Blog>Hiring Guides>How to find the best laminate flooring fitters
Last updated: 9 January 2025
How to find the best laminate flooring fitters
On the hunt for cost-effective, practical flooring that looks great too? You're in the right place. Here, we'll show you how to hire the best laminate flooring fitters.
Laminate flooring is a great alternative to wooden floors. It’s cost-effective, practical and looks great too. In this laminate flooring guide, we’ll give you advice and tips on everything to do with hiring the best laminate flooring fitters in your area.
What is laminate flooring?
Laminate flooring is a man-made flooring option constructed from a particleboard wood base, an image layer and a resin top layer, sandwiched together.
The image layer is essentially a digital reproduction of wood or stone, which is covered by a clear protective top layer to guard it from wear and tear. It’s designed to look as close as possible to wood or stone while being cost-effective, scratch resistant and easy to maintain.
It’s a staple in millions of homes and can be used in most rooms – from living rooms to kitchens, dining rooms to bedrooms and hallways.
What is the best place to get laminate flooring?
If you’re looking to get laminate flooring fitted, there are a few options available:
Hire a flooring company or contractor
Most flooring installation companies will offer laminate flooring alongside other popular flooring options like wood, carpet and LVT.
Usually, these contractors can supply and fit your laminate flooring for you, so you don’t have to worry.
Hire a carpenter to supply and install your flooring
Many carpenters have the skills and experience needed to fit laminate flooring.
They’ll often have trade accounts with builders’ merchants in your area, meaning they may be able to buy your chosen laminate flooring for less than you would.
Buy your flooring yourself
Lastly, if you would prefer to buy your flooring yourself, you can head to a hardware store or an online showroom.
You then just need to hire a professional to install it for you – be sure to check that they have experience installing the flooring you’ve purchased first so that you know they’re capable of doing a good job.
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What credentials do laminate flooring fitters need?
Anyone can legally sell themselves as a laminate flooring fitter. So, it’s important to make sure your contractor has the necessary skills and experience to fit your flooring to a high standard.
Here are some of the areas we’d recommend checking.
Experience
You don’t technically need any experience to call yourself a flooring fitter. So, check whether your installer has relevant training or work experience.
You can ask them how long they’ve been in the industry, and how they learned the skills of the trade. It’s also worth asking them what specific experience they have with laminate flooring installation.
Insurance
All tradespeople should have insurance in place to protect themselves (and you!) in case things don’t go to plan.
Checkatrade members must have public liability insurance to become a member.
Testimonials
You want to make sure you’re hiring someone who other homeowners rate.
Always check to see what other homeowners have said about a flooring fitter online. If you can’t find reviews, ask for testimonials or references. We’d also recommend looking for pictures of their work.
Hint: You can see all of this on a Checkatrade profile.
What can laminate flooring fitters do?
A laminate floor fitter can do more than just install your laminate flooring. Here are some of the key areas that a fitter can often help you with:
Replace an existing laminate floor
Advise you on the best laminate floor for your needs
Fit underlay
Install trim and moulding
Trim doors
Level floors with screed
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What are the different types of laminate flooring?
Laminate flooring comes in so many different colours, styles and finishes. So, it’s not hard to pick the perfect flooring that suits your tastes, lifestyle and budget. Here’s an idea of what you can expect.
Laminate flooring effects
Laminate flooring can be made to mimic all sorts of different woods or even tiles. Here are some examples of laminate flooring effects you could choose.
Oak
Walnut
Chestnut
Bamboo
Tile
Laminate floor finishes
You can get laminate flooring with a range of different finishes to suit your tastes. Just a few finishes you could choose from include:
Embossed
Handscraped
Textured
Natural varnished
Matt
Gloss
Laminate flooring styles
Just like real wood or tiles can come in various shapes and layouts, so can laminate. You’ll likely come across:
Wide planks
Narrow planks
Multi-strip boards
Tile planks
Parquet
Chevron
AC ratings
Laminate floors come with AC ratings to tell you how hard and durable they are.
Ratings range from AC 1 to AC 5. AC 1 is the lowest score and is only suitable for moderate traffic, whereas AC 5 is the highest score and is suitable for heavy traffic in commercial spaces.
If you’re installing laminate flooring in a high-traffic area of your home – such as a hallway – you’ll want to opt for a rating of at least AC 3. Meanwhile, AC 1 is suitable for rooms with less traffic, such as guest bedrooms.
How to choose laminate flooring
Your laminate flooring fitter will often be able to help advise you on the best laminate flooring options for your needs.
However, when you’re comparing various laminate flooring options, there are a few aspects you should consider.
Aesthetics
Make sure that the laminate flooring you’re considering suits both your taste and the character of your home.
Consider whether the colour and effect of the flooring matches your furniture and existing features in the room. And think about how it works to make your room feel bigger or smaller.
A small room might benefit from light colours like white or grey. On the other hand, a warmer wood tone could bring a cosy feel to a larger space.
Where it’s going
One of the most important things to consider is where you’re hoping to fit laminate flooring in your home.
Does the room have high traffic? In this case, you’ll need to look for laminate that has a high AC rating.
Are you hoping to fit your new laminate flooring in a bathroom? Then you’ll need to check its level of water resistance.
Do you have underfloor heating? Most laminate flooring is suitable for underfloor heating systems, but you should check your specific flooring to make sure.
Pricing
As with any home improvement purchase, you’ll have to balance the need for high quality materials with your budget.
Thicker, more durable and realistic-looking laminate flooring will normally cost the most.
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What is the average labour cost to install laminate flooring?
Your labour cost to install laminate flooring will vary based on lots of different factors. These include:
The size of the floor area
The amount of skirting boards or beading needed
Whether your floor needs to be levelled
Whether your existing flooring needs to be removed
Your location
That said, you can expect to pay an average labour cost of £300 to have laminate installed in a small room of 15m², or around £600 for a larger room of 40m².
If your laminate fitter charges per day, you’ll typically be looking at a day rate of roughly £270.
Head over to our guide to laminate flooring fitting costs for more details.
What's the cost of installing laminate flooring in 2025?
Discover laminate flooring installation costs in the UK, factors that affect pricing, and how it compares with hardwood flooring.
How do I find the best laminate flooring in my area?
Decided that laminate flooring is the way to go? Then you’re probably wondering who does the best laminate flooring in your area. You’ll need to find a fitter who’s reliable, trustworthy and has the skills to complete your job to a high standard.
Here are some tips for finding the best laminate flooring fitter near you.
1. Read reviews
Always check what other homeowners have said about laminate flooring fitters you’re considering, to make sure you choose someone that others have had a good experience with.
2. Get multiple quotes
We always recommend getting at least three quotes for laminate flooring fitting. That way, you can get a feel for a range of fitters and you can check you’re getting a fair and competitive price for the work.
3. Ask for recommendations
Have you recently admired a friend or family member’s new laminate flooring? In that case, ask if they would recommend their contractor. Always cross-check recommendations against homeowner reviews on Checkatrade.
4. Use Checkatrade!
At Checkatrade, all our members have to pass up to 12 checks and are regularly reviewed on everything from punctuality to professionalism and quality. So, you know you’re hiring someone you can trust.
Plus, when you book a trade through Checkatrade, their work is guaranteed for up to 12 months (exclusions and T&Cs apply).
See the tradespeople we've checked and recommend for your job
See the tradespeople we've checked and recommend for your job