A research dossier · AS 1684 + manufacturer specs verified
What you see is the boards. What decides whether the floor stays flat for 20 years is what is underneath — moisture levels in the slab, level tolerance, the underlay, the expansion gap. The cheap installer skips moisture testing and skips acclimation. Six months later you have cupping boards and voided warranty.
4–7 days
Timber acclimation period on site before laying.
75%
Max slab moisture (relative humidity) for timber lay.
10mm
Expansion gap at walls for floating floors.
Before we start
Floor failure traces back to the subfloor 80% of the time. Moisture in the slab, uneven subfloor, missing expansion gap, wrong underlay. The cheap installer skips the subfloor prep and hopes you do not notice for 12 months.
Moisture test before lay = manufacturer warranty intact. No test = warranty void.
Flooring priced per m² supply + install + subfloor prep.
Indicative ranges · AU 2026
| Laminate | $55 – $110/m² |
| Hybrid (SPC / WPC) | $85 – $160/m² |
| Engineered timber | $110 – $220/m² |
| Solid hardwood | $180 – $360/m² |
| Subfloor prep | $30 – $80/m² |
Ask this, exactly
"Quote with brand + product + moisture testing + acclimation + underlay + subfloor prep — in writing?"
Red flags
No moisture test
Slab moisture meter reading required before laying. Skip = warranty void.
No acclimation
Timber + hybrid need 4–7 days in the room before laying.
No expansion gap
Floating floors need 10mm at walls.
Wrong underlay
Substitution voids manufacturer warranty.
No subfloor levelling
Tolerance: 3mm in 2m. High-risk operators lay over uneven slab.
Verification — 5 min, free
Ask this, exactly
"Moisture test + acclimation + expansion gap + manufacturer accreditation — confirmed in writing?"
Flooring — licensing & compliance by state
Regulator
Building Commission NSW
Common gotcha
Written scope; product/warranty docs
Regulator
Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC, formerly VBA)
Common gotcha
Written scope; product/warranty docs
Regulator
QBCC
Common gotcha
Written scope; product/warranty docs
Regulator
Building Services Board (Building and Energy)
Common gotcha
Written scope; product/warranty docs
Regulator
Consumer and Business Services (CBS)
Common gotcha
Written scope; product/warranty docs
Regulator
Construction Occupations Registrar (Access Canberra)
Common gotcha
Written scope; product/warranty docs
Regulator
Building Practitioners Board
Common gotcha
Written scope; product/warranty docs
Regulator
CBOS (Consumer, Building and Occupational Services)
Common gotcha
Written scope; product/warranty docs
Half-time
Moisture test or warranty void.
Quote anatomy, the cowboy test, the licence. The first three sort working installers from operators skipping moisture testing and acclimation. The next seven are how working installers tell themselves apart.
Flooring installers 2–6 weeks out. Acclimation (4–7 days) means timber lives in your house before laying.
Ask this, exactly
"Real start + acclimation window + when can we walk on it?"
Inspection + moisture test
Slab moisture meter reading. Subfloor levelness check.
Subfloor prep
Levelling compound where needed. Vapour barrier on slab.
Acclimation
Boards on site 4–7 days before laying.
Underlay
Manufacturer-specified underlay.
Board laying
Pattern set out. Expansion gap at walls.
Skirting + clean + handover
Skirting covers expansion gap. Care instructions.
Option A · premium
Solid hardwood or engineered. Natural look, sandable, longest life.
Option B · most popular
Waterproof + tough. Modern residential default.
Option C
Cheapest. Not waterproof. Shorter life.
Layer 01
Product warranty
Hybrid: 20–35 years. Laminate: 10–25. Engineered timber: 15–25.
Layer 02
Installer workmanship
Typically 1–5 years.
Layer 03
Wear layer warranty
Hybrid + laminate have wear-layer-specific warranties.
Layer 04
Statutory consumer law
ACL applies.
Ask this, exactly
"Product + workmanship + wear-layer warranties + manufacturer install spec?"
Wet area
Tile or vinyl required. Hybrid OK if waterproof-rated.
Slab on ground
Moisture testing critical. Vapour barrier.
Sub-floor (raised timber)
Existing boards can be sanded + refinished.
Underfloor heating
Specific approved products only.
Ask this, exactly
"For my subfloor + room conditions, what product does the manufacturer approve?"
Heritage timber restoration
Specialist sub-trade. Sand + refinish existing.
Underfloor heating
Specific approved products. Coordination with electrician.
Strata noise rating
OC by-laws mandate acoustic underlay.
Pre-1990 asbestos in floor
Vinyl backing can contain asbestos. Licensed removal first.
Stairs
Specialist install — riser + nosing detail.
Polished concrete
Different sub-industry.
Slab moisture issues
High readings = waterproof underlay + appropriate product.
Solid timber over slab
Specialist install (gluedown). Higher moisture risk.
Large-format / herringbone
Setting-out drawings critical.
24-hour cure for glued products. Use felt pads under furniture. Avoid steam mops on timber + laminate. Manufacturer warranty registration within 30 days.
Ask this, exactly
"Cure + care instructions + warranty registration — confirmed?"
If you've read this far
The verification routine below is how you confirm any flooring installer you find — their licence number, insurance certificate, ABN, specialist endorsements, and references — before you sign or pay a deposit. We don't introduce, list or recommend specific tradies. No paid placement.
Editorial position: we don't list, rank or recommend tradies on this site.
The separate operator platform — members.needatrade.com.au — opens later this year.
The toolkit
The four components below apply to every Australian trade contract. The trade-specific sections above add the layer on top.
Quote anatomy
Operator + ABN
Full legal name + active 11-digit ABN
Verify on the Australian Business Register before paying any deposit. If the ABN isn't active, the contract has no enforceable counterparty.
State trade licence
Licence number + class on the quote
Cross-check on the relevant state regulator (linked in the glossary licence-check section). Confirms they can legally do the work.
Public liability insurance
$10–20 million cover, still current (not expired)
This is what pays if they damage your home — or a neighbour's — or someone is injured during the job. Ask them to email you the insurance certificate; "I'm covered, mate" is not proof.
Workers' insurance
In place if they bring any workers onto your property
If a worker is hurt on your property and the operator has no workers' insurance, you can be the one left liable. A genuine sole trader with no employees may not need it — just ask.
Itemised scope of work
What's included, what's not, line by line
"Standard installation" means nothing in court. Specific scope items are what get enforced.
Materials specification
Brand, grade, quantity, AS standard where applicable
Prevents the "we used what was on the truck" substitution that turns up under failure inspections.
Variations clause
How changes get priced + agreed, in writing
No written variation = unenforceable. Verbal "we'll work it out" is how budgets blow out by 40%.
Deposit + progress
Within your state's legal cap (e.g. NSW 10%; VIC 10%/5% by threshold; QLD tiered 20%/10%/5% by job value)
Above-cap deposits are illegal. Caps differ by state — check your state's current regulator guidance. Progress payments should align with completed stages, not arbitrary dates.
Warranty terms
Workmanship period + manufacturer warranty pass-through
Statutory warranty applies regardless, but written terms accelerate enforcement.
Completion definition
What "practical completion" means for this job
Triggers final payment + starts the defects liability period.
Dispute path
Named regulator/tribunal for disputes (e.g. NCAT, VCAT, QCAT)
Knowing the path before signing makes you a less attractive target for a dispute.
If a quote you receive is missing any of these, ask for them before you sign or pay a deposit.
The working operator vs the cowboy
Quote
Written, itemised, with named scope + exclusions. Numbered + dated.
A number on a text. "I'll do it for $X."
Licence
Licence number on the quote; matches the name on the state register.
"I'll send the licence later." Never does.
Insurance
Emails you the insurance certificate the same day you ask.
"I'm insured, mate." Never actually sends the certificate.
Deposit
Within statutory limit. Held in their account, receipted.
Asks for cash up front. Above the legal limit.
Variations
Written. Cost + time impact. You sign before work changes.
Verbal "we'll sort it out". Surprise invoice at the end.
Warranty
Written workmanship period. Manufacturer cert handed over.
"My word's my warranty." No paper.
References
Three recent jobs with photos + contact for past clients.
"All my reviews are on Google."
Clean-up
Final clean defined in scope. Photos taken at handover.
Site left messy. Promises to "come back tomorrow".
Ask this, exactly
Could you send your state trade licence number, current Certificate of Currency for public liability, and ABN before I confirm — and please put the itemised scope, deposit terms, and variation clause in writing too?
Send via SMS or email before booking. A working operator replies the same day with all of it attached. A cowboy stalls.
Deposit checklist
Before you pay a flooring installer deposit, collect these
Licence number
State trade licence + class, printed on the quote. Verified on the regulator register.
ABN
Active 11-digit ABN, entity name matching the licence. Checked on abr.business.gov.au.
Certificate of currency
Current public-liability certificate (and workers comp if they bring workers). The insurer’s one-page proof — not “I’m covered, mate”.
Written, itemised quote
On letterhead, numbered and dated. Not a number in a text message.
Scope inclusions / exclusions
What’s in, what’s out, line by line. “Standard installation” is not a scope.
Deposit amount
Within your state’s statutory cap (NSW 10%; QLD tiered 20% / 10% / 5% by job value; VIC 10% / 5% by threshold; other states vary). Check your regulator before paying.
Variation clause
How changes get priced and agreed — in writing, before the work changes.
Warranty terms
Workmanship period + manufacturer pass-through, with year limits and what triggers a callback.
Compliance / handover paperwork
The certificate or compliance document you’ll receive at completion (varies by trade and state).
Defects / callback process
The defects-liability period and how you call them back for an obvious fault — in writing.
Subfloor prep and moisture test included
Flooring installer-specificProduct range, grade and underlay specified
Flooring installer-specificIn a hurry? Start here
I've got quotes
Compare them properly
Most flooring installer quotes price different scopes. See what a real quote contains, line by line.
I need someone now
Handle it urgently
Make-safe price first, full quote second — and verify the licence before anyone starts.
Is this one legit?
Verify this tradie
The free 60-second routine: licence, insurance, ABN, history — before you pay a deposit.
My state
Check your state rules
Licensing, deposit caps and the common gotcha for your state and territory.
90-second briefing
Read this first
The subfloor prep (levelling, moisture, underlay) decides the result more than the floor itself.
Timber, laminate, hybrid and vinyl are different products with different lifespans — match to the room.
Confirm wastage percentage, expansion gaps and trims are in the quote, not surprises.
Get the product range, grade and underlay specified in writing.
Get the insurance details and a written scope before any deposit.
Trade 12 of 33.
These are orientation references only — not a complete or job-specific list. Ask the licensed contractor to confirm the current standards, the NCC, and any state or territory requirements that apply to your job.
Plain-English definitions, who’s responsible, and an “ask this” for each → see the glossary.