Whether you're remodeling, redecorating or building, you're going to have to find a source for your flooring needs.

Start with a list of local flooring companies. You can develop a list by going through the yellow pages and advertisements in your local paper.

The next step is to decide on the type of flooring product you want to use. There are many choices available, from tile to laminate to hardwood to carpeting. Know what you want and what you don't want. A good local flooring company will have more than enough samples on display. If you lose your focus, the decision process will simply bog down.

Now that you have an idea of what you want and the local flooring companies who can possibly provide the material, it's time to start the elimination process.

Call your local Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau to check on the reputation and reliability of local flooring companies. Eliminate those local flooring companies who have a considerable number of complaints or negative comments about them.

Ask friends and neighbors who they have used in the past and how they felt about the local flooring company they may have used. Other sources of referrals include designers and builders. If there are open houses in your neighborhood, visit them to get names of local flooring companies. Again, ask not only for positive referrals, but negative ones also. Use this information to pare your list down.

Your list should be shortened enough to make calling your local flooring companies worthwhile and profitable. Check with your local flooring companies to make sure that they carry the material you want. This will avoid trips to a showroom, only to find out they do not have what you're looking for. Eliminate those local flooring companies who do not carry the finishing materials you're interested in.

Ask the representatives of the local flooring companies about their payment policies. Do they require a down payment? Will they extend credit to you? Will they take a credit card or require a cash payment? Are the local flooring companies' showrooms open at a time you can easily visit them? Will they allow you to take samples home with you? Do they carry an inventory or will you have to special order flooring materials? How long will this take? Will they measure for you? Do they have their own installers? What happens if you are unhappy with the installation?

As you go through this process, you should be eliminating local flooring companies that you feel would be difficult to work with or do not have the products that you're interested in.

When you're ready to order the finishing materials, measure your rooms yourself, then have the local flooring company measure them. It's not doubling the work. It's one way to make sure you are in agreement with the amount of material ordered. Finishing materials for floors are expensive. You want to order the appropriate amount.

Once you decide on a company and they finish the installation, make sure you pay them promptly as agreed upon. If you are satisfied with the job they did for you, make sure you tell others. Word of mouth advertising is the best way to keep your local flooring company busy. They'll thank you for it.