What affects the price of polished concrete?
Two quotes for the same floor can be a long way apart. Usually they are not quoting the same thing. Area is only one factor - these are the others, and how to get a quote you can compare.
By Jeremy Thomason. Updated .
Area is part of the price, but only part. Two floors the same size can be very different jobs. When two quotes are far apart, it is usually because one is quoting a light grind and seal and the other a full polish - even if both say polished concrete. We quote the job, not a rate.
The finish
Every step of shine is more passes of the machine. A matte honed floor takes fewer steps than a satin polish, and a high-gloss polish more again - to 1500 grit, or 3000 for the finest finish. Time on site is the biggest part of the price, so the finish you choose matters most.
How much stone you want to see
A full stone exposure means grinding deeper, which takes longer and wears more diamond tooling than a light, salt-and-pepper grind.
Area and layout
- Small jobs cost more for their size. Setting up, travelling and sealing take the same time on a small floor as a big one.
- Lots of rooms, hallways and corners mean more edge work by hand, which is slower than open floor.
- Steps, nosings and set-downs add hand work.
The slab itself
A new slab poured for polishing is the most predictable. An existing slab may need glue or coatings removed, cracks repaired, and patches filled before any polishing starts. Those are usually quoted separately once we have seen the floor.
Power and access
Our machines run on three-phase power. If the site does not have it, we bring a generator, which is charged on top. Upstairs work, tight access and travel distance also affect the price.
How to get quotes you can compare
- Ask every quote to state the finish by how much it shines and how much stone shows, not just 'polished'.
- Ask what grit the floor will be taken to, and whether sealing and a burnish are included.
- Ask what is excluded: edges, glue removal, crack repair, generator.
- Ask whether a sample area on your own slab is part of the job, so the finish is agreed before the whole floor is done.
The most accurate quote comes from plans, early. Send the drawings and the finish you have in mind, and we will price it before the slab is poured - when changes still cost nothing.