Planning the Job
Pre-job survey and scope verification
Planning the job on the CIM exam means converting contract documents into an executable installation plan. Before mobilization, walk every area: verify quantities, substrates, moisture conditions, flatness, elevation, transitions, existing damage, access, elevator capacity, power, lighting, HVAC, storage, and trash routes. Compare field conditions with drawings and specifications; issue an RFI before crews are scheduled. Confirm manufacturer requirements for acclimation, adhesive, moisture limits, expansion joints, and seam placement. Identify long-lead materials, mockup requirements, and inspections that must occur before concealment.
Sequence, access, and contingency
Sequence work by area and by trade. Separate dusty prep and moisture mitigation from finished flooring. Protect completed floors from other trades. Plan material laydown so deliveries do not block egress or fire equipment. Build contingency for cure times, patching, access delays, and owner furniture. A pre-installation conference should confirm substrate acceptance, schedule, storage, security, and who signs off on readiness.
Worked example
A 6,000 sf LVT job in an occupied school. The survey finds 4,000 sf of slab at 85% relative humidity; the product limit is 80%, so mitigation is required. Installation runs at 750 sf per day. Mitigation runs at 1,000 sf per day with a two-day cure. Plan the unaffected 2,000 sf first: 2,000 ÷ 750 = 2.7, rounded to 3 days. Run mitigation on the 4,000 sf area: 4 days plus 2 cure days = 6 days. Then install 4,000 sf: 5.3, rounded to 6 days. Because the first installation overlaps mitigation, duration is max(3, 6) + 6 = 12 working days, plus one punch day. Budget mitigation at 4,000 × $1.75 = $7,000. If the moisture condition was not disclosed, price it as a change before work starts.
Traps that cost marks
- Planning from drawings without a field survey.
- Treating the general contractor's schedule as your installation schedule.
- Skipping a mockup when the specification requires one.
- Ignoring acclimation, cure, and inspection time.
- Starting before substrate acceptance is signed.
- No storage or security plan for high-value material.