In this guide

Concrete Floor Coating Cost by Material

Many different types of coating can be used to protect and enhance your concrete floor. Each one is applied differently, and each one can give your floor both a different appearance and a difference in how it performs long term. Each material has a different cost for the material itself and the cost to apply it.

Cost to Seal a Concrete Floor

There are many different types of concrete sealers. Concrete is technically porous, which means that unless those pores are sealed up with some other material, the concrete can absorb liquids and stain. Sealers prevent this by keeping liquids and debris on the surface, where they can be cleaned away. There are three basic types of concrete sealers: acrylic concrete sealer, polyurethane concrete floor coating, and polyurea concrete floor coating. Polyurethane is the longest-lasting of the three, while polyurea has the fewest VOCs--volatile organic compounds, causing lung irritation and headaches in some people. Acrylic is the least expensive and the easiest to apply. Each sealer has its own attribute to consider. In terms of value, polyurethane’s long-lasting results give the best value. For those who worry about VOCs or odors, polyurea is the best choice. Those who want to seal quickly on a budget may want to choose acrylic. All sealers give you a glossy or matte finished, depending on the one you choose. They are not designed to change the color of the floor, but you can apply a sealer on top of a stain to change the floor’s color. On average, sealers cost between $1 and $4 per square foot, with acrylic being the least expensive at $1 per square foot installed and the polyurea coating cost per square foot being the highest at $4 installed.

Cost to Paint a Concrete Floor

Concrete paint isn’t strictly paint like you would apply to the wall. In fact, it’s actually a type of epoxy. Most concrete paints are made up of about 40% epoxy that is mixed with solvents to make it more spreadable. So, while people refer to it as paint, this method also goes by thin coat epoxy. There are high gloss concrete paints and those that can include some “chips” sprinkled into the paint after application to give it better durability and texture. Painted concrete floors cost less than thick coat epoxy ones but have costs that are similar to stains. The benefit is that with the paint, you don’t need to put a sealer on top of the color. Concrete paint comes in a range of different colors and colored chips for varying looks. Concrete paint prices start at $30 to $50 per gallon or around $2 to $4 per square foot installed.

Stained Concrete Floors Cost

Staining permanently alters the color and appearance of the concrete. There are two basic types of stain, water-based and acid-based. Acid staining is sometimes also referred to as acid etching the floor. Stain can be applied in several ways, which impacts the cost. You can have a single coat of stain applied, which has a cost of around $2 per square foot. You can also apply multiple coats of stain to create unique colors, patterns, and appearances. In this case, some of the stain may be applied, then wiped away in areas to change its appearance. This type of stain costs up to $25 per square foot, depending on the color and the pattern achieved. Stencils, multiple color build-ups, and repetitive patterns cost more than two-color floors or random color placements.

Polymer Modified Concrete Overlay

Homeowners often need to coat their concrete floors because the floor is cracking, settling, or has suffered stains from spills and an unsealed surface. If your concrete shows signs of a lot of wear, then a polymer-modified overlay is the best choice for coating it. This overlay contains polyurethane, so it creates a very hard, durable, and long-wearing topcoat surface. The thickness of the overlay helps seal up cracks and small depressions in the concrete’s surface, so you have a more level, durable finished floor. This finish is usually sprayed on and costs around $2 per sq. ft. for a solid color. However, if you desire, you can have the floor sprayed in different colors or patterns to give it a fresh new look. Doing so increases the cost of the project to as much as $30 a square foot on average.

Epoxy Concrete Floor Cost

While concrete paint is technically a type of epoxy and contains about 40% epoxy solids, it’s also possible to coat your floor in 100% epoxy. This creates a much thicker, more durable, and longest-lasting floor coverage. This is known as a thick coat epoxy. It helps level small depressions and uneven floors and fills in small cracks. This type of floor coating comes in several different colors and has decorative and colorful chips like concrete paint. The biggest difference is that this floor coating is a full 10 ml thick, which provides a much more durable and longer wearing surface. It is possible to create patterns or achieve metallic looks and high gloss finishes with epoxy. Epoxy floor coating costs per square foot are around $10 to $15 installed.

Cost of Refinishing Concrete Floors

Old concrete floors can stain, crack, and otherwise wear down over time. This doesn’t mean that they’re unstable or that they need to be replaced, however, just that the surface may require refinishing to look their best. There are many ways to go about refinishing a concrete floor. Using a floor coating is one option. Staining, painting, or applying either an overlay or a thick coat of epoxy can refinish the surface of the floor to give it a different appearance. Concrete can be ground down and polished, leaving its original color intact.

The cost of refinishing the floor comes mostly from the level of finish you need. A basic resurfacing and repairing costs between $4 and $6 per square foot. Polishing costs between $3 and $5 per square foot for a simple polish and up to $30 per square foot if you are first staining the floor in a pattern or in layers and then polishing. For a 500 sq. ft. floor, this makes the cost range of refinishing between $2,000 and $15,000.

Cost to Stain Concrete Floors Indoors

Staining is one of the most attractive finishes you can give to a concrete floor. By building up the stains in layers, you give the floor a wide variety of different appearances, from a texture that resembles stone and wood to stenciled finishes in intricate patterns. In most cases, the stained floor is topped with a high gloss finish, giving it a polished, refined appearance.

The cost of staining an interior concrete floor varies depending on the level of stain. A single color over the entire floor at once costs about $2 per square foot. If you choose to do a more intricate stain, a layered stain to mimic stone, or use stencils, your costs per square foot can approach $25 per foot.

Cost to Stain a Concrete Basement

If you are finishing your basement, staining your concrete floor is a great option. This eliminates the issues that some other materials have with being installed below grade and gives your basement an incredible range of different looks and appearances. Stains can be layered on one another to give your basement floor depth and interest. Stains have a wide range of costs depending on the type. A single coat of stain in a solid color is around $2 per square foot. An intricate design that uses stencils or creates a pattern with different colors can cost as much as $25 per square foot. The average basement is around 1,000 sq. ft, making the cost of staining it between $2,000 and $25,000, depending on the stain you use.

Garage Floor Coating Cost Per Square Foot

Coating a garage floor is a good idea to protect it from wear and spills like oil or gasoline. The most common garage floor coating is epoxy. While you can use stains and paints, a thick coat of epoxy gives your garage floor the longest lasting protection from oil spills and the weight of your car. The epoxy garage floor cost per square foot is around $10 to $15 a square foot. For a two-car garage, this comes out to around $5,760 to $8,640.

If you don’t use your garage for car storage, you can use other types of concrete coatings. Garage floor painting costs with thin coat epoxy are around $2 to $4 per square foot or around $1,152 to $2,304 for a two-car garage.

Basement Epoxy Floor Cost

Basements can be finished with either a thin coat of epoxy--concrete paint--or a thick coat of epoxy. Both provide long-lasting protection for your basement floor as well as various colors, and in the case of thick coat epoxy, different designs. If you use concrete paint, your costs will be around $2 to $4 per square foot or $2,000 to $4,000 for a 1,000 sq. ft. basement. If you use a thick coat epoxy, your costs will be $10 to $15 per square foot or $10,000 to $15,000 for the average basement floor.

Labor Cost of Concrete Floor Coating

Labor costs for installing a concrete floor coating vary depending on the type of coating you have done. Most costs quoted include both the labor and the materials. The material cost per square foot for basic sealers can be less than $0.50 per foot, with labor making up the balance.

The more complex the pattern, the higher the costs for labor will be. This is why the cost for a complex pattern using a stain can be as much as $30 per foot. The material costs may only be $0.50 to $4 per foot, but the labor can be up to $16 to $18 per square foot, with labor costs starting around $1 per square foot for simple jobs. The more complex the pattern, the higher the labor cost will be. For this reason, in most instances, the given quote will be for the finished job, including both material and labor. A total cost range on average is $2 to $30 per square foot for the majority of floors.

Concrete Floor Primer

Some floors that are in poor condition may need a primer before being finished. The primer helps the epoxy of the paint adhere better to the floor. Also, it helps level small indentations and fill small cracks. This means that the final coat goes on more smoothly.

Primers are generally only used for concrete paints. They are not used with stains and are not necessary with thick coat epoxy or overlays, which are both significantly thicker and able to level the floor on their own. If you need a primer added, it increases costs by another $1 to $2 per square foot, installed.

Enhancement and Improvement Costs

Concrete Repair Cost

Concrete is a fairly durable material, but it can develop issues over time, such as settling, sinking, and cracking. The cost of concrete repair varies depending on the issue. Most small problems can be fixed for $2 to $4 per square foot. Larger problems, however, can cost as much as $10 or $12 per square foot, depending on the severity of the issue.