Let's get the awkward bit out of the way first: we are a floor sanding company. Of course we think you should pick us. So read everything below knowing exactly who wrote it, and apply every check in this guide to us as hard as you apply it to anyone else. That's the deal.
The reason we wrote this is simple. Search for the best floor sanding companies in London and most of what you'll find is articles written by floor sanding companies that put themselves at number one. That's not a review, it's an advert wearing a review's clothes. Nobody hands you a straight way to tell a good firm from a chancer, and we know exactly what separates them. So here it is.
Seven Checks That Actually Sort the Good From the Bad
1. Ask who will actually be in your house
The name on the van and the people on their knees in your living room can be very different things. Plenty of London firms are a sales office that passes your job to whichever subcontract gang is free that week. That's not automatically bad work, but it means the person who quoted you and the person sanding your floor have never met. Ask the question straight: who exactly will be doing my floor? Whoever you choose, you want an answer that names a person, not a rota.
2. Read the reviews the right way
Ignore the review carousel on any company's own website, including ours, because nobody publishes their bad ones. Go to the platform itself, sort by newest, and read the three-star reviews first; that's where the truth usually lives. Look for how recent the reviews are, whether the same names and jobs keep appearing, and how the firm replies when something went wrong. A company that answers criticism calmly and fixes things is worth more than one with a suspiciously perfect score and no replies.
3. Ask about the machines and the dust
Modern floor sanding machines with proper extraction capture the overwhelming majority of the dust, and any established firm should be running them. But here's the honesty test: ask about the stairs. Stairs are sanded with handheld machines and they are dusty work, whoever does them. If a firm promises you a completely dust-free job including stairs, they've just told you they'll say whatever gets the booking, and you should wonder where else that applies.
4. Make the quote do the talking
A proper quote is a written document that itemises the work, states how many finish coats are included, shows the VAT separately and carries the company's registration number. Vague per-metre teaser rates that grow on the day, prices that turn out not to include the finish, day rates where a slow floor becomes your problem, and cash-only discounts are all the same red flag wearing different hats. And compare like with like: a finished-floor price against a sanding-only price is not a comparison.
5. Ask what they would not do
This one sorts the trade fast. A good firm will sometimes talk you out of work: a tired oiled floor that only needs a buff and a fresh coat rather than a full sand, a floor too thin for another sanding, a job that isn't theirs to do. We've told people their floor needed six more months of wear before it was worth sanding, and we've turned away work that a soundproofing specialist or a general builder should do instead. If every answer you get is yes, no matter what you ask, somebody is selling to you rather than advising you.
6. Do the three-minute paperwork check
Look the company up on Companies House; it's free and takes a minute. You'll see how long they've genuinely been trading and who the directors are, which is worth more than any number on their website. Then ask about public liability insurance; any proper firm carries it and will show the certificate on request. A business that exists only as a first name and a mobile number might do lovely work, but if something goes wrong you have nothing.
7. Ask for proof you can see
Stock photos of floors are ten a penny. Ask to see the firm's own recent work: photos with the same rooms appearing before and after, or better, video of them actually doing it. Any firm proud of its work has evidence somewhere; a firm that can't show you any is asking you to be the evidence.
The Five Questions to Ask on the Phone
If you only do one thing from this guide, ask these five questions of every firm you call and write the answers down:
- Who exactly will be doing my floor?
- What machines do you use, and what happens to the dust?
- How many finish coats are included in the price?
- What happens if you find damaged boards once you've started?
- Can I see recent photos or video of your own jobs?
The answers matter, but so does how they arrive. Comfortable, specific answers mean you're talking to someone who does the work. Hesitation, generalities and a rush to talk about price mean you're talking to someone who sells it.
Where We Fit In All This
Since we've told you to check everyone, here's our own card laid on the table. We're a two-director firm: Dean started in flooring at sixteen in his uncle's shop, Luke started at sixteen too, and between us there's over 40 years of hands-on experience. One of us is on every job. We're on Checkatrade, our Google reviews stand at 4.9 from 52 reviews, we're a registered limited company with public liability insurance and the certificate available on request, and every quote we send is a fixed written document with the VAT shown. Our own proof is where you can check it: real jobs on our YouTube channel and in our gallery, so you can watch us work before we're in your house. We are not the cheapest firm in London and don't try to be; we price the floor honestly and the price we quote is the price you pay.
If that sounds like your kind of outfit, the next step costs nothing: a free site visit, a proper look at your floor, and a fixed written quote. And if you choose someone else armed with the checks above, genuinely, good luck with the floor. That's the point of the guide.
Questions People Ask
Who are the best floor sanding companies in London?
How do I check a floor sanding company is legitimate?
Should I choose the cheapest floor sanding quote?
What questions should I ask a floor sanding company?
Is dust-free floor sanding real?
Whoever you choose, choose them on evidence: the person, the paperwork, the reviews they can't edit and the work you can see. Everything else is marketing.
Call us: 020 3131 0122
Email: [email protected]
Or book a free site visit. Fixed written quote, and the price we quote is the price you pay.