Flooring Glossary

Commercial Flooring Terms & Definitions

Clear definitions of the estimation, materials, installation, and business terms used in commercial flooring — built for project managers, estimators, and sales reps.

Estimation
Flooring Takeoff
The process of measuring a space and calculating the exact quantities of flooring materials needed for a commercial installation project.
Waste Factor
The percentage of extra flooring material added to a net square footage calculation to account for cuts, pattern matching, and unusable off-cuts.
Quantity Takeoff (QTO)
A detailed measurement of all materials and labor required to complete a construction project, used as the basis for cost estimation and bidding.
Floor Preparation (Floor Prep)
All work performed on a substrate to make it suitable for new flooring — one of the most variable and difficult-to-estimate line items in a commercial flooring bid.
Flooring Labor Rate
The cost per square foot charged to install a specific flooring product, which varies by material type, region, project conditions, and site complexity.
Materials
LVT Flooring (Luxury Vinyl Tile)
A multi-layer synthetic flooring product that realistically replicates hardwood, stone, or tile — one of the most widely specified commercial flooring products.
VCT Flooring (Vinyl Composition Tile)
A durable, low-cost resilient tile composed of limestone and PVC, historically dominant in commercial settings like schools, hospitals, and retail stores.
Carpet Tile
Modular carpet manufactured in discrete squares — typically 24"×24" — offering easy installation, design flexibility, and simple spot replacement.
Broadloom Carpet
Wall-to-wall carpet manufactured in wide rolls (typically 12 feet), commonly used in hospitality, healthcare corridors, and executive office environments.
Installation
Glue-Down Installation
An installation method where flooring is fully adhered to the substrate using adhesive — the standard approach for commercial LVT, VCT, carpet tile, and sheet vinyl.
Floating Floor Installation
An installation method where flooring attaches to itself — not the substrate — via click-lock joints, allowing installation over minor subfloor imperfections without adhesive.
Flash Cove Base
A resilient flooring installation technique where flooring material is turned up the wall and coved at the base, creating a seamless, cleanable integrated base.
Business
Flooring Specification
A technical document that defines the exact products, installation methods, and performance standards required for a flooring installation in a commercial construction project.
Scope of Work (Flooring SOW)
A formal document defining all tasks, deliverables, and responsibilities included in a flooring installation contract — the foundation of a contractor's proposal.
CSI MasterFormat
The standard filing system for organizing construction specifications, developed by the Construction Specifications Institute — flooring falls under Division 09.