SW-07 · Contracting & SpecsCheck the delivery before signing. Interface makes the contractor responsible for checking quantity and dye batching before accepting a delivery.1 A VA master specification asks for sealed packages marked with the product, color, production run and date, and rejects damaged or opened containers.2 Photograph labels and damage, and keep split lots apart.3
A flooring delivery arrives on a pallet or a truck, usually while the crew is busy with something else. Someone signs the ticket and the cartons go into a corner. If the color is wrong, the lots are mixed or a pallet was crushed in transit, that signature can make it the contractor's problem. Ten minutes spent checking before signing is cheaper than any callback.
Who is responsible
Manufacturers put the first check on the receiver. Interface says it is the contractor's responsibility, or that of whoever signs for them, to check the delivery. Quantity and dye batching are checked before accepting and signing the delivery note.1 Mohawk's vinyl plank warranty makes the installer or end user responsible for confirming the received material is free of obvious visible conditions.4 Elite says the person installing the floor is responsible for inspecting all of it before and during installation.5
That is why the check belongs at the truck, not at the first carton opened a week later.
What the cartons should show
A specification can make the check concrete. The Department of Veterans Affairs master specification for resilient tile asks for materials delivered in original sealed packages. Each must be clearly marked with the manufacturer's name or brand, type and color, production run number and date of manufacture.2 It says materials from containers that have been distorted, damaged or opened before installation will be rejected.2 Whether or not a job's spec says that, it is a sensible standard to receive against.
- Product and color against the order and the approved submittal.
- Production run or dye lot on every carton or roll.
- Quantity against the ticket, including accessories, adhesives and trims.
- Condition of cartons, pallets and roll ends.
Lots and batches
Lot numbers matter because batches differ. Interface ships its products in dye batches that should not be mixed unless stated otherwise.1 The VA specification asks for materials from the same production run.2 Paul Pleshek, a flooring inspector writing in Flooring Contractor magazine, advises photographing carton end stamps or back labels. They confirm the product is as ordered and whether the shipment is one manufacturing lot.3
If a delivery contains more than one lot, it is not necessarily wrong. It needs a plan. CRI 104 asks for drawings to note exactly where dye lot changes occur.6 Keep the lots separate in storage, label them, and decide with the designer where each goes before installation starts.
Damage in transit
Look at the pallet before it comes off the truck. Crushed corners, wet cartons, broken banding and forklift punctures are easier to note on the ticket than to argue about later. For carpet, CRI 104 notes that bending or folding rolls is not recommended. If it is unavoidable for delivery, the carpet must be unrolled and allowed to lie flat immediately on arrival.6 Its list of what poor handling causes includes delamination, dimensional changes, creases, pile crushing and pattern distortion.6
When there is damage, write it on the delivery ticket before signing, photograph it with the ticket in frame, and keep the damaged cartons separate. Do not open and use them while the claim is pending.
Opening a sample carton
A quick look inside a few cartons catches problems that labels do not. Elite asks for every plank or tile to be inspected in good light for color variation, finish condition, sheen variation and quality.5 Marquis notes that materials with visible defects are not covered under warranties once installed.7 VPI's rubber tread instructions say claims for surface defects or color and pattern variation must be made before installation.8
Open a carton from each lot and lay a few pieces side by side in daylight. Check color, gloss, edges and locking profiles. If anything looks wrong, stop and call it in with photos. Installing questionable material usually means accepting it.
Accessories, adhesives and overage
The flooring is only part of the delivery. Adhesives, primers, patching compounds, trims, base and transition strips arrive with it or separately, and they are checked less often. The VA specification asks for adhesives, underlayment, primers and polish recommended by the flooring manufacturer.2 A substitute adhesive that arrives on the truck is easier to send back than to explain after a bond failure. Check adhesive containers for product name, date and condition, and keep them from freezing or overheating in storage.
Check quantity against overage, not just against the order. Texas State University's design standard calls for 5% overage of each product, or 2% on jobs over 10,000 sf.9 If the overage is meant as attic stock, it has to come from the same lot as the installed floor. Confirm that on the ticket before the extra cartons are set aside.
Plan for blending during installation too. The VA specification asks installers to mix tile from at least two containers, and says an apparent line of shade or pattern variance will not be accepted.2 Elite recommends working from a minimum of 3 boxes at a time.5 Stage cartons so the crew can do that.
Where it goes next
Received material should go straight into proper storage. The VA specification asks for a weathertight, dry storage space, protected from handling damage, water and temperature.2 National Flooring Products says not to store material in exterior sheds, garages, or rooms that are not temperature-controlled.10 See flooring storage rules.
A receiving checklist
- Match product, color and quantity to the order and the approved submittal.
- Record lot or batch numbers for every carton or roll; photograph the labels.
- Note damage on the ticket before signing; photograph it with the ticket.
- Open a carton from each lot and compare pieces in good light.
- Separate lots and damaged goods, and move the rest into conditioned storage.
Keep the tickets and photos in the job file. If a claim comes later, they show what arrived. See photographing for warranty claims.
Sources
- Interface, “Carpet Tile Installation Instructions”. interface.com/content/dam/interfaceinc/interface/technical/emea/installa
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (via WBDG), “Section 09 65 19, Resilient Tile Flooring (master specification)”. nibs-s3-wbdg3-production.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com:443/FFC/VA/VANCAS/VA
- Flooring Contractor magazine, “Inspector Input (Winter 2019)”. digitaladmin.bnpmedia.com/publication/
- Mohawk (via Lowe's), “LVT/LVP Residential Limited Warranty”. pdf.lowes.com/warrantyguides/842374006031_warranty.pdf
- Elite Flooring, “Välinge Installation Guide (Woodlands)”. eliteflooringusa.com/links/install-instructions/Elite-Installation-Guide
- Carpet and Rug Institute, “CRI 104 Standard for Installation of Commercial Carpet”. carpet-rug.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/CRI-104-STANDARD-For-INSTALLAT
- Marquis Industries, “Rigid Vinyl Plank Installation Instructions (Angle)”. marquisind.com/static/resources/Angle_Angle%20Installation%20Instruction
- VPI Corporation, “Tread, Riser and Nosing Installation and Maintenance”. vpicorp.com/downloads/1P%20-%20Install%20&%20Maint%20Tread-Riser-Nosing%
- Texas State University, “09 65 19 Resilient Tile Flooring and Base design standard”. docs.gato.txst.edu/141401/09_65_19-Resilient-Tile-FlooringBase.pdf
- NFP, “Architect’s Choice LVP Installation Guide”. my-nfp.com/resource/architects-choice-lvp-installation-guide
General information for the flooring trade. This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed above; the manufacturer's current instructions and the project specification govern any real job. If something here is wrong or out of date, tell us.
