Job Planning
Job planning rewards candidates who can read a scope, measure properly, and build a schedule that respects moisture, temperature and curing. Most questions concern quantity, sequencing, acclimation and documentation.
Scope, measurement and quantity
- Measure each room at its widest points and record doorways, closets, angles and obstructions. Compute net area, then add waste: 5-10% for a straight lay, 10-15% for diagonal, patterned or small rooms.
- Carpet comes in 12 ft (3.66 m) widths; roll width drives seam layout, so plan seams before ordering.
- Tile is ordered by count plus about 10%, from a single dye lot, with a spare box kept for repairs.
Site conditions before ordering
- Concrete must be cured (about 28 days) before moisture testing; keep ambient and floor temperature at 18-29°C (65-85°F) and stable.
- Acclimation: solid hardwood typically 3-7 days in the room, laminate about 48 hours, resilient 24-48 hours - always the manufacturer's figure.
- Confirm flatness, moisture and pH results before material lands on site.
Sequencing and coordination
- Overhead and mechanical work first, flooring last; confirm in writing who installs cabinets and appliances relative to the floor.
- Protect finished floors; schedule adhesives and grout so no other trade walks on them during cure.
Documentation and risk
- Work order, drawings, submittals, approved samples, RFIs, change orders. Substrate repair, moisture mitigation and hazardous materials are change-order territory, not absorbed cost.
- Site-specific safety plan, waste disposal plan, and a schedule shared with the general contractor.
Worked example
A 12 ft × 20 ft room with 12 ft-wide carpet. Area is 240 ft², or 26.7 yd². Because the roll width matches the 12 ft dimension, the carpet runs lengthwise with no seam. Add 10%: 29.3 yd², so order 30 yd². If the room were 14 ft wide a seam would be unavoidable, and waste plus seam allowance would push the order higher.
Traps
- Ordering exact area with no waste and no dye-lot reserve.
- Testing moisture the day material arrives instead of before ordering.
- Treating a substrate failure as a schedule problem rather than a change order.