Heard a contractor bragging about skipping underlayment on a big job last week

Guy at the supply house said he saved $600 by not using it on a 2,000 sqft laminate install. That's just asking for callbacks and creaky floors down the road. Any of you run into customers who try to push you into skipping it?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim_johnson511mo ago

Respectfully, skipping underlayment is cutting corners that'll cost way more later.

wendyg431mo ago

My brother laid plywood straight on joists in his garage 8 years ago and it's still fine, @kim_johnson51. Underlayment is builder grade marketing fluff half the time, just depends on what you're putting on top.

adamthompson1mo ago

Oh man I gotta push back on this one hard. I've seen so many jobs where they threw down fancy underlayment and the floor still failed because the subfloor wasn't flat or the joists were squeaking. That stuff is thin foam or felt, not structural. If you're putting down tile, sure you need something like ditra or cement board but that's not really "underlayment" in the old school sense. For hardwood or laminate, a lot of the time it's just a moisture barrier and leveler and people are overpaying for brand names. Depends on the install but blanket statements about skipping corners miss the point when the actual structure is solid.