Floor Coverings Purchased Through Costco

[hotajax]

Lemme have it all ..... the good, the bad, things I need to know before diving in. Thanks in advance

[bob60014]

Lemme have it all ..... the good, the bad, things I need to know before diving in. Thanks in advance

Ok....more info needed!!

[bwalling]

They have a deal with Shaw. Shaw makes quality products. That deal involves an arrangement with a local flooring company, and they may or may not have one in your local area. If there's a flooring kiosk near the exit, they have one.

Costco does have some requirements in terms of reputation, so the local company is probably among the better local options. They also impose some pricing constraints on the local company, so the pricing should be decent, but it's not like their own warehouse pricing.

Flooring can be a bit hard to comparison shop, as most manufacturers private label everything to retailers. Shaw has a set product list, but they'll happily private label all of it, so you won't find the same name for the same product at two different dealers.

While we're on this, the products at Home Depot/Lowes/etc from big name brands (Armstrong/Bruce, Shaw, Mohawk, etc) are very often not of of the same quality you'll find from flooring companies. There is an aspect of Home Depot saying "we want a 3 1/4" solid hardwood product we can retail at $2.99/sf" and those companies will find a way to make something at that price point.

[lthenderson]

I avoid all big box store purchases that use 3rd party installers with no incentive to maintain the big box store's reputation. Those installers tend to be ones that don't have enough clientele to stay busy as an independent business which infers just starting out or not enough repeat customers due to installation quality issues. Buying from a dedicated business with their own installation team and thus reputation to protect, doesn't always ensure quality either but I think the odds are much better.

[bwalling]

I avoid all big box store purchases that use 3rd party installers with no incentive to maintain the big box store's reputation. Those installers tend to be ones that don't have enough clientele to stay busy as an independent business which infers just starting out or not enough repeat customers due to installation quality issues. Buying from a dedicated business with their own installation team and thus reputation to protect, doesn't always ensure quality either but I think the odds are much better.

Most flooring stores do not employ installers directly, they are subcontracted. There are a number of different subspecialties, and keeping them all busy full time isn't economically viable. Broadly, you'll find two categories of installers: those that subcontract, and those that are direct to consumer. Those that are direct to consumer will have higher rates, because they have to compensate themselves for the time spent quoting and selling, for which they're not getting paid. The consumer isn't saving any money using someone who was subcontracted through a flooring retailer, however, as the retailer is marking up the labor, and it's mostly a wash.

The big box stores tend to have a lower quality installer, in part because they sell inferior product. Talented installers don't want to work with that product, for the most part.

Also note that the big box stores tend to price differently. For example, they'll have very low prices on carpet (and "free" installation), but their pad prices are 3x what anyone else charges. It comes out the same, but it looks better on a mailer or a sign in the store.

[lthenderson]

I avoid all big box store purchases that use 3rd party installers with no incentive to maintain the big box store's reputation. Those installers tend to be ones that don't have enough clientele to stay busy as an independent business which infers just starting out or not enough repeat customers due to installation quality issues. Buying from a dedicated business with their own installation team and thus reputation to protect, doesn't always ensure quality either but I think the odds are much better.

Most flooring stores do not employ installers directly, they are subcontracted. There are a number of different subspecialties, and keeping them all busy full time isn't economically viable.

All the independent flooring stores I have access to locally have their own dedicated install team and I know from recent experience, (had flooring installed just last week), that they were busy enough to be scheduled three weeks out. YMMV.

[bwalling]

I avoid all big box store purchases that use 3rd party installers with no incentive to maintain the big box store's reputation. Those installers tend to be ones that don't have enough clientele to stay busy as an independent business which infers just starting out or not enough repeat customers due to installation quality issues. Buying from a dedicated business with their own installation team and thus reputation to protect, doesn't always ensure quality either but I think the odds are much better.

Most flooring stores do not employ installers directly, they are subcontracted. There are a number of different subspecialties, and keeping them all busy full time isn't economically viable.

All the independent flooring stores I have access to locally have their own dedicated install team and I know from recent experience, (had flooring installed just last week), that they were busy enough to be scheduled three weeks out. YMMV.

They're booked out, and they use the same subs over and over, but they're very likely not employees, even if they show up wearing logo shirts. They'll also be careful about how they phrase it to not tip you off that they're subcontracting.

It's not at all a problem - you want them to be subcontracting, however people freak out when you tell them that. By subcontracting, you maintain better leverage over quality and speed of work, and you can keep costs lower. If you hire on people for nail down, floating, floor tile, wall tile, sand & finish, trim & paint, etc, your payroll costs are tremendous, and your ability to flex to volume or long jobs is poor.

I've owned flooring companies in two states. I've listened to prospects tell me Company X has their own installers on staff, while I know their installers and also use their same installers. Remodeling someone's home is a big deal for them. It's disruptive, and it's not uncommon for some kind of surprise (the subfloor is rotted, etc). It's very important to start people off with a comfort level that you know what you're doing. Otherwise, at the first hiccup, they think you're trying to screw them.

[lthenderson]

I avoid all big box store purchases that use 3rd party installers with no incentive to maintain the big box store's reputation. Those installers tend to be ones that don't have enough clientele to stay busy as an independent business which infers just starting out or not enough repeat customers due to installation quality issues. Buying from a dedicated business with their own installation team and thus reputation to protect, doesn't always ensure quality either but I think the odds are much better.

Most flooring stores do not employ installers directly, they are subcontracted. There are a number of different subspecialties, and keeping them all busy full time isn't economically viable.

All the independent flooring stores I have access to locally have their own dedicated install team and I know from recent experience, (had flooring installed just last week), that they were busy enough to be scheduled three weeks out. YMMV.

They're booked out, and they use the same subs over and over, but they're very likely not employees, even if they show up wearing logo shirts. They'll also be careful about how they phrase it to not tip you off that they're subcontracting.

Does the owner's son who has been doing it for 30+ years, fall into the secretly subcontracting group? The reason why I go to them is specifically because it is a family run business and doesn't use subcontractors, secret or otherwise. Again, YMMV.

[pshonore]

They have a deal with Shaw. Shaw makes quality products. That deal involves an arrangement with a local flooring company, and they may or may not have one in your local area. If there's a flooring kiosk near the exit, they have one.

Costco does have some requirements in terms of reputation, so the local company is probably among the better local options. They also impose some pricing constraints on the local company, so the pricing should be decent, but it's not like their own warehouse pricing.

Flooring can be a bit hard to comparison shop, as most manufacturers private label everything to retailers. Shaw has a set product list, but they'll happily private label all of it, so you won't find the same name for the same product at two different dealers.

While we're on this, the products at Home Depot/Lowes/etc from big name brands (Armstrong/Bruce, Shaw, Mohawk, etc) are very often not of of the same quality you'll find from flooring companies. There is an aspect of Home Depot saying "we want a 3 1/4" solid hardwood product we can retail at $2.99/sf" and those companies will find a way to make something at that price point.

We bought some LVP for a kitchen through Costco via Shaw and a local flooring company. The installer was an employee of the local store and we were very happy with the results. YMMV.

[hotajax]

That's what I was looking for. Did you get a square deal, get good quality material, and a good installation? Thank you. I don't expect it was an earth-shattering price, but a fair price.

[Planner01]

We love Costco. We shop at the store every weekend and our cruises and rental cars are always booked from their travel agency. However I’ve priced out generators, kitchff den cabinets, flooring and blinds through them and it’s always significantly more expensive, by at least 20% in all counts.

[quantAndHold]

We love Costco. We shop at the store every weekend and our cruises and rental cars are always booked from their travel agency. However I’ve priced out generators, kitchff den cabinets, flooring and blinds through them and it’s always significantly more expensive, by at least 20% in all counts.

20% more expensive than what? We haven’t found that to be the case.