Walk past a strip mall in Atlanta, Tampa, or Charlotte and you will likely spot a yellow storefront stacked with pallets of LVP boxes near the front window. Flooring Now is a regional discount chain that moves overstock, mill-direct, and second-quality material at prices 25% to 40% below big box retailers. The trade-off is thinner wear layers, smaller dye-lot runs, and a return policy written entirely in their favor. Knowing what you are actually buying makes the difference between a $1.29 per square foot bargain and a floor you tear out in three years.
How the Flooring Now Business Model Works
The company sources closeouts, factory seconds, and discontinued patterns from major manufacturers like Shaw, Mohawk, and Mannington, then routes the inventory through warehouse showrooms with minimal overhead. There are no glossy displays, no installer referral programs in most markets, and limited follow-up service after the sale closes. Cash, debit, and finance-company credit are accepted — manufacturer rebates and price-match guarantees are not.
This works in your favor when the SKU happens to be a current-production product with a small cosmetic flaw or a discontinued color from a quality line. It works against you when the material is a true second with milling defects, short-run dye lots that cannot be reordered, or an off-brand private label with no warranty backing.
Product Categories Stocked
Most Flooring Now locations stock four core categories at any given time. Inventory turns weekly, so the SKU you saw on Tuesday may be gone by Friday.
- Luxury vinyl plank from $1.29 to $2.79 per sq ft, mostly 5mm to 6mm SPC with 12 mil to 20 mil wear layers
- Laminate from $0.79 to $1.99 per sq ft, AC3 to AC5 ratings, with 8mm and 12mm thicknesses
- Carpet rolls and remnants from $0.69 to $2.49 per sq ft, mostly polyester and some nylon
- Tile in 12×24 and 6×36 plank formats from $0.99 to $2.49 per sq ft, usually rectified porcelain
Where the Pricing Actually Wins
The strongest savings show up on rental-property and basement installs where you want a presentable floor without a 20-year commitment. A 1,200 sq ft duplex unit floored at $1.29 per sq ft costs $1,548 in material versus $3,000 to $4,200 at a big box for an equivalent looking LVP. Across an eight-unit portfolio, that delta funds an entire kitchen renovation.
Homeowners flipping properties also pencil out the math favorably. Buyers in the $250,000 to $400,000 price band do not pull up planks to count wear layers — they react to color, plank width, and seam tightness. Flooring Now product photographs well and installs cleanly when the dye lots match.
Drawbacks the Showroom Will Not Disclose
The biggest issue is dye-lot variation. Because the material is overstock or short-run, the inventory on the floor today may include planks from three or four production runs. Lay them next to a window and you will see subtle differences in plank tone, wood grain repeat, and embossing depth. Always purchase 15% overage rather than the standard 10%, and open boxes in a checkerboard pattern across the install area.
Warranty support is the second pain point. Manufacturer warranties on closeout product are often voided once the goods leave the original retail channel. The Flooring Now store warranty, where it exists, usually covers 30 days for return of unused full cartons only — no labor coverage, no transition pieces, no installation reimbursement.
Cost Breakdown for a 1,000 sq ft Project
- Material at $1.49 per sq ft average with 15% overage: $1,714
- Underlayment and vapor barrier: $0 if pad is pre-attached, otherwise $250 to $400
- Installation labor through a local installer: $1.50 to $2.25 per sq ft, or $1,500 to $2,250
- Subfloor prep and leveling: $300 to $800 depending on slab condition
- Transition strips and quarter round: $150 to $300
Total turnkey runs $3,664 to $5,464 for a project that would cost $6,500 to $8,500 sourced from Home Depot or Lumber Liquidators with comparable installation. The $2,000 to $3,000 savings is real but contingent on the install going smoothly without callbacks for board replacement.
How to Inspect Material Before Purchase
Bring a tape measure, a flashlight, and a small straightedge to the showroom. Pull three or four boxes from different stacks of the same SKU and check the dye lot numbers printed on the carton labels. If more than two lot numbers appear, walk away or negotiate a deeper discount.
Open one carton on a flat cart and inspect six planks. Run your thumbnail along the milled edge — burrs indicate a milling defect that will not lock properly. Check the wear layer specification printed on the carton against the price tag, since some stores mislabel 12 mil product as 20 mil. Finally, ask the staff to print a dimensional spec sheet or pull the manufacturer PDF on their phone. If they cannot produce it, the SKU is likely a no-name private label without published specs.
Installation Considerations
Most Flooring Now locations do not employ installers and will refer you to independent contractors. Vet these installers separately — get a written quote with labor only, ask for two references from jobs more than six months old, and confirm they carry their own liability insurance. Pay no more than 25% of the labor fee upfront.
For DIY installs, acclimate the boxes for 48 hours in the room at a temperature between 60°F and 80°F. Floating click-lock floors need a 3/8 inch expansion gap at every wall and vertical penetration. Skip this step on a budget LVP and you will see ridging within two months as the planks expand against the baseboard.
Who Should and Should Not Shop Here
Landlords, flippers, basement projects, and budget-conscious homeowners who plan to replace the floor within ten years get strong value from Flooring Now. The pricing simply cannot be matched at conventional retail. People building or renovating a forever home, installing over radiant heat, or floors that must match across a 2,500 sq ft open plan should source from a full-service retailer with reliable dye-lot continuity and live manufacturer warranty support — the upcharge buys real risk reduction over the next two decades.
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