What this video covers
This video shows a hardwood recoat job from the first phone call to the final walkthrough. It goes through all seven stages: the call, the estimate, the tests, the quote, job day, drying and the handoff. It also covers the gear, the times and what a recoat can and cannot fix.
Key points
- Most money is lost at the estimate. Most of the value you give is on job day.
- On the call, check that it is a floor you can recoat: solid hardwood, engineered, factory-prefinished or LVP, not laminate, sheet vinyl or a painted floor. Get a rough size and ask for photos.
- Book the estimate within a day or two, while the homeowner still cares.
- A recoat only renews the clear coat on top. It does not fix deep gouges, pet stains, cupping boards or popped nails. Tell the homeowner what to expect at the estimate.
- Three quick tests: a wax test with mineral spirits on a white rag, a polish test with a few drops of ammonia and a tape test on a scuffed spot.
- The quote is square feet times your price, usually $1.50 to $3 a square foot. Moving furniture, hallways and stairs can be add-ons.
- On job day you buff the floor, clean and tack it, then cut in the edges with a trim pad and roll the coat on with the grain, using a roller on an extension pole. It is ready for another coat in 2 to 4 hours, takes socks and light use at 24 hours, and furniture goes back with felt pads in about 3 days.
- At the handoff, take before and after photos, get paid and ask for a review and a referral.
Chapters
- 0:00What a recoat job is
- 1:08Stage 1: the phone call
- 3:01Stage 2: walking the floor
- 4:40Stage 3: the three tests
- 6:02Stage 4: the quote and add-ons
- 7:15Stage 5: job day
- 9:38Stage 6: drying
- 10:41Stage 7: the handoff
Questions this video answers
- What can a recoat not fix?
- Deep gouges, pet stains, cupping boards, popped nails and gray bare wood where the finish is worn through. A recoat only renews the clear coat on top.
- How do you know if a floor can be recoated?
- Run three quick tests in a hidden spot: a wax test, a polish test and a tape test.
- How long does a recoat job take?
- About 3 hours for one person on an average floor. The finish is ready for another coat in 2 to 4 hours.
- When can the homeowner use the floor again?
- Socks and light use at 24 hours. Furniture can go back with felt pads in about 3 days, and the floor is fully cured in about 7 days.
About this video
What a hardwood recoat job actually looks like from the first phone call to the final walkthrough. Seven stages, what happens at each one, and what the numbers are.
Most of the money is lost at stage two, during the estimate. Most of the value you deliver is at stage five, when you do the job.
The numbers in this video:
Recoat price: $1.50 to $3.00 per square foot
Average job: $2,000 to $3,000
Material: about three gallons of finish on an average floor
Buffer: 120 to 180 grit, roughly 110 pounds, fits in a car
Job time: about three to four hours, two and a half to three with an optimised process
Ready for another coat: two to four hours
Socks and light use: 24 hours
Furniture back with felt pads: about three days
Fully cured: about seven days
The three qualifying tests: a wax test with mineral spirits on a white rag, a polish test with a few drops of ammonia, and a tape test on a scuffed spot.
A recoat renews the clear coat on top. It does not fix deep gouges, pet stains, cupping boards or popped nails. Set that expectation at the estimate and you keep the job instead of losing it.
We train you on every stage: the marketing, generating the leads, calling and following up, booking the estimate, selling in the home, running the service, referrals, upsells and invoicing.
Apply at joinfloorit.com
