(11-28-2023, 03:07 PM)alexh1 Wrote: The other thing to watch out for is who is actually showing up to do the work. Is it a senior guy or a "trainee"? 

I self installed a solid wood floor over concrete with contrasting border strips. Lots of work. I was not about to try and sand it myself so I went with the top company in area. Older guy came out, took a look and quoted it. I agreed.

When the guys showed up they could barely speak one word of english. My mind was doing summersaults thinking if I should cancel the job (I would have slipped them $20) but in the end I let them go ahead. One room came out perfect but the larger front room was crap. They gouged the floor in a couple places and was not as flat as the other room. I had vacuumed the space between edge of floor and wall because I know the finish tool can pull debris from there and of course that happened anyway. I think they had a new guy on the sander in the second room. 

I have not hired that many contractors but I know many that have and have had to do the work twice. I'm not sure the largest or well known company is the best choice. Its completely dependent on who shows up and you dont know. IMO its the older more experienced guy that does the best work. Not saying a younger guy cant do good work, of course he can if intensively trained but you just dont know.

I hired an older drywall guy to skim coat and texture a room. Flawless work. In some other rooms I had the baseboard off and he went around the house fixing any missing drywall near the floor even though I did not ask and it was unnecessary!