Advice re flooring quotes

[Leospider]

I have never had flooring done in my house and recently decided it was time for some improvements. I found a flooring I liked at a showroom. I contacted a local flooring store who recently added this brand to their line. The sales/estimator came and did a rough measure. Several days later sent me my quote
6 days later (but before I signed the quote) he emailed me a new quote saying the cost of some materials went. No further explanation. Through various emails it turns out HE made a mistake but is passing the cost of that mistake on to me. Also he plans to order EXTRA materials at my cost ( non returnable if not needed) and when I questioned the amounts ( based on my research on the supplier website his amount us almost double what is needed) he said he wanted to make sure we had enough material in case the installers had issues/made mistakes as this was a new flooring to them
So my question is: is it usual in flooring industry to have the customers pay for the sales/estimators mistakes or installers mistakes? It's not about the money but I feel I am being taken for a ride.

 

[C.J.]

Sounds like dude is prone to making mistakes and has no problem making you pay for them. Prolly best to keep on shopping elsewhere.

 

[Mark Brown]

If I found an error in a quote before you signed a contract, or made a deposit I would most definitely make amends before things went any further. If in fact I had a signed contract with you... well that becomes my problem.

As for additional material being supplied, that is the nature of floor covering. Your house is 1200 sqft of flooring, chances are I am bringing in 1250 or 1300 depending on what the layout is, or what is involved. 5 to 10% is fairly common for overage, anything beyond that, unless you are living in a sphere, or want some 45 degree lay, or who bloody well knows.... well that is just silly.

Small note, recently there has been a lot of volatility in the flooring market, just last week I received a 10% increase across the entire board from one of my suppliers, I have seen a few this year and they are not going down any time soon. Much beyond that and I would get suspect for certain however things are a little nuts right now and there are honestly some fairly sharp increases. Once upon a time about 19 months ago we were paying about 5500 dollars to receive a container of product, now it is up around 20,000. That cost isn't that hard to eat on a container of glue down vinyl plank at 55-60,000 sqft, but it gets to be a little much on hardwood at 7-8000 or even click plank around 22-25000

By the sounds of it, you are being taken for a ride.

They key in the whole thing is honesty. If everyone does not start there, then the whole process is flawed.

 

[C.J.]

I just reread the original post and from how I read it it sounds like this is a new product to this company and beings as it’s a new product they are ordering almost double the material necessary just in case they FU. So you’re paying for them to practice with a new product in your own house? Contact the manufacturer and see who else in your area sells that product cus this guy you’re dealing with is apparently a clown.

Just for giggles, what is the product?

 

[Leospider]

I just reread the original post and from how I read it it sounds like this is a new product to this company and beings as it’s a new product they are ordering almost double the material necessary just in case they FU. So you’re paying for them to practice with a new product in your own house? Contact the manufacturer and see who else in your area sells that product cus this guy you’re dealing with is apparently a clown.

Just for giggles, what is the product?

Yes that was the impression I got when I questioned the amount of material, and the mistake in pricing. It is a new product to them. The product is Karndean brand. The material in question isn't the actual tile but the vinyl grout strips. Although he did mention with the tile that it is tricky/more work to tile around counters...don't most kitchens have counters to tile around??
I had started an email to the showroom/manufacturer but had not sent it yet. Thanks for your input I greatly appreciate it!

 

[Leospider]

If I found an error in a quote before you signed a contract, or made a deposit I would most definitely make amends before things went any further. If in fact I had a signed contract with you... well that becomes my problem.

As for additional material being supplied, that is the nature of floor covering. Your house is 1200 sqft of flooring, chances are I am bringing in 1250 or 1300 depending on what the layout is, or what is involved. 5 to 10% is fairly common for overage, anything beyond that, unless you are living in a sphere, or want some 45 degree lay, or who bloody well knows.... well that is just silly.

Small note, recently there has been a lot of volatility in the flooring market, just last week I received a 10% increase across the entire board from one of my suppliers, I have seen a few this year and they are not going down any time soon. Much beyond that and I would get suspect for certain however things are a little nuts right now and there are honestly some fairly sharp increases. Once upon a time about 19 months ago we were paying about 5500 dollars to receive a container of product, now it is up around 20,000. That cost isn't that hard to eat on a container of glue down vinyl plank at 55-60,000 sqft, but it gets to be a little much on hardwood at 7-8000 or even click plank around 22-25000

By the sounds of it, you are being taken for a ride.

They key in the whole thing is honesty. If everyone does not start there, then the whole process is flawed.

I do understand with these crazy times that costs of materials are constantly changing/gòing up. It was the way the increase was initially presented to me and when I asked for more detail on the entire job pricing it came out that it was his mistake. When I last went in to discuss this (and to verify grout strip colour) he seemed to not want to review my overage concerns and just said oh well it's a new product so I ordered extra in case the installers make mistakes. Anyways I will be looking elsewhere for now. Really appreciate all the input.

 

[Mark Brown]

Good choice. Karndean grout strips are not now, or accent strips, whatever we want to call them. I have been working with them for over a decade, so that kinda makes me just think they are unfamiliar with the product/process. Not to mention, installing around anything is not complicated, it is floor fitting. Glad you got a bad vibe, run like hell is the best advice one can give.

 

[highup]

To find out if you're being taken for a loop you need to get a second quote from another dealer. To be totally fair you wouldn't want to tell him anything about your first quote and the change in his estimate.
Like Mark said, he may have looked over his numbers again and realize he made a mistake or more than one mistake and he wanted to correct that before you signed the paper. Otherwise, you might be getting a lot of free stuff because he screwed up and that's not fair to him either.
I know at one point products I believe such as Cortec all of a sudden had a 25% increase to the retailer. They have to pass that cost on to the consumer or they're going to go out of business. I don't know if something like that was part of his change to the contract...
....the contract which had not been signed yet.
Purchasing and having flooring installed can be extremely expensive if you buy a good materials and have a qualified person installing it. It's not like repeating a couple of bedrooms as I do it yourself project.
Good flooring is expensive. It's like a car that's supposed to last many many years not something you change very often.

 

[Leospider]

I have appreciated everyone's advice, it's great. The showroom where I began his project has recommended another flooring store that has a lot of experience with this product so I am going to get a second quote.

My worries started snowballing not just because of the increase but with the lack of information, changing answers and he didn't really seem interested in entertaining my concerns when I went into the store. I do want the job done properly and am willing to pay for that. He just didn't give me the confidence that there weren't going to be a bunch of excuses for a poor job.

 

[Leospider]

Finally got my flooring installed last week. It's been a wait but the second store/installer I went to was super! They had worked with the product before so no issues and their quote was lower even though their drive was further. Very happy with it. Thanks for all the input a few months ago. Colby the cat is doing final inspection.

 

[Incognito]

Finally got my flooring installed last week. It's been a wait but the second store/installer I went to was super! They had worked with the product before so no issues and their quote was lower even though their drive was further. Very happy with it. Thanks for all the input a few months ago. Colby the cat is doing final inspection.

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Pretty cool of Shop A to give you the reference to Shop B where you could obviously get better service based on experience with the product. I'd be very appreciative of both outfits.

 

[SCFLOORSYSTEM]

I have never had flooring done in my house and recently decided it was time for some improvements. I found a flooring I liked at a showroom. I contacted a local flooring store who recently added this brand to their line. The sales/estimator came and did a rough measure. Several days later sent me my quote
6 days later (but before I signed the quote) he emailed me a new quote saying the cost of some materials went. No further explanation. Through various emails it turns out HE made a mistake but is passing the cost of that mistake on to me. Also he plans to order EXTRA materials at my cost ( non returnable if not needed) and when I questioned the amounts ( based on my research on the supplier website his amount us almost double what is needed) he said he wanted to make sure we had enough material in case the installers had issues/made mistakes as this was a new flooring to them
So my question is: is it usual in flooring industry to have the customers pay for the sales/estimators mistakes or installers mistakes? It's not about the money but I feel I am being taken for a ride.

Do not waste your time, obtain 2 additional estimates to compare apples to apples.