Get Quotes from Top Flooring Contractors in Dallas, TX

Are You Licensed to Practice as a Flooring Contractor in Dallas?

In Dallas, flooring contractors are classified as general contractors, and general contractors do not need a license to operate within the city. However, they must register with the city's Department of Building Inspections (DBI). Interested persons can register by submitting a completed application for contractor registration form to the DBI's Permit Center at:

Note that the Permit Center may request certain documents to process the application, such as a valid Photo ID and evidence of payment of the application fee.

It is unlawful to undertake any project as a flooring contractor in Dallas without registering with the DBI. Unregistered contractors are ineligible to obtain necessary permits, and the DBI can issue administrative fines as a penalty. Interested persons can contact the DBI at (214) 948-4480 for more information on contractor registration. Homeowners can confirm if their contractor has complied with this registration requirement by contacting the DBI through the same phone number.

How Much Do You Charge Compared to Other Flooring Contractors in Dallas?

A key consideration when planning a flooring project is how much to budget. You need to know how much your project may cost to do this. Note that different factors influence estimates for a flooring project. An example of such a factor is a contractor's billing style. Flooring contractors typically bill per square footage, per hour, or per project, and any of the billing styles may result in higher fees depending on the project. Other factors include:

• The size of the floor
• The flooring material to be installed
• The necessary labor for the project
• Flooring equipment that may be needed
• The location of the building
• The condition of the flooring, especially for remodeling or replacement projects

Therefore, getting estimates from different contractors and comparing them before hiring a contractor is necessary. Besides helping you with budgeting, comparing estimates also helps to identify scams or excessive rates.

Flooring contractors in Dallas earn a little above $40,000 annually. The following list shows the average hourly wages of these contractors in Dallas compared with their colleagues in other parts of Texas and major cities in the United States:

Are You a Member of the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA)?

Since flooring contractors in Dallas do not need to obtain a license, it is in your best interest to go the extra mile and gauge the competence of your preferred contractor before signing off on your project. One way to do this is to confirm if they belong to any recognized association, such as the National Wood Flooring Association.

Members of such associations are usually more informed and professional than their colleagues who do not belong to any association. This is mainly because these associations offer training and mentorship programs, specialized workshops, networking opportunities, and other schemes to help members improve their craft. Some also assist members with service delivery, offering client service training and discounted insurance opportunities. These associations have codes of conduct and acceptable standards of behavior, ensuring that members act professionally and do not engage in devious or dishonest schemes. Members are also likely to stay informed on industry trends and be aware of laws or administrative rules that may relate to your project, ensuring your project is not cited for a code violation.

When you hire contractors that belong to these recognized associations, you reduce your odds of hiring an incompetent or fraudulent contractor. Even if such happens, you have an additional complaint option, as you can report the contractor to the association. Examples of some recognized associations in Dallas include:

• The Dallas Builders Association
• The Texas Panhandle Builders Association
• The Floor Covering Installation Contractors Association
• The National Association of Home Builders
• The Texas Association of Builders

How Much Do You Charge for Floor Repairs?

Like most parts of a property, the floors must also be maintained regularly against the effects of daily traffic and occasional damages. Necessary maintenance may be frequent or periodic, depending on the flooring material. However, homeowners may need to effect immediate repairs in particular instances, especially when there is the risk of injury, further damage to the flooring, or inconveniences. Examples of such instances are:

• Cracked or shattered tile flooring
• Sloppy or loose flooring
• Bent or protruding nails
• Squeaky or noisy floors
• Floors with apparent damage, especially from liquid, burns, or pet scratches

While the more obvious flooring problems are seen on the floor surface, a repair project may involve working across a floor's various cross-sections. A flooring cross-section typically includes:

• Floor surface: This is the part of a floor that is most visible. It refers to any covering placed over the subfloor and other cross-sections and sustains most of the walking traffic. Many materials are usable as a floor's surface, including laminate, carpet, hardwood, and tiles.
• Subfloor: This part of a floor is usually between the floor surface and the joist. It plays a structural role, especially in supporting the floor surface. Subfloors are rough floors upon which the floor surface is installed. In most cases, they are a layer of solid material, such as a concrete slab.
• Joists: These are also for structural reinforcements. They are mainly used on storeyed buildings or buildings with basement flooring. They help evenly distribute weight loads between load-bearing beams or walls they are typically attached to.

Working on each cross-section requires varying levels of skill and labor intensity. This indicates that you should confirm with your preferred contractor if they are experienced in handling the service you need. Also, confirm if they have the necessary tools and workforce. Asking for evidence of previous related work helps in this regard.

It also helps to know the estimated cost for your planned project so you can budget appropriately. Below are some cost estimates for some flooring repairs in Dallas, but make sure to compare estimates from multiple contractors for more precise rates:

Estimates based on flooring material per square foot:

Estimates based on damage per square foot:

What Kind of Flooring Services Do You Offer in Dallas?

Knowing your contractor's expertise is crucial to getting the desired service. Some flooring contractors offer specific services, such as new installations, repairs, maintenance, or floor removal. Similarly, some contractors specialize in working on specific flooring materials. Some popular flooring materials across Dallas include:

• Carpet flooring: This flooring material is popular for its range of color and pattern options homeowners can choose. It is typically made from natural or synthetic woven fiber. Benefits of this material type include its slip resistance, softness and comfort, and easy installation. However, its drawbacks include that it requires constant maintenance, traps dirt and dust, and retains moisture.
• Hardwood flooring: Although expensive, hardwood flooring is a widely favored material because of its durability, low maintenance, and aesthetic appeal, and it offers better air quality than other materials. Variants of hardwood flooring include engineered, solid, and finished hardwood, providing homeowners with various choices. Despite its compelling advantages, the downsides of hardwood flooring include its susceptibility to termite and liquid damage.
• Laminate flooring: This material is relatively affordable and offers decent aesthetic appeal. It is also easy to install and maintain and is considerably scratch-resistant. However, laminate flooring is not eco-friendly and is susceptible to liquid damage.
• Vinyl flooring: This material type is mainly synthetic. Varieties include vinyl plank flooring, vinyl tile flooring, and sheet vinyl. Generally, vinyl flooring is easy to install, water-resistant, and durable. Another advantage of this flooring type is that it is relatively affordable and easy to maintain. Nevertheless, vinyl flooring is not eco-friendly. It is also difficult to repair and prone to discoloration.
• Tile flooring: This option is also incredibly scratch-resistant, requires low maintenance, and is water-resistant. However, it requires some know-how, as tile laying must follow strict arrangement patterns, or they may turn out misaligned. Other disadvantages of tile flooring include its high cost and the possibility of grout issues.

By confirming your contractor's specialty, you can better avoid instances of unsatisfactory service delivery and hire the best fit for your project. Requesting customer references, evidence of previous work, or checking customer reviews on platforms like Better Business Bureau and Yelp are ways to confirm your contractor's specialty. After confirming this, the next step is to request a cost estimate for your project. While estimates may vary by contractor, below are some estimates for certain floor services in Dallas:

Do You Refinish Hardwood Floors?

Flooring maintenance takes many forms, including cleaning, rearrangement, and refinishing. Floor refinishing, which is a maintenance technique more popular with hardwood flooring, involves sanding down the surface of existing floorboards, cleaning and smoothening them, then adding new stains and lacquer. The process aims primarily to give the floorboards a new or renovated appearance.

Refinishing is sometimes confused with resurfacing; both terms are sometimes used interchangeably. While resurfacing is an extensive form of maintenance, it is not the same as refinishing. Resurfacing is synonymous with a flooring overhaul. It involves strengthening floor reinforcements and replacing existing floorboards, significantly when bent or excessively damaged. Sometimes, it involves trimming existing floorboards or installing an entirely different floor surface. Floor refinishing is less labor and capital-intensive than resurfacing and serves as a better option for repairs that do not affect the floor's structural support. Examples of when floor refinishing is best include:

• When there are apparent dents or scratch marks on the floor
• When the floorboards are discolored
• When the floorboards have splinters
• When the floor has a dull or unappealing appearance

Refinishing hardwood floors in Dallas costs between $3 and $4 per square foot, although the condition of the flooring may influence a contractor's estimates. Homeowners are advised to refinish their hardwood floors at least once every ten years, as this helps maintain the floor's appearance and reduces the effect of wear and tear on the floorboards. However, they should also be wary of excessive refinishing, as this may negatively affect the floorboard's quality.

Although floor resurfacing is capital and labor-intensive, thereby costing more, there are instances when it is necessary to resurface your floors instead of refinishing them. Examples include:

• When the floor poses injury risks, such as when there are protruding or bent nails
• When the floorboards are unsafe and unstable, especially for storeyed buildings or buildings with a basement
• When the flooring has structural problems
• When the floorboards are excessively damaged, refinishing them cannot give the desired appearance
• When there are noticeable effects of liquid or fire damage

Do You Offer a Warranty for Floors Installed?

A warranty is a guarantee that you are getting value for money and that the service you are getting is not substandard. It is typically of two types: the manufacturer and installation warranty types.

• Manufacturer warranty: This is a guarantee by the manufacturer of the flooring material you bought that the material is not defective and is fit for use. This guarantee is usually contained in a warranty document and states the remedies to which the warranty holder would be entitled if the material turns out defective. The remedies depend on the manufacturer. Warranties last for a specific timeframe. Likewise, this timeframe depends on the type of flooring material, the likely use of the material - whether for commercial or residential spaces, and the manufacturer. Nevertheless, here are average manufacturer warranty timeframes for some flooring materials:
  • Carpet: 10 - 20 years
  • Vinyl: 1 - 5 years
  • Hardwood: 10 - 30 years
  • Tiles: 1 - 15 years
  • Laminate: 5 - 10 years
• Installation warranty: This warranty type is specific to floor installers. This guarantees that your flooring installation is up to standard and no professional defects exist. Professional defects include structural problems, improper floor arrangement, and incorrect measurements. Essentially, it covers only issues that were the fault of the floor installer or that resulted from the installer's negligence. Similar to a manufacturer warranty, an installation warranty only lasts for a specific timeframe. This timeframe varies widely, as they are at the discretion of individual floor installers.

When planning a flooring project, looking out for warranty offers is best. They provide some assurance your project will be done with reasonable care. However, it should be noted that these warranties do not cover every defect or issue that may arise from the project. They only cover professional defects, which are sometimes outlined in the warranty document. Therefore, they typically do not cover damages caused by a homeowner's actions. Such action voids the warranty. Other actions that may void a warranty include:

• Hiring an unprofessional or uncertified flooring contractor to work on the flooring
• Using DIY approaches to make flooring modifications
• Not taking reasonable care to prevent damage to the flooring
• Failure to properly maintain the flooring, especially when a maintenance procedure is stated in the warranty document

The warranty document typically contains specific actions that may void a warranty. Therefore, be sure to look through any such document and clarify any misunderstandings with the manufacturer or flooring installer before accepting a warranty offer.

Note that most warranties are non-transferable and are only valid between a manufacturer and purchaser or a floor installer and project owner. Where a warranty allows transferability, this is usually stated in the warranty document. In any case, you can further confirm this with the relevant manufacturer or floor installer.

Will You Handle Clean-up after the Flooring Installation?

Post-installation cleanup is another issue relevant to flooring projects. Depending on the size of the building and the flooring material used, flooring projects sometimes produce a significant amount of debris. Flooring installations in commercial spaces typically produce even more debris, as these spaces require more reinforcements, involve using more materials, and may require more equipment.

Although flooring contractors sometimes handle these clean-ups, this is not always the case. Therefore, you should check with your preferred contractor if they handle clean-ups before hiring them. Ensuring your contractor handles the clean-up is ideal because these may require some skill and specific equipment. You can include this in the contract you sign with your contractor. This way, you can easily enforce it if the contractor refuses to handle the clean-up.

However, after the cleanup, it becomes your responsibility to maintain your floor unless you have a separate agreement with your contractor regarding this. Below are tips for properly cleaning and maintaining different types of newly installed floors in Dallas:

Do You Carry the Necessary Insurance Policy for Flooring Contractors in Dallas?

Getting insurance is a discretionary matter for flooring contractors in Dallas, as it is not an occupational requirement. However, it is advised that project owners hire contractors with valid insurance policies, especially general liability and workers' compensation policies. Just like most projects in the construction industry, flooring projects can be dangerous.

In 2020, 5,300 nonfatal injuries and illnesses were reported across the construction industry in Texas. Likewise, nearly 3,000 nonfatal injuries and illnesses were reported in the building and grounds cleaning and maintenance industry. These injury rates show that flooring projects can be risky. More so, project owners may have to bear the financial burden of addressing these injuries if they occur during their project, depending on the circumstances of the case.

However, if this happens and your contractor holds valid insurance, the payout may significantly reduce this financial burden. Essentially, the need to hire an insured contractor cannot be overstated. You can verify if your preferred contractor is insured by requesting proof of insurance and further verifying this proof with the relevant insurance provider.