About The Guild
The Guild was founded in 2007 by Selva-Lee Tucker with one mission: to elevate the standards of professional flooring inspection through advanced education, industry collaboration, and a commitment to ethical excellence.
We are the trusted resource for certified flooring inspectors, flooring professionals, manufacturers, the legal community, and consumers seeking authoritative and unbiased expertise.
Unfortunately, gone are the days you can easily trust every certified flooring inspector, manufacturer, or retailer. The Guild hopes to curb this trend and welcome a new generation of flooring professionals to adopt quality over loyalty. They pledge to teach the truth to those who seek it, without resorting to protectionism for any brand.
Who We Are
The Guild is a national organization composed of the most experienced, highly trained, and dedicated flooring inspectors in the country.
Our peer-reviewed inspectors uphold the highest levels of professionalism, technical knowledge, and integrity; qualities that distinguish The Guild inspectors from the rest of the industry.
We operate as a collective of experts focused on advancing the craft, sharing knowledge, and supporting inspectors at every stage of their career.
What We Do
We provide world-class continuing education, an expert Report Review service, and a respected national directory of highly qualified flooring inspectors – giving consumers, attorneys, retailers, insurers, and manufacturers a trusted place to find qualified professionals for any flooring evaluation.
Hire An Expert Flooring Inspector
All flooring inspectors in The Guild are peer reviewed with abundant experience, encompassing various specialties across the country. Search by location or expertise to find a certified flooring inspector for you and your project.
Become A Peer Reviewed Inspector Of The Guild
We welcome certified flooring inspectors that want to take the next step in their career. Flooring professionals are nominated by their peers because of years of experience, honesty, and knowledge in our trade. We vet every inspector before accepting one into The Guild. Learn more about The Guild’s nomination process.
Standards of Conduct for Flooring Inspectors
Experts may disagree as to cause but certain facts, such as measurements and history of the complaint, should be consistent without bias. Just the facts.
Any disagreements should only be differences of professional judgement only. The facts must always be similar with a high percentage of compliance.
The flooring expert should perform his inspection in a professional manner without bias.
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In other words, the expert should not answer questions, that may not be accurate, until all the facts have been gathered and evaluated.
No on-site verbal reports
No speculations on telephone calls, text messages or emails, to obtain the inspection
This includes, any research needed after he or she leaves the site
Therefore, the inspector should make no comments of any nature as to cause and effect until after he or she has completed his report and submitted
The inspector should not accept the assignment if there is a direct, or indirect, Conflict of Interest; or having an intimate professional or personal relationship with the opposing party or person and the commissioning agent.
If the inspector has no experience with the type of flooring (Example: a carpet inspector with no direct hand-on experience with wood flooring attempting to do wood floor inspections), without the necessary experience with the product, should not attempt to inspect the complaint.
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In other words, the inspector should, when evaluating the data collected, consider the professional opinions of other flooring professionals when relative, corelative, to the complaint.
The inspector must research information for each complaint and state the source of the researched information.
The inspector cannot take the credit for the work of others presenting it as his own.
When presented with all parties’ reasonable explanations as to Cause and Effect, the inspector will give honest and respectful credence to the expressed opinions and evaluate each reasonable explanation as to Cause and Effect.
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The inspector will keep in his custody all samples and only the inspector will arrange the shipping of the samples.
Exceptions to this rule: If the commissioning party deems it their right, as it is, to submit samples to be examined to their choice of laboratories, or professional evaluation services, they will send in samples for examination, the inspector must prepare the samples for shipment if possible.
The inspector must note this in his report.
The inspector will prepare the samples in his possession for shipment
The inspector will submit all samples to independent laboratories without naming the manufacturer, retailer, distributor or any concerned party
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The inspector will not, without permission of the commissioning party, discuss the results of the testing with any of the involved parties.
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In other words, changes in maintenance practices, installation procedures or environmental conditions, made after the sale and installation, the new standards CANNOT be used to evaluate the product at a later date.
The only standards to be used and considered are those that were in effect at the time of sale and installation.
The inspector will submit a report without the intent to confuse or mislead. The inspector should only use presentations, programs, or reports that simplify for evaluations by the judging parties. All of the facts are to be reported without the intent to mislead for purposes to render a bias report.
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In instances where the commissioning party is a manufacturer, who may send the report to the distributor, retailer or consumer, the inspector CANNOT discuss the report without a representative from the manufacturer present, or / and, with their written permission
In instances where the commissioning party may be the consumer, retailer, installer or distributor, the inspector shall maintain 100% confidentiality and not discuss the report with the manufacturer without there being a representative of the commissioning party present or written permission. All such communication should be recorded for review by the commissioning party if permission is granted.
Any threats concerning future work or assignments by the manufacturer should be reported immediately to the attorney for the commissioning party
Any threats concerning future work by any of the involved parties should immediately reported to the attorney for the commissioning party
If, during the examination, the inspector informs the commissioning party his findings are not in his best interest, any attempts to influence by inspection fees or threats of future work to change the evaluation, the inspector will terminate the inspection immediately.
The inspector shall evaluate all the facts, without embellishing the facts to favor the commissioning party. The inspector will inspect the flooring without bias, by the industry standards.
When proven and reviewed science is in conflict with a manufacturer’s standards or statements during a dispute, the inspector shall maintain integrity and evaluate only by the relative and applied peer reviewed proven science that applies.
In all actions and communications, the inspector shall act in a professional demeanor and dispassionate attitude at all times with all involved parties.
If contact by the opposing party is initiated, this should be reported immediately to all involved parties.
The role of the flooring inspector can be difficult but their behavior must be that of the highest standards
Stay Informed
The Flooring Inspectors Guild shares the latest news and technology in the flooring industry, unique inspections from peers with scientific dialogue, educational resources, and more. Sign up for our newsletter, visit our resources page, and join us at The Guild Classes to stay informed and active in our industry.