Carpet fitter and floor layer
Construction and Trades

How to become a carpet fitter and floor layer

You can get into this job through:

• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• applying directly

College

You could take a college course like the Level 1 Award in Flooring Operations or Basic Construction Skills with flooring options. This will give you some of the skills needed for the job.

College (Entry requirements)

You'll usually need:

• 2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course

Apprenticeship

You may be able to start by doing a floorlayer intermediate apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship (Entry requirements)

You'll usually need:

• some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

Direct application

You could apply directly to work as a carpet fitter and floor layer. Employers will expect you to have practical skills and be good with numbers.

More info

Further information You can find more details about training and working in carpet fitting and floor laying from Go Construct and The Flooring Industry Training Association.

What it takes

Skills & Knowledge

You'll need:

• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to work on your own
• customer service skills
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• leadership skills
• the ability to use your initiative
• knowledge of maths
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

What you'll do

Day to day

Depending on where you're working, your day-to-day tasks may include:

• measuring floor space and estimating the amount of materials needed
• clearing away furniture and taking off doors
• removing old flooring
• cleaning, levelling and sealing the work area
• gluing or nailing underlay and floor coverings into place
• stretching carpet over spiked gripper rods and taping
• heat-sealing joins and edges on vinyl flooring
• spraying or waxing floor coverings to give them a protective coating
• using fast-track flooring systems
• putting furniture back and trimming and re-hanging doors

Working environment

You could work at a client's home or at a client's business. Your working environment may be physically demanding. You may need to wear protective clothing.

Career path and progression

Career path & progression

With experience, you could become a team supervisor, estimator or contracts manager. You could move into areas like buying and product sales. You could also set up your own business in laying carpets and flooring.