Flooring contractors in Chester County, PA: new homes, flood risk and contracts
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
What should Chester County homeowners know before a flooring job?
Chester has the newest housing of the five counties in and around Philadelphia, and its own government names flooding as the biggest natural hazard it faces. Both bear on flooring. The Census Bureau counts 212,491 housing units in the county, 79.3 percent of them single-family houses, and estimates that 10.7 percent were built in 2010 or later, against 6.1 percent for Pennsylvania.
Does state law cover flooring in a newly built house?
Not while it is being built. The Attorney General's office says the construction of a new home is not a home improvement under the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act. Flooring that goes in as part of a new house therefore falls outside the act's rules on registration, deposits and cancellation, and the agreement with the builder is the document to read.
That is a live question here. The Chester County Planning Commission says that in most years since 2010 around 1,500 new housing units have been added in the county, and that the mix has shifted from single-family detached houses toward twins and apartments. If you are buying new, read what the builder's agreement says about the flooring, its warranty and who to call about defects.
Once you own the house and hire someone to replace or refinish its floors, the act applies in full. A contract over $500 must be written, signed and must state the work, the dates, the price and your right to cancel within three business days. A deposit on a contract over $5,000 cannot exceed one-third of the price, or one-third plus the cost of special order materials named in the contract.
Who stands behind the floor in a newer house?
The Federal Trade Commission says manufacturers or sellers often include a warranty, and that any written warranty must be available to read before you buy. It advises checking whether you have to contact the manufacturer or can go back to the original seller, and whether you must pay for labor. In a house only a few years old, find the original flooring paperwork before calling anyone about gaps, cupping or loose tiles, so you know which warranty, if any, applies.
How does flood risk affect flooring in Chester County?
The county's health department says floods are the most significant hazard Chester County faces and that every community in it is at some risk. In a high-risk flood zone there is a 1 in 100 chance of flooding each year, which over a 30-year mortgage adds up to a 1 in 4 chance, and flood insurance is required if you have a mortgage. The county points homeowners to FEMA's Map Service Center to look up an address.
For flooring, the practical rule comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): after water gets in, do not put new flooring down until the structure is dry. It says materials such as wood and flooring should read 15 percent or less on a moisture meter before refinishing, and that a concrete slab can be checked by taping clear plastic sheeting to it for about 16 hours; if moisture appears under the plastic, the slab is too wet for new flooring. If your Chester County address is in a mapped flood zone, those checks belong in the conversation before a contractor quotes for a basement or ground-floor room. The county also publishes a Flood Recovery Guide in English and Spanish.
What do house size and value mean for a flooring budget?
Chester's homes are the largest and most valuable of the five counties by the Census Bureau's measures: a median of 7.0 rooms, against 6.0 statewide, and a median owner-occupied value of $485,600. Since flooring is priced by the square foot, whole-house projects here run large. No published survey gives a Chester County price; the national ranges and the extras that get added are in the cost guide.
How do you check a contractor in Chester County?
The checks are the state's. No county consumer office page was found for Chester County, so complaints go to the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection. Before you hire, look the business up on the Attorney General's contractor search, which can be filtered by county and lists "Flooring Installation (Non-Carpet)" and "Carpet Installation" among its types of work. The rest of the process is in how to choose a flooring contractor. Businesses that serve the county are listed on the Chester County flooring contractors page.
Sources
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Chester County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- Housing Report - Units By Type, Chester County Planning Commission
- Flooding, Chester County
- Frequently Asked Questions: Home Improvement Contractor Registration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
- 2008 Act 132 (Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act), Pennsylvania General Assembly
- Flood Cleanup to Protect Indoor Air and Your Health, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Warranties, Federal Trade Commission
- Home Improvement Contractor Search, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General