What Does the Cheapest Price MEAN?

I was notified I was the second cheapest price on a job and lost out to the Cheapest.  The job was about 1500 and now its going to cost the client what they paid and what they pay me to do it again including removal and moving office furniture.  In case the pictures don't do the job Justice it was ran in the wrong direction, wasn't cut properly to be seamed together and the seam wasn't sealed properly.  Had this been done the job would have had 3 seams total instead it has 9.

What Did the Cheapest Price on Carpet and Install Mean?

• Carpet ran in the wrong Direction ( the job would have been easier and had fewer seams ran in the other direction)
• Carpet not cut properly ( in the one picture you will notice the seam is not straight, had it been row cut it would not ravel the way it is)
• Carpet is not sealed properly ( the seams are starting to ravel had the side seams been sealed they would not be raveling)
• The Client will have to pay to have the job done again, and incur removal and furniture costs.

Here it is done by Country Flooring Direct

The true cost of hardwood V Carpet

I have been asked many times what is more money long term carpet or hardwood.  It is really an unfair question because they are two very different products each with totally different benefits but here we go.

I did this over a 15 year period and based it upon carpet costs $3 sq ft and hardwood cost at $7 sq ft factoring in maintenance for carpet at .35 sq ft for cleaning and hardwood at $1 sq ft for a buff and coat and 2.5 sq ft for a full refinish.   With customers normally replacing carpet every 7-8 years recoating their floors every 7 years and refinishing every 15 years and the house being ready to sell at the end of the 15 year period.  I used 1.5 sq ft price for cheap builder grade carpet to be installed to sell the home and the area being 1000 sq ft.  

                  Hardwood    vs     Carpet

Day 1      7000                      3000

Year 1     0                               350

Year 2     0                              350

Year 3     0                              350

Year 4      0                             350

Year 5      0                             350

Year 6      0                            350 

Year 7    1000                    3000

Year 8        0                         350 

Year 9        0                         350

Year 10      0                         350

Year 11       0                         350 

Year 12      0                          350

Year 13       0                         350

Year 14     0                            350

Year 15    2500                    1500

Totals      10,500                12,050

There are different things to think of obviously the longer the period the more the hardwood will save you money.   Some people dont clean their carpets as they should and some will move every 7-10 years so why invest the money into your home.  But if I asked my financial planner what to do with the money he would tell me to fully fund my roth ira or whatever.  Its a bad investment, I dont know anyone who picks a floor based on their return on investment.  You want a floor that will last and hardwood flooring will outlast almost any carpet.