HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION

How to hire a hardwood floor fitter in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to wood floor fitters; moisture and fixing decide the result. The checks, the questions and the finish.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a hardwood floor fitter in five steps

  1. Solid or engineered?Engineered suits underfloor heating and concrete better in most homes.
  2. Check moistureSubfloor and boards measured before fitting.
  3. Agree the fixingGlued, nailed, or floating, for your subfloor.
  4. Allow acclimatisationBoards left in the room as the maker says.
  5. Check gaps and finishTight joints, expansion gaps hidden.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or register applies to wood floor fitters anywhere in the UK, and the hardwood floor needs no building regulations approval.

Ask for a business name, the insurer and two hardwood floors they have laid that you can see or ring about. gov.uk →

Old floor tiles

HSE lists floor tiles among the places asbestos can be found in older buildings, and under the Control of Asbestos Regulations the employer of whoever does the work must decide whether it needs a licence; that matters if the hardwood floor means lifting old floor tiles.

If the hardwood floor means lifting old tiles or sheet flooring in a home built before 2000, ask how they will check for asbestos. hse.gov.uk →

TrustMark

For the hardwood floor, TrustMark — the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme — is a voluntary register organised by trade, and a useful independent check where no licence exists.

Search the business on TrustMark under the trade that covers the hardwood floor. trustmark.org.uk →

Insurance and trader status

Public liability insurance is the norm for the hardwood floor; ask who the insurer is and the cover limit. Your Consumer Rights Act 2015 protections for the hardwood floor apply because you are dealing with a trader, and if you agree the hardwood floor at home or online the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 usually give you 14 days to cancel — but you pay for any work you asked to start within those days, and goods made to your own specification are outside the right.

For the hardwood floor, see the insurance document and confirm the profile carries the trader and ID-checked badges.

VAT

HMRC puts supplying and fitting a hardwood floor at the standard rate of 20%; once a trader's taxable turnover passes £90,000 it must register, charge the 20% and list it apart from the price of the work.

Ask for the VAT number, and look for VAT as its own line on the hardwood quote. gov.uk →

“Will you measure moisture before laying the hardwood floor?”

A good answer: Yes, in the subfloor and the boards.

“How will the hardwood floor be fixed?”

A good answer: Secret-nailed, glued or floating, chosen for your subfloor.

“Can it go over underfloor heating?”

A good answer: Engineered boards within the maker's limits.

“How long will the wood floor acclimatise?”

A good answer: As the maker advises, before fitting starts.

“Who finishes the floor?”

A good answer: Pre-finished boards, or sanding and oiling or lacquering on site, priced.

“How will edges be finished?”

A good answer: Expansion gaps hidden under skirting or beading.

Getting the quote right

  • Area, species, grade and board width
  • Fixing method and adhesive
  • Subfloor preparation and moisture checks
  • Finish, trims and beading
  • Who actually attends — the floor fitter, employed or subcontracted — and the business's VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown as its own line

Walk away if

  • No moisture check
  • Fits the day the boards arrive
  • Solid wood on underfloor heating against the maker's advice
  • No expansion gap
  • No written price
LOW
£45
TYPICAL
£85
HIGH
£150

What a hardwood floor fitter costs: £45–£150 per m²

Wood floors are priced per square metre supplied and fitted; species, board width, pattern and subfloor work set the rate. Hardwood Floor Fitting price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Hardwood floor fitters near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. SurveySubfloor level and moisture checked.
  2. AcclimatiseBoards stored in the room.
  3. PrepareSubfloor levelled or ply laid.
  4. FitBoards fixed by the agreed method with gaps at the edges.
  5. FinishSanding and finishing if needed, trims fitted.

Engineered wood
A hardwood top layer bonded to a stable core.
Solid wood
Boards of solid timber throughout.
Secret nailing
Nailing through the tongue so fixings are hidden.
Cupping
Boards curling at the edges from moisture.
Acclimatisation
Letting boards adjust to the room.
Herringbone
A zigzag laying pattern.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep product and finish detailsSpecies, finish and maker's care guide.
Look for gaps over the first seasonSome movement is normal; large gaps are not.
Protect the finishFelt pads, mats at doors, the right cleaner.
Rate the workOnly booked jobs can be reviewed on Locufy, so yours carries weight; if the hardwood floor falls short, use the make-it-right step first and the provider is asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Start with the fitter, in writingSend the fitter a short, dated account of the problem with the hardwood floor and the fix you want. Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 implies reasonable care and skill into the contract, and section 54 gives you repeat performance or a price reduction when it is missing.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate the hardwood floor under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then the review goes up.
STEP 3Unapproved or dangerous workThe council is the authority for unapproved building work: tell building control in England, Wales or Northern Ireland if the hardwood floor went ahead without approval, or the building standards service in Scotland, where the owner carries the warrant duty. For a dispute about the hardwood floor with the trader, Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeIf the hardwood floor is still not settled, you can claim without a solicitor: the small claims track takes claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a hardwood floor fitter: questions people ask

No licence or register applies anywhere in the UK.

No; a floor finish is not building work.

£45–£150 per square metre, typically around £85. Solid hardwood, wide planks, herringbone and levelling cost more. For what is usually included, read the Hardwood Floor Fitting price guide; enter a postcode above to compare hardwood floor fitters locally.

Engineered is more stable, especially over underfloor heating; solid can be sanded more times.

Wood moves with humidity; large gaps suggest it was not acclimatised or the room is very dry.

Solid and thicker engineered boards can; ask the wear layer depth.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in trades & construction

How to hire: Floor SandingHow to hire: Flooring InstallerHow to hire: Laminate & Vinyl FlooringHow to hire: Carpet FitterHow to hire: Carpenter & JoinerHow to hire: TilerHow to hire: Home StagingHow to hire: Interior DesignerAll 701 hiring guides →

Hardwood floor fitters near you

Hardwood floor fitters in LondonHardwood floor fitters in ManchesterHardwood floor fitters in BirminghamHardwood floor fitters in GlasgowHardwood floor fitters in BelfastAll hardwood floor fitters on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HSE — deciding if asbestos work must be done by a licensed contractor
  2. HSE — asbestos: frequently asked questions
  3. TrustMark — the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme
  4. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  7. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — the 14-day cancellation period
  8. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started within the cancellation period
  9. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track limit (England and Wales)
  10. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — making a claim under simple procedure
  11. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  12. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  13. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  14. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register