Score a quote

27 questions across six pillars, drawn from the technical papers on this site. Answer them against the quote in front of you — ours or anyone else’s — and the result tells you which questions to go back and ask in writing.

Nothing here is sent anywhere. No submission, no account, no stored answers, no tracking of what you enter. The result is printed by your browser. That is deliberate: a tool for scoring someone else’s quote is only worth using if it is not also a lead form.

0%0 of 27 answered

Not enough answeredAnswer more of the criteria to get a verdict. If you cannot answer a question from the quote in front of you, that is itself the finding — mark it Unsure and ask.

Pillar 1

Moisture and acclimation

Wood exchanges moisture with the air continuously and moves as it does. This pillar establishes that the movement was measured and planned for before anything was fastened down.

1.1
Was the subfloor moisture content measured, and were the readings written down?
1.2
Was the flooring material itself moisture-tested, separately from the subfloor?
1.3
Do both readings sit inside the manufacturer's stated acceptable difference between material and subfloor?
1.4
Was testing performed twice — at the estimate, and again immediately before installation begins?
1.5
Will the material acclimate for a minimum of 72 hours in the actual conditioned space where it will be installed?

Pillar 2

Substrate and method

Installation method is determined by what the floor is going onto, not by preference, habit or price. This pillar establishes that the substrate decided the method.

2.1
Was the substrate identified explicitly — plywood over joists, concrete slab, or radiant?
2.2
Does the proposed method match the substrate — nail-down on plywood, glue-down on concrete, floating over radiant or where acoustic separation is required?
2.3
Was the substrate assessed for flatness and condition before the price was fixed?
2.4
If the substrate is concrete, a condominium slab, or radiant heat, was engineered construction specified rather than solid?

Pillar 3

Product specification

The correct product is the one that will still look and perform correctly in twenty years. This pillar establishes that the house specified the floor, not the budget.

3.1
Was the solid-versus-engineered decision explained in terms of the substrate and the climate load, rather than price or preference?
3.2
Was species hardness discussed against the actual traffic and household this floor will carry?
3.3
If the home sees large seasonal humidity swings, was that raised as a reason to prefer engineered construction?
3.4
Was the finish system named specifically, rather than described only as "polyurethane"?

Pillar 4

Expansion and movement

The question is never whether a floor will move. This pillar establishes that room for the movement was designed in rather than discovered later.

4.1
Are expansion gaps specified at every wall and every fixed object — not only at the perimeter?
4.2
Was the safe indoor humidity band the floor needs to live in — and who is responsible for maintaining it — stated in writing?
4.3
Were the specific failure modes — cupping, crowning, seasonal gapping, buckling, edge peaking — named and explained rather than dismissed?

Pillar 5

Dust containment and sequence

Sanding and finishing is a sequence of machines, each of which does something the others cannot. This pillar establishes that the sequence was complete and the dust was contained.

5.1
Is HEPA dust containment used throughout the process, not only at final cleanup?
5.2
Does the plan include an edger on every perimeter and detail, with grits matching the field?
5.3
Is a planetary or multi-disc pass included to blend the field into the edges?
5.4
Is intercoat screening between finish coats part of the quoted scope?
5.5
Was a cure period stated — distinct from "dry to walk on" — with what may and may not go back on the floor during it?

Pillar 6

Commercial accountability

Every pillar above is only as good as the contract behind it. This pillar establishes that someone is accountable in writing when the floor is five years old.

6.1
Is the price fixed in writing, with no open-ended "unforeseen conditions" change-order language?
6.2
Will the work be performed by salaried employees rather than day-labour subcontractors?
6.3
Is there true lifetime workmanship warranty language in the contract itself?
6.4
Would they refuse the job if the substrate or the conditions were wrong — and have they said so plainly?
6.5
Were the written moisture readings provided before any deposit was requested?
6.6
Are manufacturer warranties passed through in writing, naming the manufacturer and the product?