A career spent kneeling
Flooring fitters spend almost all day on their knees. Carpet fitters use knee kickers to stretch carpet, which puts repeated impact through the knee joint. Over years this can lead to swelling, bursitis and joint damage. Carrying heavy rolls up stairs and boxes of laminate or engineered wood adds back and shoulder strain.
Adhesives and floor levelling compounds can affect the skin and breathing in poorly ventilated rooms. Sharp knives and saws mean the odd deep cut.
Paid by the metre
Many fitters work as subcontractors for flooring shops, paid by the job or the square metre. Others run their own small businesses. There is no sick pay when you cannot kneel, and shops may need to find another fitter quickly.
Because fitting is so physical, a knee operation or back injury can mean weeks or months away from work. Income protection pays a share of your earnings after a waiting period you choose.
Commercial fitters working for contractors may be paid differently, sometimes through CIS. Insurers look at your declared profits either way, so the method matters less than keeping your records straight.
- Subcontract fitters often rely on one or two shops
- Commercial flooring may mean night or weekend work
- A knee operation can mean a long recovery before kneeling again
- Keep accounts current so your earnings can be proved
Ratings and the knee question
Insurers sort occupations into risk classes. Flooring is usually treated as manual work. The class affects your premium and whether you are offered own occupation cover, which pays if you cannot work as a fitter, or a stricter definition.
If you have had knee treatment, the insurer may exclude knee claims. That is worth knowing in a trade where knees matter so much. Sometimes an exclusion can be reviewed after a period without symptoms, so ask.
Fitters who mainly run a shop, measure up and price jobs, with others doing most of the fitting, may be rated more lightly. Tell the insurer how your time really splits.
Life cover for flooring fitters
If you die while the policy is in force, life cover pays your family a lump sum. Flooring has little effect on life cover terms. Many fitters buy cover to protect the mortgage and their family's income.
Two single policies can make sense for couples, as each can pay out separately.
How Hi Tomorrow helps flooring fitters
We ask about the floors you fit, any knee or back history and how you are paid, then compare our panel for the best terms. We explain exclusions and definitions clearly, so you know what the policy covers.
Many flooring fitters are in their forties or fifties and already feel it in their knees. Applying before a problem is diagnosed usually gives cleaner terms, so it is worth looking sooner rather than later. We help with the application and support you if you need to claim.