Floor leveling: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering floor leveling

Leveling is judged on how flat the new floor feels, and a floor that was leveled over a moving cause fails within months. Win the job by mapping the high and low points, finding the cause and showing the level result before the covering goes down.

What customers ask

  • Will the leveling crack if the floor keeps moving?
  • How high will the floor be when it is done?
  • How long before I can put the new floor down?
  • Can you level a whole room, or only the low spots?
  • Do you find out why the floor dipped?

How to win the job

  • Map the high and low points on the first visit with a long straightedge and a level, and photograph the readings for the customer.
  • Look for the cause of the dip, such as a joist, a slab problem or a water issue, and write the finding into the proposal before quoting.
  • Show the new height on a sketch, including the change at the doors and the transitions, so the customer sees the effect before the pour.
  • Name the compound, the primer and the cure time in the quote, along with the depth limit the product allows.
  • Quote any structural repair as its own line, and explain that it has to happen before the compound is poured.
  • Check the level after the compound sets and show the customer the result with a straightedge across the room.
  • Give the customer the date the flooring can go down, based on the cure time and the moisture test.

What to put on your profile

  • Before and after photos of floors with the straightedge readings visible
  • Photos of the leveling pour and the gauge rake work during the job
  • Photos of the cause repair, such as a joist sister or a drainage fix, before the compound goes on
  • A list of the leveling compounds you use and the depth each is rated for

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • A check visit after the first season to look at the surface and any new cracks
  • A note on the flooring you recommend for the leveled surface
  • A quote for the next room with a dip or a slope, offered only if the customer asks

Licenses and permits

Floor leveling commonly does not need a license, but structural repairs to joists, slabs or drainage may require a permit or qualified contracting. Confirm your business registration and insurance in your state and locality before you take the job.

Questions

Should I warranty the leveled floor?

Warranty the compound work and its bond, and state that new movement in the structure is outside the warranty. A moving structure needs its own repair before the leveling is warranted.

What if the depth is more than the product allows?

Stop and tell the customer. Use a deeper product or a build-up system if one is rated for the depth, or fix the structure first. Do not pour deeper than the label allows.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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