Carpet Fitters | Local Services | Classifieds.co.uk :

A good carpet is one of the first things that someone sees when they walk into your home or office. Carpet can create an instant impression of your business or lifestyle. It is well worth employing a professional carpet fitter to lay the carpet properly but how can you make sure that you choose a reliable and reputable fitter who will provide a high quality and professional service?

How to find a carpet fitter
You can always ask around friends and family for recommendations of any carpet fitters that they have recently employed. It is also worth searching the web and looking for classified ads for carpet fitters, including their services, experience and contact details. A list of carpet fitters is also available on the National Institute of Carpet and Floorlayers website.

Things to ask the carpet fitter

Find out if the fitter requires you to have the room cleared of all furniture before he or she arrives -- or if the fitter will help you to move at least the larger pieces of furniture.
Determine whether the fitter seems to have a good knowledge and understanding of the particular type of carpet that you need fitted.
Ask if the fitter will tidy the room, vacuum the carpet and take all cuttings away when the job is finished.
Also ask the fitter for suggestions as to the right type of underlay that is required for your particular carpet as the underlay has a major impact on the durability and comfort of a new carpet and modern technology has ensured that there is now a huge choice of underlay.
Try to determine if the carpet fitter seems to have a genuine interest and enthusiasm for their trade and if they take pride in their work.
Ask how they plan to lay your particular carpet � will it be tacked down, will grippers be used around the edge of the room or will it be stuck down? Make sure that you are happy with their method of fitting and that they can explain to you why they recommend this type of fitting for you particular carpet.
Ask how they intend to deal with any joins in the carpet. High quality carpets may require the joints to be hand stitched to ensure that they are strong and invisible.
Ask what their working hours are and how long they think that your job will take to complete.
While talking to the carpet fitter try to assess whether or not you have a sense of trust in them and if you will be happy for them to enter and work in your home.

Quality and standards
In order to ensure a professional standard of service it is essential that any carpet fitter you choose is fully qualified and a member of a relevant recognised trade organisation. Ask how many years experience they have and if you can see proof of their qualifications and training. Ask if they are a member of the National Institute of Carpet and Floorlayers as this will go some way to assure you that they are qualified and highly-skilled in their trade. Also find out if they hold the NICF Master Fitter qualification. Look out for carpet fitters who are approved by the UK Consumer Protection Agency or who display the Department of Trade and Industry's Trustmark logo so that you can be confident that the quality of their work has been assessed and meets the standards set by government. Some carpet fitters may also be members of the Guild of Master Craftsmen.

References
Ask the carpet fitter if he or she can provide references or personal recommendations from previous clients as to the standard of their service. If the fitter seems reluctant to provide references or to let you talk to previous clients then just walk away.

Price Estimates
Ask a few different carpet fitters to provide you with a free quote detailing the costs for their work and any materials they supply. This will allow you to compare prices to make sure that you are being charged fairly. However, this is definitely one instance when you should not simply opt for the cheapest quote. If you have spent a lot of money on a really high quality carpet don't be tempted to economise on the fitting. This could end up as a false economy if your carpet is poorly fitted or damaged in the fitting process. So, do balance cost against quality of service, recommendations, professional qualifications and experience.

Ask for a guarantee
Find out if the carpet fitter offers a guarantee for their service. Also, check if they will take responsibility if the carpet is damaged during the fitting process. Before the carpet fitter leaves your house or office check thoroughly around the whole room. In particular, check the corners, edges and joins, to make sure that you are happy with the work and, if not, point out any problems immediately. It will be much easier to get something fixed while the carpet fitter is there than trying to get them to come back at another time.

Carpet fitting is one job that without doubt benefits from being handled by a professional. This will ensure that you avoid the unsightly joins, patterns or pile not running in straight lines, uneven edges, bumps and ridges that we have all seen in carpets put down by over confident DIY enthusiasts who think that they can save money by doing the job themselves. Finally, if you have not already purchased your carpet, you may want to check whether your carpet fitter can also supply the carpet itself. Many fitters will have trade contacts and relationships from whom they can source carpet at highly competitive rates.