specifically from jobs using the same type of flooring you’re considering. A contractor who has installed thousands of square feet of LVP may have limited hardwood experience, or vice versa.
The age of the reference matters equally. Ask for at least one job that was completed 12–18 months ago — long enough for a full seasonal cycle and typical use patterns to reveal any installation problems.
What a good answer looks like: A mix of recent and older references from comparable product installations, all contactable.
Can I see photos of completed work, or visit a completed installation?
Many flooring contractors maintain portfolios of completed work. Ask to see photos specifically from the product type you’re considering. For premium installations, some contractors can arrange a visit to a recently completed job with the homeowner’s permission. Seeing a real floor in a real home is more informative than any showroom sample.
Questions to Ask the References
What type of flooring was installed, and where?
Start with context. What product was installed (hardwood, LVP, tile, carpet), in what location (main floor, basement, bathroom), and over what subfloor type (wood, concrete)? This tells you how comparable their experience is to your project.
How long ago was it installed, and how does it look now?
This is the central question. Has the floor changed since installation? For hardwood: any unusual gapping in winter, any cupping or crowning? For LVP: any joint separation, any panels lifting at edges? For tile: any grout cracking, any loose tiles? For carpet: any unusual wear patterns, piling, or seam separation?
Did the installation go as planned?
Ask about the process itself. Did the crew show up on time? Was the work completed in the timeframe quoted? Were there any surprises — subfloor issues discovered mid-job — and if so, how were they communicated and resolved?
Was the final cost close to the original quote?
Flooring projects can have legitimate cost additions if subfloor issues are discovered during installation. Ask whether additional costs were communicated before they were incurred and whether they were reasonable.
How was the cleanup and finishing?
Flooring installation generates significant dust and debris, particularly for hardwood sanding jobs. Ask whether the crew cleaned up thoroughly each day and whether the home was left in good condition at completion — transitions installed cleanly, trim reinstalled properly, no debris left behind.
Would you hire them again?
The clearest signal. Listen for how quickly and confidently the answer comes.
Beyond References: Online Research
Before hiring, spend 15 minutes checking independently:
Google Reviews: Look for patterns across many reviews. Are there multiple mentions of subfloor issues being ignored? Grout cracking early? Product substitution? These patterns in reviews are more reliable than any single account.
HomeStars: Canadian platform with verified reviews for home service contractors.
Better Business Bureau: Check complaint history and how complaints were resolved.
Check when the company was founded — a flooring business that’s been operating under the same name for 5+ years has a track record. One formed recently may not.
Related Questions
- Questions to Ask a Flooring Contractor Before You Hire One
- Questions to Ask When Getting a Flooring Quote
- Red Flags When Hiring a Flooring Contractor
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