answer:Find out what the laws are in your area. In mine, one does not need a special license in order to refinish hardwood flooring. If you go the handyman route, make sure to move all your furniture and valuable belongings yourself, as they might not be insured. You can search for people on Craigslist or in your local news rag. Better yet, ask around. Find someone who knows someone who just had their floors done. At least then you can see their work before you hire them. Anyone can steal pictures off the Internet and claim it as their work. Most sand and finish work is done by the square foot, and the price will depend on the existing finish, the type of wood and what finish you want to use. My husband charges generally $2.00 to $2.50 a square foot for a refinishing job without a whole lot of major repair work involved. Historical homes, that have varnish that needs to be hand-scraped because of top-nailing, will cost more. Most people also have a “minimum” they’re going to charge to come out, so even if the rooms are pretty small, my hubby charges no less than $1000 to $1200 to come out. In most cases, it’s a three-day process. Day one, stripping off the existing finish and doing any filling or repair work. Day two, first coat, day three, probably two coats to make it nice and smooth. It can take longer if it’s humid outside (polyurethane finish) or not humid enough (moisture-cured xylene), the wood’s in particularly poor condition or needs board replacements, or of the three rooms get in the way of each other (the job might have to be done in phases). Please feel free to ask any other questions.