The crew will be in and out in a few days. The week before decides whether those days feel like a controlled project or an improvised evacuation.
This is the checklist we would use in our own homes, organized by when each task actually needs to happen. Print it, cross things off, and send the contractor the questions that need an answer before the first box comes through the door.
Seven days out: confirm the plan
Confirm the start date and the working hours. Get the date, the arrival time and the daily finish time in writing. Ask whether the crew works weekends and how you will be told if the schedule moves.
Confirm the material delivery. Ask when the flooring will arrive, who receives it, and where it will be stored. If you are buying the material yourself, confirm the delivery window and check the boxes against the invoice before signing.
Ask about acclimation. Most wood, laminate and vinyl products need time in the room to adjust to temperature and humidity. Ask how long the material will sit, where, and whether the boxes need to be opened or stacked in a particular way. If the answer is “we install straight away,” ask why the product does not need it.
Measure the door clearances. A new floor plus underlayment raises the finished height. Check that exterior and interior doors still clear the floor, and ask who will undercut them if they do not. This is much easier to solve before the floor is down.
Book the furniture move. Ask whether the crew moves furniture or whether you need to. Most contracts exclude pianos, safes, aquariums and anything fragile. If you are moving furniture yourself, book help now rather than on the morning.
Plan for pets. Decide where pets will stay during the work. Doors will be open, dust will travel, and a curious animal near an open adhesive bucket is a bad combination.
Five days out: clear the rooms
Empty the rooms completely. Not pushed to one side — empty. Crews need wall-to-wall access, and furniture that stays in the room becomes a thing to work around, which slows the job and increases the chance of damage.
Clear closets. Flooring usually runs into closets. Remove everything, including the shelf contents, and take the doors off if the contractor asks.
Take down what hangs. Pictures, mirrors and shelves on shared walls can vibrate loose. Remove them or secure them, and move anything fragile out of the work zone.
Decide where the contents will live. Garage, basement, a spare room, a pod. Make sure the route to that space does not cross the work area, or that it is used only before demolition begins.
Set up a temporary kitchen. If the kitchen floor is being replaced, plan for a few days of microwave meals and a cooler. Move the essentials to another room the night before.
Three days out: protect the house
Confirm the dust plan. Ask again how doorways will be sealed, whether the crew uses a vacuum attached to saws, and how the debris will leave the house. If you have allergies or a family member with respiratory issues, say so now.
Clear a path. Decide which entrance the crew will use and clear a route from the door to the work area. Protect the path if it crosses finished flooring — a roll of builder’s paper or a mat is enough.
Move valuables and documents. Anything you would not want covered in dust or accidentally knocked over should leave the work zone.
Check the thermostat. Flooring products have a recommended temperature and humidity range for installation. Ask what the contractor needs, and keep the house within it for the days before and during the job.
Confirm the bathroom arrangement. Ask which bathroom the crew will use, and make sure it is stocked. This small courtesy keeps the job running smoothly.
One day out: the final check
Confirm the arrival time. A short message the day before prevents an early-morning surprise.
Remove floor vents and grilles. Label them and put them somewhere safe. They are small, easy to lose and expensive to match.
Clear the refrigerator and appliances. If the kitchen is being done, empty the fridge, disconnect the ice maker and move anything on top. Ask whether the crew moves the appliance or whether you should.
Set aside the paperwork. Have the contract, the quote, the payment schedule and the contractor’s contact number in one place. If a question comes up during the job, you will want them within reach.
Confirm the walkthrough time. Ask when the final walkthrough will happen and who will attend. Put it in your calendar.
The morning of installation
Be there for the arrival. Walk the rooms with the lead installer, confirm the scope, and point out anything fragile or unusual — a loose board, a squeaky stair, a door that sticks.
Confirm the dust barriers. Check that doorways are sealed before demolition starts, not after.
Take before photographs. Photograph each room, the existing floor, the walls and any pre-existing damage. This is useful if a dispute arises later, and it takes five minutes.
Ask for a daily update. A short check-in at the end of each day — what was done, what is next, anything discovered — keeps small problems from becoming surprises.
Keep a notebook. Note the date, the people on site, the work completed and anything you raised. If you need to make a warranty claim later, a dated record is more useful than memory.
During the job: what to watch
Look at the floor daily, in daylight. Stand at the doorway and look across the floor at a low angle. High spots and gaps show up better from a distance than from directly above.
Raise concerns while the crew is there. A board that is wrong is easier to replace before the furniture goes back. Say something the day you notice it, in writing if it is significant.
Keep the work area clear. Children, pets and curious visitors slow the job and create safety risk. Adhesive, blades and power tools are not a place for a family tour.
Do not make changes casually. A verbal “while you’re at it” is how change orders start. If you want something extra, ask for the price in writing before the work begins.
After the crew leaves
Do the walkthrough properly. Walk every room, look for lippage, gaps, damaged trim, squeaks and transitions that rock. Open and close the doors. Check the closets and the edges.
Make a punch list in writing. Give the contractor a dated list with photographs and a reasonable deadline. Most reputable contractors will return to fix small items; a written list makes it harder to forget.
Collect the documents. Warranty paperwork, care instructions, the material batch numbers, leftover planks and the final invoice belong in one folder. The warranty article explains what to check before you file them away.
Keep the leftovers. A few spare planks stored flat and dry are worth more than they cost. They are the only way to repair a damaged board with a matching batch later.
Wait before the deep clean. Adhesive and finishes need time to cure. Ask the contractor when it is safe to mop or use a cleaning product, and follow the manufacturer’s guidance rather than a generic floor cleaner.
A short version for the fridge
- Confirm dates, delivery and acclimation in writing.
- Empty the rooms completely and clear the closets.
- Measure door clearances before the floor goes down.
- Confirm the dust plan and clear a path.
- Move valuables, secure pets and set up a temporary kitchen.
- Photograph everything before work starts.
- Walk the floor daily and raise issues immediately.
- Hold the final payment until the walkthrough and the paperwork.
The hiring guide covers the contract stage that comes before this week, and the questions page has the wording for the confirmation email.