A few years back, an elderly couple called us after finding what they thought was a great deal on luxury vinyl plank flooring online.
The price seemed too good to pass up, so they placed their order.
A few days later, a tractor-trailer showed up, dropped off a 2,000-pound pallet of flooring at the end of their driveway, and left.
They had no way to move it themselves. No one had explained that "delivery" only meant curbside drop-off.
We've heard stories like this many times over the years. Sometimes shipments arrive damaged. Other times, the flooring comes from different manufacturing lots and doesn't match. There can also be confusion about warranties or installation. Of course, sometimes buying online does work out well.
We're not here to talk you out of buying flooring online.
But over our 40 years helping customers select flooring in the Wilmington, DE area, we’ve seen these traps firsthand. We want to help you understand what goes into a successful flooring project, so you can decide what’s really the best value for your home.
When it comes to flooring, the lowest price doesn’t always mean the lowest overall cost.
It’s a fair question, and we hear it often in our Wilmington showroom.
Homeowners often come in with an online price and ask, "Can you match this?"
Sometimes we can, but most of the time, we can’t.
Online retailers usually have lower overhead than local stores. Some buy closeout or discontinued products, or purchase in bulk at discounted rates. Others just offer fewer services as part of the price.
There’s nothing wrong with finding a good deal.
The problem is many homeowners only look at the price per square foot. They may not realize that delivery, inspections, warranty support, installation, and customer service all add to the overall value.
When you buy flooring online, you're typically purchasing the material itself only. Services like inspections, installation coordination, and warranty support may or may not be included, depending on the retailer.
When you work with a local flooring company, you’re investing in everything that happens before, during, and after those boxes show up.
Before you decide where to buy your flooring, here are five hidden costs to keep in mind.
One of the first surprises for many homeowners isn’t about the flooring itself—it’s the delivery.
Large flooring orders often arrive on a tractor-trailer with a pallet that can weigh over a ton. Most online retailers offer curbside delivery, so the shipment is left at the end of your driveway and it’s up to you from there.
Do you have a way to move all those heavy boxes into your home? Is your driveway big enough for a large truck? Does the delivery include a liftgate? Who checks the shipment before the driver leaves?
These are questions many people don’t think about until the day their flooring arrives.
When you work with a local flooring dealer, someone has already handled those details for you. That’s one less thing to worry about during your busy remodel.
Before ordering flooring online, ask:
Having these answers ahead of time can save you a lot of stress.
Luxury vinyl plank flooring is very durable once installed, but before that, it can be more fragile than you’d expect.
If you're still learning about luxury vinyl plank flooring, including how it's constructed and why the locking system is so important, check out our guide, What Is LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank)? Understanding how these floors are built makes it easier to see why shipping damage can create installation problems.
Each plank has a special locking system around the edges so the floor clicks together securely. These edges can get chipped or damaged during shipping, even if the box looks fine on the outside. We’ve seen homeowners buy flooring online, accept the delivery, and only find out about damaged locking systems when they start installing. By then, returning the material or filing a claim is much harder.
This is one of those behind-the-scenes services most homeowners don’t even realize is happening.
Before your flooring arrives, our team checks each shipment to make sure it matches your order and looks for any damage that could affect installation. If there’s a problem, we work with the manufacturer to fix it before installation day.
That’s part of what you’re paying for. We’re not just selling flooring—we’re helping prevent small problems from turning into bigger ones later.
Luxury vinyl plank flooring is made in production runs, also called dye lots or lot numbers. Even with strict quality standards, there can be small differences in color or sheen between runs.
Most of the time, these differences are subtle. But once the floor is installed across a whole room, they can become surprisingly noticeable, especially when sunlight hits the floor at certain times.
When you order flooring online, your shipment might come from different warehouses or leftover stock from various production runs. If no one checks the lot numbers before installation, you could end up with boxes that don’t match.
This is another detail most homeowners don’t think about—and really shouldn’t have to.
Before installation, we check to make sure the flooring comes from the same manufacturing lot whenever possible. If it doesn’t, we fix the issue before any planks are installed.
This simple step can save you from a disappointing surprise later.
Every flooring manufacturer offers a warranty. The real question is: Who helps you navigate it?
Imagine your floor starts separating six months after installation. You call the online retailer, and they tell you to contact the installer. The installer thinks the flooring is defective and tells you to call the manufacturer.
The manufacturer then asks for paperwork, photos, inspection reports, and proof that the flooring was installed according to their guidelines.
Meanwhile, your floor still isn’t fixed.
Unfortunately, We’ve met homeowners stuck in the middle while everyone tries to figure out who’s responsible. It’s frustrating for everyone.
One benefit of working with a local flooring company is that we know our customers from day one, have been inside your home, and know exactly which product you are looking for. Online retailers have not. If something does go wrong, you have someone to advocate for you. If there's a legitimate product issue, we help coordinate with the manufacturer and work toward a resolution. You're not left trying to figure it out on your own.
Hopefully, you’ll never need that kind of help. But if you do, it’s good to know someone is in your corner.
Price isn’t the only thing that changes from one flooring product to another.
Quality does too. One thing many homeowners don’t consider is indoor air quality.
Not all flooring sold in the U.S. is made to the same standards. Some lower-priced products come from countries with different environmental rules. That doesn’t mean they’re unsafe, but it does make it important to look for independent certifications.
One certification we recommend is FloorScore®.
FloorScore-certified flooring is tested for low VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions, helping make sure it’s safe for indoor use. This is especially important if anyone in your home has asthma, allergies, or other respiratory issues.
If you’re shopping for flooring online, it’s worth taking a few extra minutes to check exactly what you’re buying.
After reading all this, you might think we're against buying flooring online.
We're not.
In fact, buying flooring online can be an excellent option for the right project. If you're an experienced DIYer replacing flooring in a single room, understand freight delivery, and feel comfortable inspecting the material yourself, ordering online may save you money.
The key is knowing the difference between a genuine bargain and a product that's inexpensive because important services or quality controls have been removed. Some online retailers offer excellent value, while others cut corners on shipping, customer support, product inspections, or warranty assistance.
Larger projects are a different story. When you're remodeling multiple rooms or your entire home, coordinating deliveries, inspecting materials, preparing the subfloor, scheduling installers, and resolving any issues becomes much more complicated. As the size of the project grows, so does the value of having an experienced flooring partner helping manage all those moving parts.
If you're trying to figure out whether a bargain-priced floor is actually a good value, read Is $1.99 Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring Really a Good Deal? to learn what separates a quality product from one that may cost you more in the long run.
Everyone loves a good deal. Sometimes, buying flooring online really is the right choice.
But before you click "Buy Now," make sure you’re comparing the whole project—not just the price of the flooring.
Ask yourself these questions:
| Before You Buy Flooring Online, Ask These 6 Questions: | |
|---|---|
| ✓ | Does the delivery include everything I need, or is it curbside only? |
| ✓ | Who will inspect the flooring for damage before it's installed? |
| ✓ | Are all the boxes from the same manufacturing lot (dye lot)? |
| ✓ | Is the flooring FloorScore® certified for low VOC emissions? |
| ✓ | Who will help me if there's a warranty issue or product defect? |
| ✓ | Who is responsible if something goes wrong during the project? |
The answers to these questions will tell you much more about the real value of your flooring purchase than just the price per square foot.
We’d love to hear about your flooring project! If you’d like help comparing products or just want a second opinion before you decide, we’re always happy to help. We’ll explain your options, answer your questions, and help you find the flooring that fits your home, your lifestyle, and your budget. Fill out the form below and we will be in touch with you.
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