How do I check a flooring store’s installer crew arrangements before buying?
Start by asking who installs the floors: employees, subcontractors or a mix. Then ask how each installer is paid, who books their jobs, and whether they would keep working for you. Meet the lead installers before closing, because the crew often carries the store’s reputation with customers.
Ask for a list of every installer who worked on jobs this past year, with how each was engaged. Compare that list to the payment records. If the owner personally books, measures or supervises the crew, note it, because that work becomes yours on day one.
Look at how installs are scheduled. A store with a steady crew usually has a calendar you can review, showing how far ahead jobs are booked and who covers a sick day. Ask what happens when two big jobs land in the same week.
Then look at the paper. Written agreements with installers, proof that their insurance and coverage are current, and any complaints tied to a particular installer all matter. Ask which installers also work for competing stores. Your accountant and lawyer can tell you whether the arrangements are set up properly, so bring them in before you commit. Also ask what the installers say about the store. A short, private conversation with the lead installer, held with the owner’s permission, tells you about pay, workload and morale. Listen for complaints about late payment, unclear scheduling or unsafe jobs. Ask what would make them leave. If the whole crew would follow the owner out the door, you are buying a showroom and a phone number, not a crew, and the plan for the first months should reflect that.
Key takeaways
- Get a full list of installers and how each one is engaged.
- Find out who books and supervises the crew day to day.
- Meet the lead installers and ask if they plan to stay.
Related reading
15 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
Buying
- Expert answerHow do I look at a toy store’s online and in-store sales mix?
- Expert answerHow do I check a music store’s lesson program and teacher arrangements before buying?
- Expert answerHow do nearby charity thrift stores affect a thrift store I want to buy?
- Expert answerHow do I check how a holiday lighting installer stores and tracks its light inventory?
- Expert answerHow do I check an appliance store’s installation crew and van fleet?
Selling
Due diligence
- Expert answerDo a counselling practice’s therapists use contractor or employee arrangements?
- Expert answerHow do I check a locksmith’s after-hours dispatch arrangement is sustainable?
- Expert answerWhat does a tree service’s wood disposal arrangement tell me about its margins?
- Expert answerWhat should I ask about a motorcycle shop’s floor-plan financing arrangements with lenders?
- Expert answerWhat should I ask about a pottery studio’s glaze and clay supplier arrangements?
- Expert answerWhat should I check in a plumbing company’s emergency after-hours call arrangement?
Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to reduce employee turnover
Deavo is an advertising and listings platform, not a brokerage, law firm or valuation firm. This page is general information, not legal, tax, accounting or valuation advice, and rules differ by province. Confirm anything you rely on with a qualified professional before you act on it.