A floor layer or carpet fitter puts down floor coverings such as carpet, vinyl, linoleum, cork, wood, parquet or laminate flooring in domestic and commercial buildings such as offices, shops and people's homes.

The Work

You could be:

• studying the plan of the floor and working out how much material you need
• helping to load and unload rolls of vinyl or carpet in and out a van into the premises
• moving furniture out of the room, removing the old floor covering and cleaning the floor
• spreading the floor with a substance called levelling compound to prepare it for laying the new floor
• deciding how to cut the floor covering and where to make the joins, making sure the pattern fits and reducing waste
• measuring and cutting the floor covering to fit
• laying it on the floor and fixing it, either by stretching the material over spiked grippers, or by pushing it under stair rods, or by stitching, taping, heat-sealing or gluing
• replacing furniture and doors once you have finished laying the floor.

Pay

The figures below are only a guide. Pay rates vary, depending on:

• where you work
• the size of your company
• the demand for the job.

There is a minimum wage for apprentices in Scotland. As of September 2017 the Scottish Building Apprenticeship and Training Council (SBATC) rates for a 4-year apprenticeship based on a 39-hour week are:

Year 1 – £165.75
Year 2 – £224.25
Year 3 – £292.50
Year 4 – £364.65.

Please note these rates may vary if the Apprentice is 21 years old or over and has completed the first year of their apprenticeship. National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) will apply.

Qualified floor layers or carpet fitters earn £9.00 to £11.00 an hour. With more experience you can earn £15.00 to £18.00 an hour. If you are self-employed, you could earn more than this.

Conditions

• You work indoors in buildings already in use or under construction.
• You usually work a 38-hour week but might need to work through evenings or weekends to finish a job off.
• You do a lot of kneeling, crouching and heavy lifting.
• You would wear knee pads to protect your knees, and a mask because of the dusty atmosphere and the strong fumes of the adhesive.
• You may have to buy your own tools and equipment.
• You travel from site to site.
• You might have to work for a period away from home.

Getting In

• You do not always need formal qualifications, but some employers may ask for subjects at National 4 or 5 including English, Maths and a technological subject.
• You would usually enter through a Modern Apprenticeship in Construction: Building. You can check the Scottish Building Apprenticeship and Training Council (SBATC) website for details.
• You may have to sit an aptitude test as part of the application process.
• You will need to hold a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card or equivalent to work on site. You may also need to pass a health and safety test.
• A driving licence is usually needed. Some employers may ask you to provide your own transport.
• You should be fit enough to lift heavy items and do a physical job and have no allergies to dust or glue.

Floor layers or carpet fitters usually work for shops, warehouses or specialist flooring contractors but often in a self-employed capacity.

Job Outlook Scotland

Job Outlook Scotland and UK

  Scotland

2018

1256

0.2 %

RISE

2023

1259

  United Kingdom

2018

14483

2.8 %

RISE

2023

14883

LMI data powered by EMSI UK

What Does it Take?

You need to be able to:

• measure and calculate accurately
• work to deadlines
• follow health and safety rules.

You should have:

• a polite manner
• a neat method of working
• good practical skills
• an eye for detail.

Training

• Training during a Modern Apprenticeship is mainly on the job with off the job training. You would work towards Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) Floorcovering Occupations (Construction) at SCQF Level 6 and PDA Floorcovering.
• There are courses leading to the Flooring Industry Training Association (FITA) examinations, suitable for domestic and commercial fitters.
• FITA offers a Basic Carpet Fitting course and an Intermediate course for those who wish to develop their skills. Both courses are four days.

Getting On

After experience you may become a supervisor or an estimator, or move into self-employment.

Contacts

The following organisations may be able to provide further information.