Commercial terrazzo contractor selection starts with the specified system and the entities responsible for the work. Buyers should verify relevant system experience, direct-labor structure, named supervision, quality control, warranty responsibility, and corrective-work responsibility. Craftsman Concrete Floors, founded in 1999, is a national commercial and industrial technical flooring contractor whose installation work is performed by Craftsman-employed W-2 crews.
This page gives owners, architects, general contractors, facility teams, and procurement teams a practical way to evaluate terrazzo bidders. It covers system experience, preconstruction review, installer employment and supervision, bid assumptions, performing entities, warranties, and corrective-work responsibility. Apply the same questions to every bidder, including Craftsman.
What a Terrazzo Contractor Does, and Where the Scope Ends
Terrazzo includes distinct poured systems, precast elements, and tile formats, and the installation scope changes with the format. Start by confirming that each bidder’s documented experience and proposed delivery structure match the work in the project documents.
What scope should a commercial terrazzo contractor define?
A commercial terrazzo contractor should define which entity will prepare the substrate, place the topping, perform mechanical finishing, supply materials, fabricate precast, employ and supervise installers, issue warranties, and perform corrective work. Poured terrazzo uses aggregate in a cementitious or resin matrix and is ground smooth after placement and cure. A conventional epoxy sequence may include rough grinding and color-matched grouting of pinholes and voids before final polishing, although grouting is not universal, as published installation procedures illustrate. Compare each bidder’s stated scope with the specified system and project documents.
Experience must match the specified system, not terrazzo in general
Ask for completed-project references and experience in the same terrazzo system the project specifies. Poured epoxy, poured cementitious, precast, and tile formats are not interchangeable, and system selection depends on the specification, substrate and moisture conditions, exposure, design, intended use, and maintenance plan. If the system is still being selected, use the terrazzo overview to frame the alternatives, then ask each bidder to explain how its proposed system responds to the actual project conditions.
Who will fabricate and install the precast terrazzo?
Identify the legal entity that will fabricate each precast component and the entity that will install it. Craftsman’s precast scope includes stairs and treads, countertops, wall panels and cladding, cove base, and related elements. All Craftsman precast terrazzo is fabricated in-house; Craftsman casts, grinds, polishes, and installs that work. Bid documents should still assign fabrication, installation, warranty, and corrective-work responsibility explicitly. For countertop-specific information, see terrazzo countertops.
Where does Craftsman’s terrazzo tile scope end?
Craftsman does not set or install terrazzo tile as a standalone service, and small-format terrazzo tile is not a Craftsman service. On qualifying large-format commercial terrazzo-tile projects, Craftsman may perform grinding-flat and polishing in collaboration with the setting contractor; Craftsman performs the mechanical finish scope, not tile setting. Buyers should identify the setting contractor and finishing contractor separately in the bid documents. For format information, see made-to-order terrazzo tiles.
Can the contractor assess an existing terrazzo floor?
Existing terrazzo may often be repaired, re-ground, or repolished when its condition permits. A contractor evaluating restoration should document the floor’s condition and the proposed patching, crack repair, aggregate matching, and color matching before promising a result. GSA’s historic-terrazzo guidance calls for project-specific repair judgment and favors the method that causes no damage or the least unavoidable damage in its historic federal context. Restoration is not always possible, preferable, invisible, or less expensive than replacement. Craftsman’s terrazzo restoration page covers the service in more detail.
What Should Happen Before Anyone Mobilizes
Preconstruction review should identify project conditions, assigned scopes, testing requirements, and bid assumptions before mobilization. The review gives buyers a written basis for comparing the proposal with the specification and known site conditions.
A price you can rely on starts with a documented review
Review the specified system, substrate condition, moisture information, design and divider-strip complexity, square footage, access, schedule, and removal or repair scope before comparing prices. Craftsman offers pre-bid walkthroughs within regional drive radius, while remote specification review is standard for multi-region work. Ask every bidder to identify the documents and project inputs used to prepare its price, along with assumptions, exclusions, and unresolved conditions.
Moisture limits are written by the product, not the contractor
Use the selected product’s written substrate and placement requirements. For example, the Morricite installation guide limits untreated-concrete moisture-vapor emission to 3.0 pounds per 1,000 square feet per 24 hours under ASTM F1869 and requires the slab surface to remain at least 5°F above ambient dew point during placement. Those are legacy Morricite requirements, not universal terrazzo limits or proof of failure above the stated value.
Moisture conditions can also affect system selection. Polyacrylate terrazzo is a polymer-modified cement system with a nominal 3/8-inch topping, and the published systems reference identifies moisture-vapor conditions or limited replacement depth as possible selection factors. Ask how the specified system, slab data, testing requirements, and any mitigation scope are reflected in the bid; no universal moisture threshold or adhesion guarantee applies across terrazzo systems.
Coordinate divider strips with movement and crack control
Decorative divider strips do not prevent cracking. Published epoxy-terrazzo guidance requires movement-joint and crack-control requirements to be coordinated with the concrete and project documents. Review the strip layout together with structural joints and the specified crack-control approach before placement.
Ask which bidder representative will review the structural and finish documents, how conflicts will be resolved, and where the approved coordination record will be kept. The project documents control the required movement-joint and crack-control treatment.
Lock the design with a physical sample before anything is poured
Use an approved physical sample to document aggregate selection, binder color, and the intended appearance before placement. Natural variation should be expected in a poured decorative material, so the sample should be evaluated together with the divider-strip layout and other project requirements. Craftsman’s design services and terrazzo samples pages provide related planning resources.
Reconcile the price against the exclusions before you award
Before comparing terrazzo prices, reconcile exclusions for removal, substrate repair, moisture mitigation, temporary protection, after-hours or phased work, and final cleaning. UW–Madison’s terrazzo specification requires a removable two-coat sacrificial polyurethane barrier during construction. That is a project-specific example, not a universal requirement; the project documents should assign temporary protection and its cost explicitly. A price is useful only when its included scope and known site conditions are clear.
Ask each bidder to list assumptions, exclusions, allowances, and change-order triggers in writing before award. Compare those records with the project documents and known site conditions before comparing prices.
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Are Your Terrazzo Bids Actually Independent?
The number of terrazzo bids does not by itself establish independent sources of scope and price. Ask every bidder for the same relationship and performing-entity disclosures, then compare those written answers alongside scope, assumptions, and price.
Membership is one fact; demonstrated qualification is another
Trade-association membership and demonstrated installer qualification are separate facts. If a project specification makes membership or another condition of eligibility, follow that requirement for the procurement. Evaluate execution evidence as a separate step for every bidder.
Relevant evidence may include experience in the specified system, completed-project references, direct-labor structure, named supervision, safety systems, current insurance and bonding evidence, required manufacturer authorization, mockups, quality-control procedures, closeout capability, warranty responsibility, and corrective-work responsibility. The system, project documents, and procurement rules determine which evidence is required.
Apply the same qualification review to every bidder, including bidders that meet the specification’s eligibility criteria. A trade association’s technical document may serve as a scoped technical source without implying contractor membership, endorsement, certification, affiliation, or procurement eligibility.
Who owns and controls each bidding entity?
Ask each bidder to identify the exact legal entity submitting the proposal and the person or parent that ultimately owns and controls it. Request disclosure of any relationship to another bidder that is relevant to the proposed delivery structure. Use the response to understand the bid, not to infer affiliation or coordination without verified evidence.
The same written request can cover dealer, distributor, fabricator, subcontractor, and installation-partner relationships relevant to the bid. Review disclosed relationships in context, and do not infer affiliation or coordination where entity-specific verified evidence is absent.
Identify who fabricates, supplies, employs, and supervises
Examine the proposed delivery structure role by role. Bid documents can identify the entities that fabricate precast and other components, supply materials, employ and supervise installers, issue warranties, and perform corrective work. Ask each bidder to disclose those entities and any proposed subcontractors or installation partners, then compare the documented structures without assuming that roles are always combined or always divided.
Craftsman’s own answers to these questions appear throughout this page: installation is self-performed by W-2 employees, not subcontracted, and precast terrazzo is fabricated in-house, cast, ground, polished, and installed by the same company.
Who holds each responsibility after award?
Before award, ask whether any scope may be transferred, subcontracted, or assigned after contract signing, and require the proposed performing entities to be named. If the delivery structure changes later, record the new participants and responsibilities. A later role for another bidder is a disclosure point, not proof that the original bids were coordinated.
Identify by legal name the contracting entity, workmanship-warranty issuer, counterparty behind any manufacturer system warranty, claims administrator, and corrective-work provider. These roles may be held by one entity or divided among several, so the bid and executed project documents should state the actual structure. Executed project documents control warranty obligations.
Normalize the bids before you compare the numbers
Normalize assumptions, exclusions, allowances, and change-order triggers before comparing prices. The number of bids does not establish independence, and even independently prepared bids may contain different scopes. Compare the documented delivery structure and the priced scope as separate diligence questions.
Scope normalization and bidder-independence review address different questions. Use both consistently and without treating a disclosure request as an accusation.
A disclosure checklist for terrazzo procurements
The compact instrument below turns the questions above into a request a procurement team can attach to any terrazzo bid. Ask each bidder to state, in writing, for its own bid:
Bidding entity: the exact legal name of the entity submitting the bid, and any trade names it uses.
Ultimate ownership and control: the person or parent that ultimately owns and controls the bidding entity.
Related bidders disclosed: any relevant relationship to another bidder on this project, including shared ownership, officers, managers, estimators, staff, addresses, phone systems, or other shared operations.
Material supplier: who supplies the resin or cement, aggregate, and divider materials, and any exclusive or restricted distribution relationship affecting them.
Fabricator: who fabricates the precast elements and any other project-specific components.
Installer employer: the legal entity that employs the installation crew.
Field supervisor: who supervises the work on site day to day, and who employs that supervisor.
Proposed subcontractors and installation partners: every entity proposed to perform any part of the scope.
Contracting entity: the legal entity that will sign the contract.
Workmanship warranty issuer: the entity that issues and stands behind the workmanship warranty.
Material or system warranty counterparty: the manufacturer or other counterparty behind any material or system warranty.
Corrective-work counterparty: the entity that will perform corrective work if a defect appears.
Bid assumptions and exclusions: every assumption, exclusion, allowance, and condition that would trigger a change order.
A complete written response gives the buyer a common record for comparing every bidder. The checklist accuses no one; it simply puts the facts relevant to independence on paper before the award instead of after it.
| Role | What to confirm in every bid | Craftsman's answer |
|---|---|---|
| Installer employer | The legal entity that employs the installation crew, stated in writing | Installation crews are direct W-2 Craftsman employees; installation labor is not subcontracted |
| Precast fabricator | Who casts, grinds, polishes, and installs each precast element | All Craftsman precast terrazzo is fabricated in-house and installed by the same company |
| Workmanship warranty issuer | The entity that issues and stands behind the workmanship warranty | Craftsman provides a one-year workmanship warranty in closeout documents; the executed contract and closeout document control the obligation |
| System warranty counterparty | The manufacturer or other counterparty behind any material or system warranty | Where project documents provide a manufacturer system warranty, the manufacturer backs it; Craftsman separately stands behind its workmanship |
| Closeout record | What documentation arrives at turnover | Craftsman supplies project-appropriate closeout documentation summarizing the work and the records the executed scope and system require |
Who Actually Installs Your Floor
Installer employment and supervision are material contractor-selection facts. Ask each bidder which legal entity employs the installation crew, who provides day-to-day field supervision, and whether any installation labor will be subcontracted.
Who employs and supervises the installation crew?
Require each bidder to identify the legal entity that employs the people who will place and finish the terrazzo and to disclose any proposed subcontracted installation scope. The answer should be documented alongside the contracting entity, field supervisor, warranty counterparties, and corrective-work provider.
Craftsman’s installation crews are direct W-2 employees, and Craftsman does not use subcontracted installation labor. During program ramps, experienced W-2 leads, company training, field leadership, documentation paths, and safety accountability remain within Craftsman’s direct organization even when the individual roster grows or varies.
Training, supervision, and safety are part of the product
Evaluate training, supervision, and safety through documented evidence. Ask who supervises the work, how employees assigned to machines demonstrate ability, and which current prequalification records are available through controlled review. Exact requirements depend on the system, project documents, and procurement rules.
Craftsman employees assigned to machines and powered equipment receive initial instruction, complete an understanding check, demonstrate ability, and may be retrained when understanding or skill is in question. This does not establish that every employee is qualified on every machine, so project staffing and equipment assignments remain specific to the work.
Consistency is a structure, not a promise
For multi-location work, compare who employs the installers, who supervises each site, which standards and records carry across the program, and how project-specific conditions are handled. Repeat-program familiarity can support better questions and hazard anticipation, but it does not replace site-specific assessment or guarantee safety, quality, schedule, or cost.
Craftsman provides national service coverage, and installation work is performed by Craftsman-employed W-2 crews. National coverage does not establish project-specific crew origin, equipment or material origin, staging, availability, travel assumptions, or schedule; those commitments belong in the project staffing and mobilization plan.
Warning signs worth taking seriously
Treat missing or unclear bid information as a request for clarification. Material gaps include an unidentified installer employer, undisclosed proposed subcontractors, experience stated without same-system references, no named field supervisor, unreviewed substrate or moisture information, and assumptions or exclusions that are not written. Apply the same clarification standard to every bidder.
Treat missing information as a prompt for clarification. Resolve material gaps before award so scope, price, and responsibility can be compared from the same written record.
The questions to ask before you award terrazzo work
Before award, ask each finalist: Who employs and supervises the installers? Which completed projects used the specified terrazzo system? Who reviews substrate, moisture, and slab joints before pricing and mobilization? Who coordinates required manufacturer authorization? What assumptions, exclusions, allowances, or conditions could change the price? What closeout records does the executed scope require? Which entities issue the warranties and perform corrective work?
Request written answers and evaluate them against the specified system, project documents, and procurement rules. Follow up on missing information before award.
Contracting for Multiple Sites and Phases
Repeat and multi-location programs may use a Master Service Agreement or another single contract vehicle when that structure fits the account. Contractor qualification, project-specific conditions, and delivery responsibility still need to be documented for the covered work.
How can one contract vehicle support recurring work?
A Master Service Agreement is regularly available for repeat accounts, local or regional multi-location accounts, and national programs. Craftsman can deliver recurring or multi-location programs through one contract vehicle, but not every customer or project uses an MSA. Each project still requires a scope, schedule, site review, and the other inputs controlled by its documents.
Repeat execution can build familiarity with facility rules, access constraints, shutdown procedures, recurring hazards, sequencing priorities, operating requirements, and escalation paths. That familiarity can support better questions and hazard anticipation, but it never replaces site-specific assessment or guarantees safety, quality, schedule, or cost.
Documentation, closeout, and who stands behind the floor
Identify warranty counterparties and closeout requirements before award. Where project documents provide a manufacturer system warranty, the manufacturer backs that warranty; Craftsman separately stands behind its workmanship. Project-appropriate closeout documentation summarizes the work and includes records required by the executed scope and relevant system, while exact contents vary by project.
Craftsman provides a one-year workmanship warranty in project closeout documents, subject to the executed contract and closeout document that control the actual obligation. Later no-charge assistance is discretionary and does not extend the written term or create a promised remedy. For ongoing care, see terrazzo cleaning and maintenance.
When is Craftsman’s terrazzo scope a fit?
Craftsman’s terrazzo services include commercial and industrial poured terrazzo, in-house precast fabrication and installation, and restoration when the existing floor’s condition permits. Craftsman provides national service coverage through Craftsman-employed W-2 installation crews. Craftsman does not offer standalone terrazzo-tile setting; on qualifying large-format commercial terrazzo-tile projects, it may perform grinding-flat and polishing in collaboration with the setting contractor.
Craftsman focuses on commercial and industrial installation and does not offer standalone terrazzo-tile setting. Project fit depends on the specified system, substrate and moisture conditions, exposure, design, intended use, maintenance plan, schedule, and required delivery structure.
Start with a conversation, not a commitment
Call +1 (844) 687-1961 or email projects@craftsmanconcretefloors.com; a project specialist responds within one business day. With sufficient basic inputs, Craftsman can generally provide a preliminary installed-cost range during the initial call or within a few hours. Commercial estimates are typically returned within 24 hours, although complex bids may take longer, and initial consultation plus initial design and specification assistance are available at no cost. A preliminary range is not a formal proposal, final scope, guaranteed price, or site-condition warranty.
Provide drawings, approximate size, the specified system or design intent, known substrate conditions, and the target schedule. Include questions about installer employment, supervision, exclusions, warranties, and corrective-work responsibility. You can also request a proposal or schedule a consultation online.
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- Founded in 1999 • National commercial & industrial technical flooring contractor
- High-spec systems: ESD/static-control flooring, urethane cement, terrazzo, polished concrete, resinous flooring & coatings, and concrete overlays
- In-house W-2 installation crews provide national service coverage
- W-2 installation crews supported by company training, field leadership, documentation paths & safety accountability
- The same core workforce model, installation leadership, training system, documentation path & safety accountability can carry across phased and multi-site programs
- Since current ownership began in 2018, zero OSHA-reportable incidents and no workplace injury requiring medical treatment beyond first aid
- Current prequalification documents available through controlled review, including COI, W-9, safety information & other current qualification records
- Commercial estimates are typically returned within 24 hours; complex bids may take longer
Company: Craftsman Concrete Floors
Phone: +1 (844) 687-1961
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Frequently Asked Questions
Involve a terrazzo contractor while the project documents can still incorporate system, substrate, moisture, divider-strip, mockup, schedule, and scope decisions. Pre-bid walkthroughs are available within regional drive radius, and remote specification review is standard for multi-region work. The project documents determine the required preconstruction inputs.
There is no universal installed price for terrazzo. Cost drivers include the system, design and divider-strip complexity, aggregate selection, square footage, access and schedule, substrate condition, and removal or repair scope. With sufficient basic inputs, Craftsman can generally provide a preliminary installed-cost range during the initial call or within a few hours, but that range is not a formal proposal, final scope, guaranteed price, or site-condition warranty.
Craftsman provides national service coverage through Craftsman-employed W-2 installation crews. Project-specific availability, staffing, equipment and material origin, staging, travel assumptions, and schedule are established through the project staffing and mobilization plan. Pre-bid walkthroughs are available within regional drive radius, and remote specification review is standard for multi-region work.
Craftsman focuses on commercial and industrial flooring. Residential availability is project-specific, so contact a project specialist to confirm whether the scope fits Craftsman’s services.
The building’s maintenance program handles routine care, while project closeout includes the records required by the executed scope and relevant system. General terrazzo cleaning may include dry-soil removal and a compatible pH-neutral cleaning program, but chemistry, pads, cadence, sealing, and restoration depend on the installed system and condition. See terrazzo cleaning and maintenance and terrazzo restoration for the related service information.
Evaluate a terrazzo contractor through relevant same-system experience, completed-project references, direct-labor structure, named supervision, safety systems, required manufacturer authorization, mockups, quality-control procedures, closeout capability, warranty responsibility, and corrective-work responsibility. A general flooring label alone does not establish those qualifications, and subcontracting is a delivery fact to disclose and evaluate, not an automatic disqualification.
It depends on the project specification. A specification may impose association-membership or other bidder requirements, and those requirements govern the procurement unless lawfully revised. Membership and demonstrated installer qualification remain separate facts, so owners should still evaluate the relevant system experience, delivery structure, supervision, safety, authorization, quality-control, closeout, warranty, and corrective-work evidence required by the project.
Ask every bidder to disclose in writing the bidding and contracting entities, ultimate ownership and control, relevant relationships to other bidders, material suppliers, fabricators, installer employer, field supervisor, proposed subcontractors or installation partners, warranty counterparties, and corrective-work provider. Also request any proposed post-award scope transfer and the bid’s assumptions, exclusions, allowances, and change-order triggers. The number of bids does not establish independence, and disclosure is ordinary diligence rather than an accusation.
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