Posted By: Kevin Wielgus

Perfect, Acceptable, or Nope: Finding the Right Balance with Your Flooring Contractor

Why the Best Flooring Projects Aren't Always About Perfection - They're About Understanding

When you're investing in new flooring, it's natural to want the best possible outcome. After all, it's your home, your money and your vision. But like most things in life, the path to “perfect” isn’t always clear-cut—or even possible. That’s where a good flooring contractor becomes not just a service provider, but a guide, helping you navigate the difference between perfect outcomes, acceptable results, and the occasional "no-can-do."

Let’s talk about how these three categories come into play in real-world flooring projects—and how homeowners and contractors can work together for the best results. Some of our examples may be specific to a particular flooring product or situation, but there are similar examples for almost every product and project.

🎯 The "Perfect" Outcome

This is the dream scenario: the floor is installed flawlessly, every plank lines up with laser precision, the stain color matches your Pinterest board exactly, and there isn’t a squeak or scratch in sight.

The truth? Perfect is possible—but it's not always guaranteed. Wood is a natural product. Subfloors aren't always perfectly level. Lighting can shift the way colors look. There are many variables, and while contractors strive for perfection, they’re also working with materials and conditions that may include limitations from the home itself.

A good contractor will:

Be transparent about what is realistic.
Put in the time and craftsmanship to get as close to perfect as possible.
Recommend upgrades/services (like better underlayment or leveling) when needed to improve the outcome.

✅ The "Acceptable" Outcome

This is where the bulk of successful projects land. The floor looks beautiful, performs well, and matches the agreed-upon scope. It may not be magazine cover perfect—but it meets all professional standards and homeowner expectations.

Examples of acceptable outcomes:

Natural color variation in planks/product - natural w/ hardwood).
Minor height transition and thresholds between rooms.
Carpet seams in larger rooms

This is the sweet spot where quality, budget, and logistics all align. And this is often where homeowners need to step back and trust their contractor’s experience and judgment.

❌The “Unacceptable” Request

Sometimes, a customer will ask for something that a reputable contractor simply won’t do. Not because they don’t care—but because it’s unsafe, unethical, or sets the project up for failure. I would say that the vast majority of unacceptable requests from customers aren't intentionally unacceptable, but come from a lack of knowledge. A good contractor should take the time to explain why something is not acceptable using easy to understand language that doesn't "talk down" to the customer.

Common "no-go" scenarios:

Installing new flooring over rotting or wet subfloors.
Using incompatible materials just to save money.(e.g. residential materials in a commercial setting).
Ignoring industry standards for expansion gaps, transitions, or adhesives.
Skipping prep work that compromises the integrity of the floor.

If a contractor pushes back on a request, it’s usually not about being difficult—it’s about protecting you from future problems (and themselves from callbacks or bad reviews). If you do not understand why a contractor won't do something - ask for clarification.

🤝 Striking the Balance

The best client-contractor relationships are built on communication and mutual respect. As a homeowner, your role is to be clear about your vision, your budget, and your deal-breakers. As contractors, we’ll be honest about what’s possible, what’s ideal, and what’s off the table.

Here's what helps:

Look the contractor's attention to details during the estimate
If you are aware of concerning conditions at your property, like known water damage or have specific concerns, speak up early in the process to minimize surprises down the road.
Ask questions and don’t be afraid to request clarification.
Be open to alternatives or compromises when challenges arise.
Trust the contractor’s professional advice—even if it means adjusting your plans.
If you don't feel you can trust the contractor, don't hire them.

Examples On The Outcome Spectrum

Carpet Installation

Perfect - Seamless Installation - One solid piece of carpet for the entire area
Acceptable Best - Minimal seams in low traffic areas
Acceptable Better - Minimal seams in unavoidable areas due to layout
Acceptable Good - Extra seams in low traffic/visible areas to reduce material waste factor
Nope - Touching carpet running in different directions
Nope - Using different dye lots of carpet in same installation (contiguous areas)

Hard Surface Installations (Hardwood, Laminate, Vinyl, etc.)

Perfect - Completely flat subfloor, all one level
Acceptable Best - Subfloor flat to the specifications of the flooring manufacturer, all one level
Acceptable Better - Subfloor flat to the specifications of the flooring manufacturer, some variation in height between rooms managed by safe transitions
Nope - Wavy subfloor (beyond product's tolerance) that will cause floor to fail unless addressed before installation
Nope - Unsafe transitions between rooms causing trip hazards
Nope - Leaving old flooring in place when the old and new flooring are not compatible (e.g. laminate over carpet, or vinyl over wood that's over concrete)

🧭 Final Thoughts

You deserve a floor that looks amazing and lasts. But more than that, you deserve a project that’s built on clarity, fairness, and skilled workmanship. Perfection may be the goal, but don’t overlook the value of a well-done, honest, and acceptable outcome. Your contractor may have installed thousands of floors, but they've probably never installed a floor at your property. Think about this, your home was built by other human beings that may have taken some liberties with the construction process and to different/older standards with different flooring materials in mind. This was likely done a several years ago, and the home has changed (settling, expansion/contraction, etc.). This makes flooring installation a blend of 80% skill, 15% art, and 5% luck. At the end of the day, it’s about delivering a result we both can stand on.