If you want the least amount of stress, vinyl plank is usually the best place to start. It handles dirty paws, spilled drinks, toys getting dragged around, and heavy day to day traffic better than most options. It is not indestructible, but for a busy house, it is one of the safer bets.

For kitchens and bathrooms, I would lean vinyl plank almost every time. Those areas deal with water, and water is where laminate starts getting less forgiving. Laminate looks great in the right parts of the house, but around sinks, tubs, dishwashers, and everyday splashing, vinyl plank is usually the smarter move.

I would stay away from anything cheap and overly delicate. In a high traffic home, low quality material gets exposed fast. It starts looking worn, scratched, noisy, or dirty way sooner than people hoped. A floor in a busy house needs to handle real use, not look good for a week and then start falling apart.

Yes, absolutely. Carpet still makes a lot of sense in bedrooms, on stairs, and upstairs where you want things softer and quieter. Not every room needs a hard surface. Sometimes comfort matters more than trying to make the whole house look like one continuous showroom.

You want to know exactly what you are paying for. Material, labor, demo, disposal, prep, transitions, base work, furniture moving, appliance moves, and what happens if the floor underneath needs more work than expected. If the estimate is vague, that is a problem. Good contractors are clear.

Start with the CSLB license search. That is the first thing I would do. After that, check Google reviews, look at their actual work, look at their social media, and pay attention to how they talk through the job. A legit contractor should not feel slippery. Their license should check out, their work should look real, and their answers should make sense.