Your floor is failing.Find out why, from someone with no side to protect.
I'm an independent flooring inspector. I come out, test and photograph the floor, and put in writing what caused the problem: the product, the installation, the site, or how it's been cared for. Fifty years in the flooring trade. I don't sell flooring.
Inspections from $650. You'll know the full price before anything is booked. See packages
Fig. 00 — On site, Southern CaliforniaIndependent
Homeowner
Homeowner with a floor problem? You're in the right place. Keep reading.
01 — The situation
If this sounds familiar, you're not being difficult.
You picked out the floor. The store arranged the install. A crew you'd never met put it down.
Then the seams opened. Or the planks lifted. Or the carpet started to ripple. You called the store. They sent their inspector, and he blamed the installer. The installer blames the product. The manufacturer says to take it up with the store.
Months later you've had a lot of opinions and no straight answer. And you're still walking on the problem every day.
Wanting a real answer isn't being difficult. It's the only way this gets resolved.
02 — The missing option
Most homeowners don't know they can hire their own flooring inspector.
The inspector the store sends was hired by the store. The installer knows the repair side best. The mill rep works for the manufacturer. Each is a fair voice — from one seat at the table.
An independent inspector works for the facts.
You hire me directly. I have no floor to sell you, no installer to cover for, and nothing riding on who's at fault. I go where the evidence goes and I put it in writing. I also turn down any job where someone wants a particular answer before I've seen the floor. That's what makes my report worth something, to you and to whoever you hand it to.
Who's working for whom
| Who hired them | What they bring to the dispute |
|---|---|
| The store's inspector | A fair look from the store's side of the question |
| The installer | An expert view of the repair |
| Independent inspector (me) | Hired by you — I report what the physical evidence shows |
Stores and dealers bring me back again and again — even when the findings point toward an installation issue — because they know I simply document what the physical evidence shows, no matter who hired me.
Nick Perez · Independent certified flooring inspector
03 — Why Nick
Fifty years on every side of a flooring dispute.
I've owned and run a flooring showroom. I've installed floors and repaired them. Since 2020 I've inspected them. So when I walk into your home, I already know how the store thinks, how the installer works, and what the manufacturer will look for. I've been each of them.
- 50 years in the flooring trade
- Licensed contractor for 40 years
- Certified flooring inspector: FCITS, IFCII and NALFA, three flooring-inspection training and certification programs
- Independent inspector since 2020
04 — The process
Five steps, and you know the fee before anything is booked.
01
Tell me what's going on. Call, text or send the form with a few photos. We'll talk for 15 to 30 minutes about the floor, the install and what's happened since.
02
Pick a package and get your price. Packages start at $650, depending on how much documentation you need. Mileage and any add-ons (hardwood, tile, large areas) are added up front. You'll have the full number before anything is scheduled.
Packages start at $650 →03
Book it. Payment confirms your appointment.
04
I inspect. Usually 1 to 2 hours on site. Photos, measurements, moisture readings, flatness (how level the surface under your floor is), expansion space (the gap a floor needs at the walls), and any other test the floor calls for. The goal of the inspection is to carefully document the facts and determine what the physical evidence tells us about the flooring concern.
05
You get the report. In writing, with the evidence behind every finding.
05 — What you get
A report you can put in front of the store, the installer or the manufacturer.
- 01What I found, with photos
- 02Measurements and test results
- 03What the manufacturer's installation instructions and warranty require
- 04What industry standards say
- 05The cause: product, installation, site conditions or maintenance
- 06What it will take to correct it
What it can't do
Here's what a report can't do.
I'll be straight with you. My report can't force anyone to pay, and I can't promise how the store, the installer or the manufacturer will respond. What it does is replace opinions with documented facts, from someone with nothing to gain either way. That's usually the piece that's been missing.
Sometimes the facts point somewhere you didn't expect: humidity in the house, a cleaning product, a slab nobody tested before the install. If that's what I find, that's what the report says. Better to know now than after another six months of arguing.
One example: after reading my report, a homeowner's retailer reimbursed them for the materials and the installation. That's one case, not a promise. It's what a clear, independent report can do.
06 — In their words
"Your email went into great detail and we are grateful for your assistance. We totally agree with you, you were very fair, honest and accurate about the assessment. We appreciate the details."
"Wonderful job you've done on this report!"
"We appreciated your expertise and professionalism, and you did a thorough inspection. We recommend your services."
"We were thoroughly satisfied with the service and professionalism you've provided. It was highly detailed and delivered exactly what we asked for. We would recommend you for others to use. You stayed on top of things and made sure the job was completed in a reasonable span of time."
"We are very happy with Nick's service. Though the outcome was hard to hear, I am very grateful to know. The report and photos were very detailed, explaining the issues and how it needs to be resolved. I would highly recommend Nick. 10 out of 10!"
07 — Floors & area
Floors I inspect, homes and businesses.
Within 50 miles of Temecula, you pay mileage only. Farther out — the rest of Riverside, San Diego, Orange and San Bernardino counties, plus Ventura County and the Las Vegas area — ask me. Travel time is quoted before you book.
01
LVT & LVP (luxury vinyl)
02
Laminate
03
Carpet
04
Hardwood
05
Tile & stone
Service area
Riverside · San Diego · Orange · San Bernardino counties
Based in Temecula, California
Send me a few photos and tell me what happened.
I'll call or text you back with a quote. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
Not sure which package? Tell me what's happened and I'll tell you which one fits.
Talking it over with someone at home first? Send them this page. Everything I do and what you get is right here.