Flooring Jobs in BC

Are you curious about floor covering installation work in Vancouver or elsewhere in BC? Learn about how to become a floor-covering installer, the advantages of being part of a Floorlayers Union, and what types of floor-covering jobs are available through the Floorlayers Union.

What is Floor-covering Work?

Floor covering involves the replacement, repair, and installation of different floor-covering materials in various types of settings. Professionally certified, Red Seal floor coverers are known as floorlayers, or floor-covering installers.

Floorlayers work indoors in a controlled climate and work in occupied and new construction. The work requires high attention to detail and is more artistic than many other types of skilled trades. A career in floor covering is rewarding because you give the building aesthetic life, and the users of the building get to see the finished product of your work.

Types of Floor-covering Materials and Installations

Floorlayers work with a variety of flooring materials that can be split into three categories:

Carpet

Although you may not think of carpet as a type of flooring, it is something floorlayers install. Carpet can be made from a variety of materials including both synthetic and natural.

Resilient Flooring

Resilient flooring includes vinyl, linoleum, rubber, and other types of flooring used in areas with high foot traffic in commercial and institutional settings such as hospitals, schools, and grocery stores.

Hardwood

Hardwood can be made from either engineered or solid wood. Installations of hardwood can be installed in both residential or commercial settings.

Floor covering installers are trained during their apprenticeship to install all of these types of floor coverings. Knowing how to install various types of flooring offers a wider range of opportunities when it comes to flooring jobs.

Types of Flooring Jobs Available in BC

The Floorlayers Union Local 1541 is located in Delta, BC. Work opportunities through our union are located primarily in the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan Valley. Flooring work through our signatory contractors is in the commercial-institutional (C/I) and residential sectors.

Commercial/Institutional (C/I)

Commercial and institutional work includes installing resilient flooring, carpet, and hardwood into office buildings, hotels, malls, grocery stores, hospitals, care homes, and schools.

Residential

Residential work involves the installation of resilient flooring, carpet, and hardwood in houses and apartments, but with a greater emphasis on aesthetic appeal.

Flooring Installation Training in BC

Floor covering is a Red Seal trade, and the training required to achieve a Red Seal certificate in floor covering is standardized. We are the only provider for floor-covering apprenticeship training in Western Canada. Having been established over 75 years ago, Local 1541 has a long-standing history.

Flooring Installation Training for People New to the Skilled Trades

To become a journeyperson floorlayer, you’ll need to register in the floor covering apprenticeship program. This is a three-year program that includes five weeks of technical training per year. You will receive a Red Seal certificate in floor covering upon the successful completion of all three levels and passing the written interprovincial exam.

Flooring Installation Certification for Experienced Floorlayers

If you have floorlaying experience but have not completed an apprenticeship, it is possible to challenge the Red Seal interprovincial (IP) exam to obtain your Red Seal certification. You will be required to provide proof of your work experience as a floorlayer.

Why Join the Floorlayers Union?

Whether you’re a journeyperson floorlayer or are just beginning your apprenticeship, there are significant benefits to joining our floorlayers union:

We’re the only provider of apprenticeship technical training in Western Canada
While completing your apprenticeship, you will receive progressive wage increases until you reach journeyperson status
The Red Seal floorlaying certificate is highly respected in the industry and nationally recognized across Canada
Flooring eventually wears out and needs to be replaced, which creates plenty of opportunity for full-time work as a floorlayer, even during economic downturns. And as a floorlayers union member, you enjoy greater job security and earn higher wages compared to the non-union sector, as well as employer-paid health and retirement benefits.

Career Advancement Training for a Floorlayer in BC

We are proud to offer not just jobs in construction but foster careers in construction, and part of how we do that is through our career-advancement training. In addition to safety training, equipment training, and specialized skills training, we offer programs at the United Brotherhood of Carpenters International Training Center in Las Vegas that take our members’ careers to the next level. Beginning in the third year of apprenticeship, members are offered courses to develop:

Leadership skills
Relationship management and conflict resolution skills
Communication skills
Empathy skills
Self-awareness skills

…and more!

These skills help you become a more effective floorlayer by enhancing your ability to integrate into a team, communicate effectively, and contribute to a healthy, productive jobsite culture. This not only reduces costly staff turnover but also helps contractors succeed and bid on more projects, thus providing more work for our members.

Join Us and Find Flooring Jobs in BC

Current openings

Have a look at our job board to get an idea of current floorlaying jobs in Vancouver and beyond available through our contractors.

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Local 1541 Website

Browse the Local 1541 website for info about pursuing a career in the floorlaying.

Have Your Questions Answered

Do you have questions about how to join, what dues are involved, and what else the Union can do for you?

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