"How much is epoxy flooring per square metre?" has no single answer, and quotes for what looks like the same floor routinely differ by a factor of three. The variation is real, not padding — it comes from four things.
1. The system, not the coating
A thin roller-applied coating and a self-levelling screed are both "epoxy" and are not comparable. The build determines cost more than anything else:
- A two-coat roller system suits light foot traffic and storage.
- A broadcast system with aggregate handles forklifts and adds slip resistance.
- Self-levelling at several millimetres handles impact and heavy plant, and costs several times the roller option.
Deciding the traffic and chemical exposure first is what makes quotes comparable.
2. The condition of what is underneath
This is where quotes diverge invisibly. A sound, level, clean slab needs preparation and nothing else. A slab that is oil-contaminated, cracked, uneven, or still holding moisture needs remediation first — and that work is often larger than the coating itself.
A contractor who has not tested moisture or inspected the substrate is quoting on an assumption, and the difference appears as a variation once work starts.
3. Area and access
Mobilisation is a fixed cost. Two hundred square metres carries the same setup as two thousand, spread over a tenth of the area, so small jobs always look expensive per metre. Access matters too: a live warehouse worked in sections around operations costs more than an empty shell.
4. Downtime
Standard systems need curing time before foot traffic and longer before vehicles. If production cannot stop, the options are fast-cure systems at a higher material cost, or night and weekend work at a higher labour cost. Either way, "no downtime" is a line item.
Comparing quotes honestly
Ask every bidder for the same four things and the numbers become comparable:
- The system, named coat by coat, with dry film thickness in microns.
- The preparation method, and what happens if the substrate is worse than assumed.
- The total cure time before foot and vehicle traffic.
- What is excluded.
The cheapest quote is usually the one that assumed the best case on preparation.
Where BK Services fits
We survey before pricing, so the number we give reflects the slab you have rather than an ideal one. Epoxy systems, industrial linings and floor preparation are part of our construction and industrial finishing division. Related reading: how to choose an industrial painting contractor.
Tell us about the floor and we will survey it.