Epoxy Garage Floor Cost | Garage Floor Prices

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The headline rate of $2.50 to $9.00 per sq/ft is a wide range that represents the lowest and highest prices you can expect to pay. Additional coats and repairs contribute to a higher cost. If this amount already seems above your budget then there are some cheaper garage floor paint options, although you won’t get nearly the same durability and longevity.

You might also want to check out our post about the many other garage flooring options.

Cost factors and their affect on price are explained below. They’ll give you a clear idea of your garage floor epoxy cost based on the details of your project.

The cost of a diy epoxy garage floor is about 60 cents to $2.85 per square foot based on materials used and number of coats applied. The materials are often sold in kits that include epoxy, a clear coat and decorative flakes.

Concrete must be acid etched for epoxy adhesion. Old floors should be degreased and cleaned too. The materials and tools required for these jobs cost $40 to $75.

To learn more about concrete visit our concrete flooring guide where you can learn about buying concrete, installation, prices and cleaning.

Related Reading: Polyaspartic Floor Coating

EPOXY GARAGE FLOORING – COST FACTORS

All concrete, even freshly poured material, must be acid-etched prior to applying primer or epoxy.

Additional cost will be determined by the coats and materials used:

• Primer
• Base coat of two-part epoxy – sometimes called the color coat because pigment is usually added
• Second coat of epoxy
• Color flakes sprinkled onto wet epoxy to dress it up and help hide imperfections such as small or filled cracks
• Slip-resistant additives
• Clear coat finish
• Second clear coat for a smoother finish

Only an epoxy base coat is required, but it will last just 2-5 years depending on how heavily you use your garage.

For best protection and longevity, at least two coats of epoxy or a base coat and a clear coat are recommended.

The heavier your garage is used, the more it makes sense to add two coats of epoxy and a clear coat. The metal flakes are attractive and help conceal concrete floor imperfections such as repaired cracks. Now let’s move to epoxy garage flooring cost specifics.

PRIMER COAT COST

Some epoxy manufacturers recommend a primer coat. Applying it is quick, and the primer is usually ready for epoxy in less than two hours.

• Primer coat for garage flooring epoxy: 25 to 50 cents per square foot

SINGLE-COAT EPOXY COST

This involves acid etching and one coat of epoxy. It is an affordable way to spruce up an old garage floor, but the coating won’t last long.

• Single-coat epoxy floor cost: $2.50-$3.35 per square foot

TWO-COAT EPOXY COST

After acid-etching, two coats of two-part epoxy are applied. Allowing the first coat to cure for 24 to 48 hours is required.

• Two-coat epoxy garage floor cost: $4.25-$5.85 per square foot

EPOXY FLOOR PLAKES PRICE

Flakes are either vinyl or mica. Vinyl flakes are available in many colors and blends. Mica flakes have a metallic appearance and range from silver to gold to dark brown. Flakes can be added in light to heavy amounts based on the look you prefer.

• Vinyl or mica flakes added to epoxy floors: $35-$100 per garage

CLEAR TOPCOAT COST

Clearcoat adds stain protection to the epoxy and prolongs its good looks and wear. With just one coat, you might feel the flakes if you run your hand over the surface. A second coat will usually make the floor very smooth.

• Clearcoat for epoxy garage floors: $1.15 to $1.50 per square foot

Double that cost if a second coat is added.

ANTI-SKID GRIT COST

Grit can be added to the final coat of epoxy or clear topcoat to help prevent slips and falls. Grits used include sand, aluminum oxide and polymeric grit. The polymer type is clear, so best if you don’t want the floor’s color to be affected. But it’s also the costliest.

• Anti-slip grit for epoxy flooring: No charge to $40 for the entire garage depending on the type used.

EXTRA COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH EPOXY GARAGE FLOORING ESTIMATES

If you have a garage floor that is clean and in perfect condition, none of these will apply. One or more of these costs are necessary when getting an imperfect floor ready for epoxy.

CONCRETE CLEANING COST

Concrete that isn’t fresh must be degreased and cleaned.

• Concrete cleaning cost: 30 to 55 cents per square foot

CONCRETE CRACK REPAIR COST

Cracks wider than about 1/8” must be filled, or they will show through the epoxy flooring. An acrylic or polyurethane caulk is forced into the crack and tooled smooth with a putty knife. Crack filler costs about $14 per 30oz tube. A cheap caulk gun is $5 and putty knife is $3.

Here’s what pros charge to fill cracks as part of an epoxy job.

• Concrete crack repair cost: 50 cents to $1.00 per linear foot

CONCRETE LEVELING COST

If you squeegee your garage floor, and there are low spots where water remains, they should be filled. Otherwise, dirty or salty water ponding on epoxy might eventually discolor it. These aren’t sunken areas, but areas where the concrete finisher left behind an imperfectly level surface.

The concrete must be primed ($14/quart) first. Low spots are filled with self-leveling compound underlayment ($35/bag). One bag should be enough for the low spots in a two-car garage.

For a pro job:

• Self-leveling underlayment installed cost: $4.85-$6.50 per square foot of affected area

If there are just a few spots, an epoxy installer might charge a minimum fee of $75 to $125 for the time it takes to mix and pour the self-leveling material and wait for it to cure.

When the floor has so many low spots, pits and surface cracks that it makes sense to cover it all in self-leveling material, cost drops to $3.50-$4.25 per square foot.

SUNKEN SLAB REPAIR

It’s not uncommon for concrete to settle or for erosion to occur beneath it. The result can be a cracked, sunken area that must be raised before applying epoxy.

A process called mud jacking or slab jacking is the standard repair. A mixture of grout and water is forced beneath the slab using hydraulics to raise the slab level with the surrounding material.

• Concrete slab jacking cost: $400 to $1,500 depending on the size of the section to be raised.

COST TABLE

We’ve put the costs into a table for your convenience.

FACTORS	COST	NOTES
Primer	$0.25 – $0.50/s.f.	Required by some epoxy brands
Epoxy	$2.50 – $5.85/s.f.	Whether 1 or 2 coats is applied
Topcoat	$1.15 – $3.00/s.f.	Optional – Whether 1 or 2 coats is applied
Flakes	$35 – $100/garage	How heavily the flakes are added
Grit	$0 – $40/garage	Type of grit used
Concrete Cleaning	$0.30 – $0.55/s.f.	How heavily soiled the floor is
Crack Filling	$0.50 – $1.00/l.f.	How large the cracks are
Floor leveling	$3.50 – $6.50/s.f.	How much area needs leveling
Slab Jacking	$400 – $1,500/spot	Size of the slab, how much it is sunk

SAVING MONEY ON EPOXY GARAGE ESTIMATES

Shopping around for cost is the best way to save money on any flooring type, and garage epoxy is no different. Let the companies know you’re getting several estimates. This will encourage them to give you their lowest cost.

Subtracting DIY material costs from professional epoxy floor costs listed at the beginning, we see that pros charge $1.90 to $6.15 per square foot. Cost is based on the materials and process discussed above and the amount of pure profit the company is trying to make.

The average net profit for epoxy jobs is 15 to 20 percent of the total. The rest goes to material and equipment costs, insurance, travel time and fuel and other overhead.

When epoxy floor contractors give estimates, they generally take one of two approaches:

• Add pure profit of 15-20 percent and rely on competitive cost for jobs
• Add pure profit of 25+ percent and rely on sales skills or an outstanding reputation to get jobs

This is why it makes sense to get multiple garage floor epoxy estimates.

High estimates: If the company has an exceptional reputation for quality work and customer service, you might get what you pay for. Otherwise, it’s not worth paying the higher cost.

Low costs: Estimates that are significantly below the others often mean the company plans to use inferior materials, doesn’t pay fair wages, is a startup looking for jobs or has a bad reputation. Most lowball estimates are not good deals.

Before you hire a company, compare the services provided and the number and type of coats to be applied. This will ensure you’re comparing “apples to apples.”

Also check each company’s reputation online. The goal is to get the quality of floor you expect, installed by a reputable company at a fair cost.

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About the Author: Jamie Sandford

Jamie Sandford is the Owner and Chief Editor of Home Flooring Pros (find out more). After 12 years’ experience in screen and stage set construction, followed by a further 15 years working in the home renovation/remodeling business, he now writes and curates online home improvement advice.

“Buying and installing home flooring should be a fairly straightforward process, but often it isn’t. After more than 15 years experience in home flooring and remodeling, I started Home Flooring Pros in 2013 to help homeowners navigate the often-over complicated process of choosing, buying and installing a home floor. The aim is to save you time and money by helping you to make better floor buying decisions.”