Hit 500 square feet in one day for the first time, never again

Been laying flooring for about 4 years now, mostly residential stuff in the Chicago area. Last week I had a big open living room and dining area, maybe 1,100 square feet total, and I pushed myself to hit 500 feet of click-lock laminate in a single shift. Sounded like a good goal when I started at 7 AM. By noon my knees were done, by 3 PM I was cutting corners on the underlayment seams just to keep pace. Finished at 6:30 and the rows were straight, but I was so wrecked I couldn't even carry my tools back to the van. My helper said he's never seen me move that slow. The customer paid on time and was happy, but that pace is not sustainable for quality. I'd rather do 350 feet and actually check every joint. Has anyone else hit a number like that and realized it wasn't worth the wear and tear?

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white.keith1d ago

...and honestly the whole "day rate" mindset messes with your head too. I read somewhere that experienced floor guys peak around 300 to 350 square feet of click lock a day, and anything past that is basically just paying for it later with your body. I did a similar push once, 480 feet, and the next morning my shoulder was so tight I couldn't turn the steering wheel. Ended up having to take two days off and the job still made money, but the math just doesn't work out. Better to be the guy who does 350 perfect feet and is still standing at quittin' time... that's the job.